'CBS Mornings' caught in third place as Skydance merger looms for community

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A longtime community morning present veteran believes Gayle King "has misplaced loads of her leverage" as "CBS Mornings" is mired in third place with an possession change looming.

The FCC accepted a long-planned, $8 billion merger between Paramount International and Skydance Media final month which can quickly place CBS Information beneath new possession. The deal, which is ready to shut Thursday, will see Skydance CEO David Ellison take management of the Tiffany Community and its struggling information division.

Trade insiders consider Ellison, who was noticed sitting with President Donald Trump at a UFC occasion in April, will intention to get rid of the perceived liberal slant at CBS Information. Ellison’s staff has already dedicated to appointing an ombudsman to supervise CBS Information content material, and staffers are bracing for different modifications as Skydance honchos put their stamp on the community.

CBS STAFFERS SPECULATE ON GAYLE KING'S FUTURE AS NETWORK BOSSES PUSH 'EDITORIAL SHIFT' ON STRUGGLING AM SHOW

"CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King experiences for CBS Mornings dwell from the United Heart in Chicago for the 2024 Democratic Nationwide Conference. (Michele Crowe/CBS Information by way of Getty Photographs)

This has put a highlight on King’s "CBS Mornings," which has by no means significantly challenged NBC’s "Right this moment" or ABC’s "Good Morning America" for any substantial size of time, as an alternative settling for a perennial third-place end amongst all related viewership measurables.

"CBS Mornings," co-anchored by King, Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson, averaged 1.8 million complete viewers throughout July, in comparison with 2.7 million for "GMA" and a couple of.4 million for "Right this moment."

Whereas third place is nothing new for CBS’ morning present, this system can be steadily shedding viewers.

"CBS Mornings" averaged 1.9 million viewers in 2025 by way of July 27, shedding 10% of the two.2 million it averaged throughout the identical time interval in 2024. The rankings drop is even worse among the many advertiser-coveted demographic of adults aged 25-54, as "CBS Mornings" has averaged 332,000 demo viewers in 2025—a lack of 1 / 4 of the 441,000 it managed in 2024.

NBC’s "Right this moment" and ABC’s "Good Morning America" have additionally misplaced viewers in comparison with the primary seven months of 2024, however the declines are usually not as extreme because the drop-off at CBS.

CBS HOST GAYLE KING INSISTS DEI MEANS ‘DEFINITELY EARNED IT’

Gayle King kisses the bottom after exiting the Blue Origin hatch. (Courtesy: Blue Origin)

"CBS Mornings" has additionally misplaced 6% of complete viewers and 18% within the demo when evaluating its common viewers since Election Day 2024 to the interval earlier than President Trump’s victory over former Vice President Kamala Harris.

King, who has lengthy been the topic of often-unflattering tabloid fodder, has not helped "CBS Mornings" improve its viewers regardless of the free publicity she generates by hobnobbing with A-listers. King is often on pink carpets and sometimes posts images at lavish occasions. The high-paid anchor was photographed alongside Oprah Winfrey and Kris Jenner lounging on a yacht off the coast of Spain in July after attending Jeff Bezos’ $50 million wedding ceremony.

In April, King drew criticism when she was a part of an all-female crew for a 10-minute Blue Origin house flight. Some complained in regards to the environmental influence, and others questioned if the temporary flight was a worthwhile use of sources.

The Blue Origin house flight gave "CBS Mornings" a quick bump, however this system has since misplaced 5% of its 2025 complete viewers and 17% of demo viewers because the day King went to house.

The possession change has led to trade chatter that modifications are inevitable, with a lot hypothesis round King and whether or not incoming executives will maintain her round when her contract expires—reportedly in Might 2026.

"Gayle is the one CBS Information worker making eight figures, and she or he’s gotten something she desires for years, together with selecting her government producer [Shawna Thomas] and doing alienating protection out of contact with the CBS viewer," a longtime community morning present producer instructed Fox Information Digital.

"Now that the numbers are slipping badly, Gayle has misplaced loads of her leverage," they continued. "Mix that along with her embarrassing house flight and her tasteless swanning round on David Geffen’s yacht final month with Kris Jenner, and she or he’s due for a giant pay lower and a comeuppance."

King has additionally been a champion of variety, fairness and inclusion (DEI), which is one thing Ellison’s staff has promised to dismantle at CBS. She additionally sparked backlash for taking a 2017 trip with the Obamas whereas she labored on a present that coated politics. On the time, King insisted her journey to Tahiti alongside the previous president was not political, however her cozy relationship with the previous First Household helped tarnish the repute of CBS Information—one thing incoming administration is believed to need to distance itself from.

GAYLE KING DISAPPOINTED BY BACKLASH TO BLUE ORIGIN FLIGHT, ACCUSES CRITICS OF SEXISM

CBS Mornings Co-Hosts Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil, and Nate Burleson with CBS Mornings and CBS Information Streaming Community Anchor and Correspondent Vladimir Duthiers, and CBS Mornings Government Producer Shawna Thomas. ( Michele Crowe/CBS Information)

A CBS Information staffer not too long ago instructed Fox Information Digital that King is "insulated by her staff," which incorporates Thomas. Nevertheless, an "editorial shift" is being pushed by CBS Information president and government editor Tom Cibrowski and his No. 2, Wendy Fisher, the community's senior vice chairman of editorial.

"They’re altering story choice and tweaking the present some," the CBS staffer stated.

"I do know Tom has been concerned within the present closely although," they continued. "He desires us to concentrate on tales exterior of main cities and in the midst of the nation. Tales that have an effect on actual folks and that they’re speaking about at residence."

The staffer believes the modifications Cibrowski has carried out over the previous couple of months are him "placing his mark on the division" and don't have anything to do with the mum or dad firm Paramount's settlement with Trump or the Paramount-Skydance merger.

In September, "CBS Mornings" will ditch its studio in Instances Sq. and return to CBS Broadcast Heart on 57th Avenue in New York Metropolis. It stays to be seen what different modifications are on the horizon as soon as Skydance executives start to place their mark on the division.

CBS Information didn't instantly reply to a request for remark.

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Fox Information Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.

Brian Flood is a media editor/reporter for FOX Information Digital. Story suggestions will be despatched to brian.flood@fox.com and on Twitter: @briansflood.