A new show for CNN has been made official. Chris Licht, the chairman and CEO of CNN, announced that Gayle King and Charles Barkey are teaming up for a new television show called King Charles. The show will air weekly in primetime starting this fall and running into 2024.
“This show will be an exciting new way we are delivering culturally relevant programming and unique perspectives to our audience, from two incredibly dynamic personalities,” Licht said in a memo to CNN employees. “We are excited that they are both able to join us in addition to their current respective roles with Gayle continuing to anchor CBS Mornings. King Charles exemplifies the one-team, one-company mentality with Charles playing double duty at CNN and in his role at WBD Sports.”
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“I want the show to be nonpolitical,” Barkley said, per CNN. “You know (Gayle King) is going to be a straight shooter. I’m going to be a straight shooter. I know she’s going to be fair and honest and you know I’m going to do the same thing.”
A CNN insider reportedly told Fox News that staffers at CNN were not happy with King reportedly earning $12 million for hosting the weekly show. The move comes after CNN had had budget cuts over the past year and dealing with layoffs at the end of 2022.
King also shared her throughs on the new show. “I think that decorum and courtesy and kindness always work,” she said. “But everybody I know has an opinion on something. We just need to figure out a way to have a good conversation without tearing each other down. And I think we can do that.” King and Barkley also said that the show will cover hard-hitting topics while also focusing on lighter news such as food and pop culture.
King, 68, will continue to anchor CBS Mornings, the morning show for CBS which launched in 2021. King was also an anchor on CBS This Morning before it changed to CBS Mornings. King is also known for being the editor-at-large of O, The Oprah Magazine and being close friends with Oprah Winfrey.
Barkley, 60, will continue to work for Warner Bros. Discovery as he’s a co-host on the NBA pregame show Inside the NBA on TNT. He played in the NBA from 1984-2000 and was named an All-Star 11 times. Barkley was also selected to the All-NBA Team 10 times and won the MVP award in 1993.
