After talks between CBS News Editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and Gayle King broke down, Weiss is now considering replacing Gayle with Hoda Kotb as cohost of CBS Mornings.
An insider told RadarOnline that CBS will not renew Gayle King’s $15 million annual salary which is set to expire in May 2026.
“People with big salaries and small ratings are going to be mercilessly cut – and Gayle fits the bill in both categories,” a source told RadarOnline.
The source added: “Bari [Weiss] wants a huge name who brings warmth, credibility – and viewers. And Hoda checks every box.”
Hoda Kotb left the “Today” show in January to spend more time with her ailing daughter and to launch her wellness brand, Joy 101.
Insiders reportedly said Hoda is eager to return to the spotlight in front of TV cameras.
Last month CBS insiders said Gayle’s job is in jeopardy if she doesn’t start spilling her celebrity friends’ secrets.
The insider said Weiss believes Gayle is cheating her viewers and the network by not sharing insider gossip.
“Bari is obsessed with pop culture,” a senior staffer told Hollywood insider Rob Shuter. “She thinks Gayle is wasting her connections.”
Shuter said Gayle is the only journalist invited into A-list celebrity spaces – and she’s not sharing what she knows with her audience.
“Beyonce, Kris Jenner, Jeff Bezos, Meghan Markle – Gayle is the only journalist invited into these rooms, and she brings none of it back to the audience,” the insider said.
“Bari believes viewers want Gayle’s actual life. Not scandal, not gossip – but the truth. Who she sits with, what she hears, what she sees.”
But sources say Gayle refuses to betray her friends’ trust by gossiping about them on TV.
So Gayle might be looking for a new job next year. Fortunately, Gayle still works as Editor-in-chief for Oprah Daily.
