Anderson Cooper has long been a fixture on 60 Minutes for CBS News. That, reportedly, is about to come to an end, however.
According to a report from Breaker’s Lachlan Cartwright, Cooper has informed CBS News that he will not renew his contract to contribute to the venerable news program.
Cooper originally joined the news magazine in December 2006. During his time with 60 Minutes, he has continued to host his Anderson Cooper 360 primetime program for CNN.
In a statement, Cooper confirmed his exit from the show.
“Being a correspondent at 60 Minutes has been one of the great honors of my career,” Cooper said. “I got to tell amazing stories, and work with some of the best producers, editors, and camera crews in the business. For nearly twenty years, I’ve been able to balance my jobs at CNN and CBS, but I have little kids now, and I want to spend as much time with them as possible, while they still want to spend time with me.”
CBS News thanked Cooper for his time with the program in a statement.
“For more than two decades, Anderson Cooper has taken 60 Minutes viewers on journeys to faraway places, told us unforgettable stories, reported consequential investigations and interviewed many prominent figures,” the network said. “We’re grateful to him for dedicating so much of his life to this broadcast, and understand the importance of spending more time with family. 60 Minutes will be here if he ever wants to return.”
The news that Anderson Cooper will depart 60 Minutes comes as CBS News undergoes widespread changes under the tutelage of Bari Weiss. Before Weiss’ arrival, the news magazine underwent its own restructuring, as longtime executive producer Bill Owens exited for what he cited as philosophical differences when the company reached a settlement in the lawsuit brought forth by President Donald Trump. That lawsuit was in regard to a 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in advance of the 2024 election.
The network subsequently named Tanya Simon as the new Executive Producer of the show, with Draggan Mihailovich being named the new Executive Editor.
60 Minutes has remained in the headlines following Weiss’ appointment as Editor-in-Chief of CBS News. A controversy erupted in December after she pulled a story surrounding CECOT from airing hours before the program was set to broadcast, stating that it wasn’t fully reported. It later aired to little fanfare.
Reports surfaced last month questioning whether Anderson Cooper still fit into the overall culture at CBS News. Rob Shuter wrote in a Substack column that sources shared that Cooper’s status as “a talented gentleman” no longer fit the vision of CBS News, stating that the Weiss-led regime “wants alpha,” “someone who commands the room,” and “projects dominance.”
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