Oprah Winfrey's best friend takes rumoured 50% pay cut
Gayle King’s enormous salary on 'CBS Mornings' had been scrutinised in recent weeks, as the show’s viewers slipped below 1.8 million.
Oprah Winfrey's high-profile best friend Gayle King will renew her contract as the star anchor of CBS Mornings, ending months of speculation.
As previously reported, King’s current contract concludes at the end of May and is worth between $13 million and $15 million USD.
The New York Post reports that according to one source, talk of a major pay cut - up to 50 percent - was circulating on Wednesday.
King’s high salary had been a point of contention as the show’s viewers slipped below 1.8 million in recent weeks, trailing behind NBC’s Today and ABC’s Good Morning America, which average around 3.2 million and 3.1 million, respectively.
"Rumours of my demise were inaccurate and greatly exaggerated," King said in a statement on Wednesday.
"CBS News is my longtime home, and I am committed to our mission. I’m excited about continuing at CBS Mornings.
"As always, I’m open to new adventures here and ready to go. It took a minute, but we got there. And now that we are here, I am all in."
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Gayle King's new CBS contract
King's new contract comes after last month's exit of veteran journalist Anderson Cooper from the network.
CBS News has been having a headline-grabbing revamp under editor in chief Bari Weiss, since her appointment in October 2025.
“There is only one Gayle King. We’re so proud that she’ll continue to call CBS home. We’re thrilled to have her on in the morning - and equally excited to work with her on new, enterprising projects that bring her talents to new audiences.” said Weiss, in a statement today.
The terms of King's new contract have not been revealed.
