Veteran CBS correspondent Scott Pelley has been removed from “60 Minutes” after more than two decades with the programme, marking a major shake-up at the long-running news show.
CBS News has ended Pelley’s tenure with immediate effect, USA TODAY reported, with the 68-year-old said to have been cut off from severance and additional benefits.
His departure reportedly follows a tense staff meeting in which Pelley criticised CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, accusing her of “murdering” the legacy of the news organisation, according to a recording obtained by The New York Times and reported on June 1.
In a termination letter cited by USA TODAY, newly appointed “60 Minutes” executive Nick Bilton said he initially hoped to work with Pelley but claimed the journalist showed unwillingness to move forward collaboratively.
“It is a profound disappointment that you rejected that overture and chose ambush instead. Yesterday, you hijacked my first meeting with staff to disparage me, my qualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt,” Bilton wrote. “Yesterday’s performative display of hostility — enacted in front of the staff instead of in a civil, private conversation — demonstrated that you have no interest in contributing to the future success of the show.”
Bilton added that while he supports “diversity of viewpoints and respectful debates,” he would not tolerate “performative displays of hostility,” saying Pelley’s stance on the programme’s direction was clear.
“I am here to deliver first-in-class news programming, not to make headlines about newsroom drama. I am eager to work alongside those who share this goal,” he said.
During the meeting, Pelley — a CBS veteran of nearly 40 years — reportedly criticised Bilton’s appointment and questioned Weiss’ influence over the programme. He described Bilton’s qualifications as “slender,” according to The New York Times.
He also pushed back against comments that Weiss “loves this institution,” saying, “She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it, and she’s doing exactly that.”
Pelley further questioned recent mass layoffs at CBS, referred to as “Black Thursday,” which affected several senior “60 Minutes” staff.
Bilton informed staff of Pelley’s exit in a memo, stating: “I know how much Scott meant to many of you, and I don’t say this lightly. 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.”
He added that despite the internal tensions, his focus remains on the future of the programme and maintaining its journalistic standards.
