Scott Pelley is out at CBS News after a dramatic clash inside ‘60 Minutes,’ and the shake-up is getting uglier by the day.
The veteran correspondent was terminated after CBS executives and Pelley reportedly concluded they could not find a way to work together following his tense confrontation with new executive producer Nick Bilton. Bilton, a former tech journalist, was installed last week by CBS News editorial chief Bari Weiss.
Pelley’s exit leaves ‘60 Minutes’ with only Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim handling assignments as the program prepares for its 59th season this fall. That is a brutal number for one of the most respected news programs in American television.
Bilton Fired Pelley In A Blunt Letter
According to a letter reviewed by Variety, Bilton told Pelley that his attitude toward the future of the show had become clear.
“Your antipathy to the future of the show has come through loud and clear,” Bilton wrote. “And I have heard you. I therefore write on behalf of CBS News to inform you that your employment with CBS is terminated effective immediately.”
The firing came after Pelley reportedly criticized both Bilton and Weiss during a staff meeting Monday. He questioned their qualifications to run a program like ‘60 Minutes’ and accused Weiss of “murdering ‘60 Minutes.’” That line quickly became the center of the internal chaos.
‘60 Minutes’ Has Lost Several Big Names
Pelley is now the fourth ‘60 Minutes’ reporter to leave the newsmagazine since February.
CBS News recently removed several senior figures from the program, including former executive producer Tanya Simon, executive editor Draggan Mihailovich, and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega. Anderson Cooper, who had contributed to the show for nearly 20 years, announced his exit in February.
Weiss previously said she wanted ‘60 Minutes’ to reach new heights through journalism that breaks news, exposes wrongdoing, and holds powerful institutions accountable.
The question now is who will be left to do that work.
In a memo to staff Tuesday evening, Bilton tried to calm the room. “I know how much Scott meant to you, and I don’t say this lightly,” he wrote. “I made repeated attempts to have direct conversations with him over the weekend, and this afternoon I tried to find common ground. That was not the path Scott chose.” Bilton said he would offer “unyielding support” for the staff and the journalism they do.
Pelley Was Seen As A Core ‘60 Minutes’ Figure
For many viewers and CBS insiders, Pelley was one of the defining faces of the modern ‘60 Minutes.’
He joined the program in 2004 and delivered major segments on politics, public affairs, and human stories. In 2021, he presented a three-part feature on firefighters who tried to rescue people from the burning World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
During his tenure, Pelley won half of all major awards earned by ‘60 Minutes.’
Former ‘60 Minutes’ executive producer Jeff Fager called his departure a major loss. “I would not want to run ‘60 Minutes’ without Scott,” Fager said. “He mastered the art of telling a story on ‘60 Minutes’ as well as any of the greats that came before him. He is a major talent and his departure is a huge blow to the program.”
Pelley also anchored ‘CBS Evening News’ from 2011 to 2017. He joined CBS News in 1989 after starting his journalism career as a copy boy at the Lubbock Avalanche Journal in Texas.
Now, the focus shifts to Bilton and Weiss. Can they steady ‘60 Minutes’ without one of its most familiar veterans? Or did CBS just make the fight inside the show even harder to contain?
