A power struggle over editorial control of 60 Minutes has led to the firing of its correspondent Scott Pelley.
Pelley has been the front face for show for decades since his joining in 2004.
The letter was sent over to Pelley by his executive producer, a copy of which was accessed by multiple U.S. media outlets who reported on the matter.
“Your employment with CBS News is terminated for cause effective immediately,” Nick Bilton, the newly appointed executive producer of the show, wrote to Pelley.
Pelley had alleged that Bari Weiss, the editor-in-chief of CBS News was “murdering” 60 Minutes, per NBC News.
The outlet has reported a clash between Pelley and Bilton over what the former accuses him of as “slender qualifications” for the role of 60 Minutes.
However, Pelley didn’t say a word on the issue as of now.
For the unversed, Bilton has worked with the New York Times as a technology columnist and produced several documentaries for HBO and Netflix.
Bilton succeeded Tanya Simon as the show’s all-in-all, the executive producer.
Simon had a career with over two decades at 60 Minutes before she was fired last week.
On the other hand, Bilton has no prior experience of producing a magazine show.
After the merger of Skydance and Paramount that took place last year, the new management has taken control of CBS and other Paramount entities.
This is not the first time that 60 Minutes has plunged into controversy.
Back in 2024, the then-presidential candidate Donald Trump served legal notice to 60 Minutes, alleging the show had intentionally edited an interview with his opponent, Kamala Harris.
Paramount lost that defamation suit and paid $16 million, which frustrated people on the show, including host Pelley.
At the start of May, Anderson Cooper has also announced his exit from 60 Minutes.
It is yet to be seen where the bucks stop in the days to come, as Paramount Skydance management is in efforts to merge Paramount with Warner Bros. Discovery, which requires FCC and DOJ approval.
2026-06-03 14:16:00
