’60 Minutes’ Calls Out CBS Owner Paramount On-Air

CBS‘s flagship news program, 60 Minutes, publicly addressed internal corporate tensions during its Sunday broadcast, with veteran correspondent Scott Pelley delivering an unusually candid explanation for the departure of the show’s executive producer.

Bill Owens, who served as the show’s leader and only the third executive producer in its 57-year history, resigned from his position last Tuesday amid growing concerns about editorial independence, according to AP News. Pelley used the closing segment of Sunday’s broadcast to honor Owens’ nearly four-decade career with CBS News, including 26 years at 60 Minutes.

“If you’ve ever worked hard for a boss because you admired him, then you understand what we’ve enjoyed here,” Pelley told viewers in the broadcast’s final minute, before addressing the underlying tensions that prompted the resignation.

The situation appears rooted in the overlapping of corporate interests, pending regulatory approvals, and political pressures. As Pelley explained, “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.”

According to reporting from The New York Times, Paramount Global is currently seeking regulatory approval for its multi-billion-dollar merger with Skydance Media. Complicating matters is a $10 billion lawsuit filed by President Trump against CBS regarding what he characterized as “deceptively edited” footage from an October interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

In his resignation memo to staff, Owens was direct about his reasoning: “Over the past months, it has become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it, to make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience,” he wrote, adding that he was “stepping aside so the show can move forward.”

Pelley emphasized that while “none of our stories has been blocked,” the increased oversight from Paramount has created an environment where Owens “felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires.” Reportedly, former CBS News President Susan Zirinsky has been asked to review the program’s stories before they air – an additional layer of scrutiny that represents a departure from traditional practices.

Despite these challenges, Pelley noted that 60 Minutes has continued to produce investigative journalism on politically sensitive topics, including regular reporting on the Trump administration since January’s inauguration. Sunday’s broadcast itself featured correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi examining cutbacks at the National Institutes of Health.

Owens’ CBS career began as a summer intern in 1988 before his appointment to lead 60 Minutes in 2019. Wendy McMahon, CBS News and Stations president, praised him in a memo: “As Executive Producer, Bill has led 60 Minutes with unwavering integrity, curiosity, and a deep commitment to the truth.”

Pelley concluded his tribute with a pointed assessment: “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.”