Written By: Maggie Brown (maggiethe_journalist)
Gayle King, co-host of the CBS Morning show, has reportedly signed a $12 million dollar deal with CNN to become one of their new hosts.
Amid the deal, King, 68, is set to become one of the highest paid on-air hosts at CNN for just one hour of work per week.
CNN reportedly brought King and her co-host former NBA star Charles Barkley on as host to help boost the network’s ratings because their viewership is at its all-time lowest in key primetime demo since 1991.
According to RadarOnline.com, “With the network facing an existential crisis amid a staff revolt, bitter in-fighting, a revolving door of exits, and tanking numbers, King, … faced the prospect of being able to “write her own check” as a demand, according to a well-placed television source.”
King started her career in media and television in the early 80’s after graduating from University of Maryland, College Park, and becoming a production assistant at WJZ Baltimore. She later went on to work for the Oprah Winfrey Network in various roles, plus hosted her own show, ” The Gayle King Show,” before landing her current position at CBS and SiriusXM.
According to People.com, ” Gayle King doesn’t have any immediate plans to leave her longtime role at CBS.”
“… Let’s just say I have two years left on my contract with CBS, and I have no intention of leaving CBS,” King said.
Also, according to the People.com article, Barkley said, “They are trying to pair Gayle King and me,” Barkley told The New York Post. “We don’t have anything set in stone. I’m only considering it because of my respect for Gayle.”