CBS News has been undergoing significant changes since its parent company, Paramount, merged with Skydance. Various shows linked to the brand have seen changes as of late under this new regime, and that includes alterations at 60 Minutes. Recent reports have suggested that there’s been behind-the-scenes drama pertaining to the storied news program. Now, it’s been reported that Scott Pelley, one of the show’s top correspondents, didn’t mince words during a recent conversation with one of the show’s producers.
Nick Bilton was recently tapped to serve as the new executive producer of 60 Minutes, and he and Pelley reportedly met to discuss the show at its Manhattan-based headquarters on Monday. According to The New York Times, the discussion became heated, with Bilton – a tech journalist and filmmaker – denying that he would change the show into bite-size installments offering news “like TikTok.” Bilton also praised Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, saying she “loves” the show and “institution.” Yet Pelley apparently responded by saying:
She is murdering ‘60 Minutes’. She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it, and she’s been doing exactly that. She has no qualifications for her job; you have slender qualifications for this job. The changes that she’s made at the ‘Evening News’ have been catastrophic, so why should we expect that any of this is going to be any better?
Weiss was another one of the high-profile hirings made by Paramount Skydance’s David Ellison after he became CEO of the company in 2025. Since her hiring in December 2025, much has been said about Weiss and her supposed plans for CBS News. There are media pundits who’ve argued that Weiss – who’s taken issue with legacy media outlets – wants to inject the brand with more right-wing leaning politics. While she herself hasn’t attested to that notion, several of her editorial decisions have been questioned in recent months.
Back in December, a number of analysts questioned the merits of Weiss holding a televised town hall featuring Erika Kirk, the widow of political activist Charlie Kirk. It was shortly after that Weiss also drew backlash for making the last-minute decision to pull a 60 Minutes story about the Trump Administration’s reported dealings with the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador. Some believed that editorial choice was politically motivated, though Weiss contended that more reporting needed to be done before something could go to air.
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There have been a considerable number of eyes on 60 Minutes as of late, especially in the aftermath of former EP Tanya Smith being fired by the Eye Network. Journalists like Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi (who reported on that El Salvador story) have also been let go, and Anderson Cooper recently signed off the show for the final time in May after 20 years. Cooper’s work on the show apparently bled into his “vacation time,” and he cited his desire for a better work-life balance as a reason for stepping away. However, as he signed off, the CNN personality also notably expressed his hopes that the core values of the show would remain intact.
As for Pelley, who’s been with the program for 23 years and CBS News for 31 years, he’s spoken about changes at the show even as early as April 2025. It was at that time that he expressed sadness over the resignation of executive producer Bill Owens. Per Pelly, Owens “felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires” and that his decision to step away from his post of 26 years was hard. This all came before the Paramount Skydance merger was finalized after CBS settled a lawsuit with U.S. President Donald Trump.
While Scott Pelley reportedly remains displeased with Bari Weiss’ decisions amid firings and layoffs, it’s been reported that she won’t have to fear for her job security. A source recently alleged that Weiss was “safe” and that the Ellisons liked her “very much.” There still remain questions about what Weiss’ long-term goal for CBS News is and how that may or may not affect Pelley and other journalists at the company.
