Major changes were announced to 60 Minutes on Thursday, days after the 58th season of the news magazine ended.
What We Know: Correspondent Cecilia Vega has exited 60 Minutes. Her departure comes as Sharyn Alfonsi announced she would not be back with the program on Wednesday. Additionally, senior executives from the news magazine are also departing. Executive Producer Tanya Simon has been fired, according to a report from Puck’s Dylan Byers. Nick Bilton replaced her in the role. Executive Editor Draggan Mihailovich and Senior Producer Matthew Polvoy have also departed.
What They Said: “Tanya has dedicated more than three decades to 60 Minutes, and she has served the institution with enormous care, professionalism, and devotion. She led the broadcast during an extraordinarily challenging period with grace and steadiness, and we are deeply grateful for her contributions to the show and its legacy. The reality facing journalism in 2026 is not easy. Information is fragmented. Algorithms reward outrage. AI-generated misinformation is proliferating. Audiences are overwhelmed. And they have lost trust in legacy media. That reality makes the mission of 60 Minutes more important than ever.” -CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss and President Tom Cibrowski in joint memo to staff
What Remains Unclear: If any other on-air personnel changes will take place before the next season of the show. Anderson Cooper has already announced he will not return. With the revelation of Vega and Alfonsi also departing, it remains to be seen who will be added to the program. Only four of the seven correspondents from the past season remain.
What It Means: Reports continually surfaced that Bari Weiss was unhappy with the direction of 60 Minutes. Those reports ultimately proved to be true. Widespread changes to a program that finished as the most-watched news television show back up those claims.
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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.
