Last week, 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens departed the show after suggesting his editorial independence had been removed by CBS News and Paramount executives. On Sunday evening’s episode, Scott Pelley addressed the situation.
In the final segment of the program, Pelley addressed the departure of Owens, giving his longtime colleague props for the way he operated the program for nearly three decades.
“A note on Bill Owens, who — until this past week — was executive producer of 60 Minutes,” began Pelley. “He was our boss. Bill was with CBS News nearly 40 years, 26 years at 60 Minutes. He covered the world, covered combat, the White House. His was a quest to open minds, not close them. If you’ve ever worked hard for a boss because you admired him, then you understand what we’ve enjoyed here.
“Bill resigned Tuesday. It was hard on him and hard on us, but he did it for us. And you,” Pelley continued. “Stories we pursued for 57 years are often controversial. Lately, the Israel/Gaza War and the Trump administration. Bill made sure they were accurate and fair. He was tough that way.”
Pelley then addressed the elephant in the room, noting that the parent company of CBS News — Paramount Global — is in the midst of a merger with Skydance that requires approval from the Trump administration. He alleged that the company began to interfere in the show’s content.
“Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways,” Pelley continued. “None of our stories have been blocked, but Bill felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires. No one here is happy about it. But in resigning, Bill proved one thing: he was the right person to lead 60 Minutes all along.”
In a memo to staffers last Tuesday, Owens revealed he would be departing the news magazine program due to what he called an inability to make independent decisions about the program.
“Over the past months, it has also become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it,” he wrote. “To make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience. So, having defended this show- and what we stand for – from every angle, over time with everything I could, I am stepping aside so the show can move forward.
“The show is too important to the country, it has to continue, just not with me as the Executive Producer,” he concluded.
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