Gayle King

Raised in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and Ankara, Turkey, Gayle King was born on December 28, 1954. After graduating from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a degree in psychology, King began her career in television as a production assistant at WJZ-TV in Baltimore. There, she formed a significant relationship with Oprah Winfrey while developing her skills. She then trained as a reporter at WUSA-TV in Washington, D.C., before becoming a weekend anchor and general-assignment reporter at WDAF-TV in Kansas City, Missouri. Her career progressed significantly when she joined WFSB in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1981 as a news anchor, a role she held for 18 years.

King expanded her presence beyond local news, working as a special correspondent for The Oprah Winfrey Show and venturing into talk shows. Her syndicated program, The Gayle King Show, aired briefly in 1997. She later hosted a radio show of the same name on XM Satellite Radio and then on OWN, Oprah Winfrey Network, starting in 2011. This period marked a turning point, leading to her role as co-anchor for CBS This Morning on January 9, 2012. Her tenure at CBS News has been distinguished by rigorous journalism, including acclaimed interviews with a wide range of public figures and a commitment to transparency, particularly evident during her coverage of internal issues at CBS.

In addition to her broadcast work, King joined O, The Oprah Magazine as an editor in 1999, further solidifying her media presence. She has been recognized as one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People of 2019” and was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2018. King continues to co-anchor CBS Mornings, a role she extended in January 2022, and co-hosts the weekly primetime show King Charles on CNN, which debuted in Fall 2023. In a notable personal and professional milestone, King is scheduled to participate in Blue Origin’s eleventh flight to space in April 2025, becoming one of the first female journalists to fly to space.