60 Minutes’ Scott Pelley Rebukes Parent Company Paramount in Shocking Moment After Veteran Producer’s Exit
CBS’ 60 Minutes took the unusual step of publicly calling out its corporate owner, Paramount Global, after the abrupt resignation of its longtime executive producer Bill Owens.
Closing the program on Sunday, veteran anchor Scott Pelley placed the blame squarely with Paramount for the executive’s departure and paid tribute to Owens contributions to the show’s “Last Minute” segment.
He was our boss. Bill was with CBS News nearly 40 years, 26 years at 60 Minutes. He covered the world, covered combat, the White House. His was a quest to open minds, not close them. If you’ve ever worked hard for a boss because you admired him, then you understand what we’ve enjoyed here. Bill resigned Tuesday. It was hard on him and hard on us. But he did it for us and you.
Stories we pursued for 57 years are often controversial. Lately, the Israel-Gaza war and the Trump administration. Bill made sure they were accurate and fair. He was tough that way. But our parent company, Paramount, is trying to complete a merger.
The Trump administration must approve it. Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways. None of our stories has been blocked, but Bill felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires. No one here is happy about it, but in resigning, Bill proved one thing. He was the right person to lead 60 Minutes all along.
The on-air rebuke marks a stunning moment for CBS’ flagship newsmagazine, coming as Paramount — led by Shari Redstone — tries to secure a high-stakes merger with Skydance Media. That deal requires regulatory approval, including a green light from the Trump administration, and 60 Minutes’ willingness to touch politically sensitive stories and President Donald Trump’s animosity toward the show may be seen as a liability for corporate leadership more concerned with closing the deal.
Owens’ departure had already sent shockwaves inside CBS after a memo obtained by the New York Times revealed his reasoning.
“Having defended this show — and what we stand for — from every angle, over time with everything I could, I am stepping aside so the show can move forward,” he wrote.
The move came as a shock to many industry pundits and critics, who took to social media to flag what some called a “dangerous moment” for media.
Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) joined voices with recognized media figures and journalists, such as Jim Acosta, CNN’s Brian Stelter and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof among others, to condemn the pressure that the Trump administration was putting on media but also the “pattern” of companies shifting editorial strategy as a result.
Watch above via CBS.
