Scott Pelley sat down with The New York Times‘ Lulu Garcia-Navarro to discuss his exit from 60 Minutes. He shared his insight into why he ultimately berated network leadership.
What We Know: Pelley was fired last week after lambasting new 60 Minutes executive producer, Nick Bilton. Pelley questioned his qualifications, as well as Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss’. His exit came after the firing of a bevy of colleagues connected to the show were also let go. In The Interview, Scott Pelley stated he had an issue with Weiss’ “incompetence” as much as her interference with the program.
What They Said: “The interference is a problem. Especially when it’s a story that has been approved by the top editors. But the bigger problem, frankly, is not any kind of political influence. The problem was the incompetence. You don’t miss a deadline. This was four hours after that episode of 60 Minutes came within 19 minutes of not making air. The entire hour of 60 Minutes almost didn’t make it to broadcast. It was the night of the Grammys, and 60 Minutes was the lead-in to the Grammys. We almost didn’t have a broadcast. Nineteen minutes. I can’t imagine that’s ever happened before. I pledged to myself at that time that, no matter what Bari Weiss wanted to do in a story, I would never miss a deadline again because we put the entire network in jeopardy.” -Scott Pelley
What Remains Unclear: Whether or not Pelley intends to sue Paramount Skydance and CBS News over his firing. There were times throughout the interview when Pelley stated he intended to choose his words carefully. It is unknown if he is considering litigation after he was fired for cause. It is also unclear if Weiss will respond to the comments made by Scott Pelley.
What It Means: This is the first time Pelley has spoken at length publicly about the situation behind the scenes. His comments reveal his frustration with the situation. They also provide a behind-the-scenes look at the feelings of those inside the network.
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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.
