'60 Minutes' Faces Turmoil Under New Leadership

'60 Minutes' is experiencing significant turmoil under new leadership appointed by David Ellison following his acquisition of Paramount in August. The network has seen a series of high-profile firings and staff confrontations, particularly within the long-running news program '60 Minutes'.

Nick Bilton, a former Vanity Fair contributor and documentary filmmaker, was appointed as the new head of '60 Minutes' under CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. According to Reuters, Bilton hired Kelly Funke, a TV production consultant with over a decade of experience, to help manage his transition into the newsroom. Funke's role includes rebuilding trust with staff and reorganizing the newsroom structure.

The appointment comes amidst broader changes at CBS News following Ellison's acquisition. Weiss, who founded a successful media startup but has no broadcast journalism experience, was installed by Ellison to lead CBS News. The network is also expected to come under Ellison's control once his bid to buy CNN's parent company Warner Bros Discovery passes regulatory review.

Tensions within '60 Minutes' reached a boiling point during Bilton's first staff meeting, where veteran correspondent Scott Pelley confronted him over the recent firings of several senior staff members. According to Reuters, Pelley accused Weiss of 'murdering' the show and was subsequently fired after criticizing leadership. In an interview with The New York Times, Pelley claimed that Weiss attempted to influence a politically sensitive story about protests in Minneapolis, alleging she favored President Donald Trump's version of events.

'60 Minutes' correspondent Lesley Stahl described the wave of high-profile firings from the show as the 'worst experience' she's ever faced in her career. Stahl spoke to Puck News after she, Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim released a joint statement confirming that they would remain on the show for its upcoming 59th season. The veteran journalist confessed there was a level of 'reluctance' to stay on their part considering they were—and still are—unsure what prompted the firings in the first place.

The long-running program has faced significant upheaval following the firings of producers Tanya Simon and Draggan Mihailovich, correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, among others. Pelley's firing garnered significant attention after it followed a bitter clash between himself, Bilton, and Weiss during a staff meeting.

The recent personnel changes have left CBS News with four correspondent roles to fill just three months before the new season starts. Remaining staffers were encouraged by the promotion of Maria Gavrilovic, a 19-year veteran of CBS News who worked closely with Pelley, to senior producer under Bilton. The network is now looking at potential candidates to replace the fired correspondents, including Holly Williams, Tony Dokoupil, Matt Gutman, Mariana van Zeller, Norah O'Donnell, and Major Garrett.

The program's distinctive narrative style requires time for newcomers to master, adding pressure to find suitable replacements quickly. Weiss has emphasized that '60 Minutes' is the most important platform within the news division and will prioritize major stories from its correspondents.