The turmoil continues on 60 Minutes, with longtime correspondent Scott Pelley slamming CBS president Bari Weiss and new executive producer Nick Bilton in a leaked exchange.
Anderson Cooper ends his appearance on “60 Minutes” after 20 years
Anderson Cooper is bidding farewell to CNN’s “60 Minutes” after 20 years as a correspondent. The journalist will remain at CNN as an anchor.
Scott Pelley, the increasingly outspoken “60 Minutes” correspondent, appears to have harsh words for his new boss at CBS.
During a staff meeting, the anchor reportedly accused the station’s editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, of “murdering” the news organization, according to a recording obtained by The New York Times and reported on Monday, June 1. Perry, who has been with the network for nearly 40 years and appeared on “60 Minutes” for more than 20 years, also wooed newly hired executive producer Nick Bilton, digital news outlet and newsletter Status also reported based on leaked audio.
USA TODAY has reached out to CBS for comment.
The meeting also served as an introduction to Bilton, a former Times technology columnist and investigative journalist who was chosen to lead “60 Minutes” in late May, the outlet said.
In a tense exchange during a meeting in which the New York Times reported that Mr. Perry called Mr. Bilton’s qualifications “frivolous,” the broadcast journalist questioned Weiss’s commitment to the news program’s prosperity.
Bilton’s career has also included investigative work for Vanity Fair and writing and producing documentaries, most of which exist in print. He has never worked in broadcast journalism or led a newsroom.
At one point, Mr. Bilton allegedly told staff that Mr. Weiss “loves this facility” and “loves ’60 Minutes,'” which apparently angered Mr. Perry.
“She’s trying to kill 60 Minutes,” Perry, 68, interjected, the outlet reported. “She doesn’t love this place. She was brought here to kill this place, and that’s exactly what she’s doing.”
Mr. Perry also questioned Mr. Bilton about recent mass layoffs at the network, known in the news industry as “Black Thursday,” which reportedly included longtime 60 Minutes executives such as executive producer Tanya Simon, editor-in-chief Dragan Mihailovic, and correspondents Sharin Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega. In a public statement, Alfonsi and Vega said the firings were politically motivated.
According to the paper, Perry continued: “She is not qualified for the job. You are hardly qualified for the job. The changes she has made at the Evening News have been devastating. So why should we expect things to get any better?”
Weiss, who is said to have not attended the meeting, made further changes to the network, including moving Tony Dokoupil, who co-hosted CBS Morning with Gayle King, to the CBS Evening News anchor chair on December 10. Dokoupil’s term began on January 3 following the departure of anchor Norah O’Donnell in 2024, but he remains far behind his competitors.
Mr. Bilton reportedly promised Perry that he would “demonstrate” his determination to make things better on “60 Minutes.”
“This is my plan for the next two weeks,” he said, according to the newspaper. “I’m going to meet everyone. I’m really looking forward to meeting everyone, including you.”
The changes at CBS have drawn a lot of criticism inside and outside the news industry, including recently departed “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens, who recently stressed that the station is not a place where “partisans and ideologues should be employed.”
Contributor: Brian Alexander, USA TODAY
