Scott Pelley attends the CBS Fall Schedule Celebration at Paramount Studios on May 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Fraser Harrison | Wire Images | Getty Images
CBS News has fired high-profile “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley amid a debate over the direction of the show, which has been a mainstay of the network’s television lineup for decades.
“60 Minutes”‘ new executive producer Nick Bilton told Perry in a letter seen by CNBC that his “employment with CBS News is immediately terminated for valid reasons.” It was not immediately clear when the letter was sent.
According to NBC News, Perry previously said CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss was “murdering” 60 Minutes.
NBC News reported that Perry told Bilton during a Monday meeting that he had “subtle qualifications” for his role as executive producer of the news magazine “60 Minutes.” Perry did not immediately comment when contacted by Reuters about his dismissal.
Bilton is a former New York Times technology columnist who has produced several documentaries for HBO and Netflix. In a May 28 interview, he told CNBC that he first met Ms. Weiss socially in Los Angeles, and that he later spent time with her making two documentaries, “Unknown: Killer Robot” and “The Greatest Heist in History.”
Bilton replaced Tanya Simon as the show’s executive producer. Simon worked at “60 Minutes” for more than 20 years until he was ousted last week. Mr. Bilton, by contrast, has no experience running a television news program.
Skydance and Paramount merged last year, putting a new leader in charge of CBS and other Paramount assets, including the storied film studio and emerging streaming business. paramount skydance Chief Executive Officer David Ellison is currently pursuing a merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, which requires regulatory approval from the Trump administration to complete.
In 2024, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump sued “60 Minutes,” claiming the show deceptively edited an interview with his opponent, Kamala Harris. Paramount settled the lawsuit for $16 million, but some veteran “60 Minutes” employees, including Mr. Perry, were outraged. Another notable anchor, Anderson Cooper, announced earlier this month that he was leaving the show.
Bilton told CNBC he is committed to proving his hiring was not a political ploy.
“I use this job to prove that. I am dedicated to holding those in power accountable,” Bilton said on May 28.
—CNBC’s Alex Sherman contributed to this report.
