Changes are happening at 60 Minutes, as CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss has installed a new leader for the program.
What We Know: Nick Bilton will replace Tanya Simon as the Executive Producer of 60 Minutes. He joins the network after previously working as a technology correspondent at The New York Times. He also previously worked as an investigative reporter for Vanity Fair. He becomes the fifth Executive Producer in the 58-year history of the news magazine. Bilton is also the third person in the role in the past 13 months, after the exit of Bill Owens.
What They Said: “Walking into this building and putting my name on this job is the honor of my career. Though I don’t need to tell you, 60 Minutes is, without exaggeration, the most important television journalism brand this country has ever produced. The fact that it has held that position for almost six decades is not an accident. It’s the result of generations of producers, correspondents, editors, researchers, and crews who decided that the work mattered more than the noise… the world we are reporting on, and the world we are reporting to, where people consume their news, has moved. And if we don’t move with it, in the ways that matter, we won’t be here for the next sixty years. I want to do everything humanly possible to ensure that we are.” -Nick Bilton
“Nick Bilton is one of the most entrepreneurial and ambitious journalists working today. I am thrilled that he is the next executive producer of 60 Minutes.” -Bari Weiss
What Remains Unclear: What role Tanya Simon will play, if any, at CBS News going forward. Simon took over the role of Executive Producer from Bill Owens last year. She previously spent 25 years working on 60 Minutes. She was the first woman to serve as Executive Producer of the show. CBS News made no mention of Simon in its announcement for Bilton.
What It Means: It marks another change in the leadership at CBS News and at the news magazine. It doesn’t appear as if Bilton has any previous television experience. The ship at 60 Minutes clearly needs steadying. Time will tell if Bilton is up for the job.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
