CBS fires – CBS News fired Scott Pelley on Tuesday, effective immediately, after he criticized “60 Minutes” leadership during a staff meeting Monday, saying Bari Weiss was “murdering ‘60 Minutes’.” The network’s decision escalates a months-long internal fight over the fut
CBS News moved fast on Tuesday night, parting ways with Scott Pelley after a confrontation over the future of “60 Minutes” that began in a staff meeting the day before.
Pelley. 68. is a longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent and a former anchor of “CBS Evening News.” He joined CBS News in 1989. and by Monday he had become one of the show’s most recognizable voices. During the staff meeting, he harshly criticized leadership, accusing CBS’s editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, of “murdering ‘60 Minutes.’”.
Pelley’s criticism followed last week’s ouster of the program’s leadership team and two on-air correspondents—changes that have fed tensions within CBS News for months, and within “60 Minutes” in particular.
By Tuesday night, the conflict became official. Nick Bilton. the tech journalist hired last week as the new “60 Minutes” executive producer. wrote a memo to the show’s staff informing them: “We have parted ways with Scott Pelley.” In a formal letter to Pelley. obtained by The New York Times. Bilton wrote that the correspondent had been “terminated for cause effective immediately.” CBS News declined to comment.
In a telephone interview shortly after he was fired, Pelley said he devoted decades to “60 Minutes,” and that he still cares about the broadcast deeply.
“I have been in combat in Afghanistan,” Pelley said. “I have been in combat in Iraq. I have been in the war zone in Ukraine multiple times, risking my life and the happiness of my family because of my devotion to the broadcast.”
The decision to fire Pelley is likely to intensify the internal struggle around Weiss’ shakeup of “60 Minutes,” CBS News’ most successful franchise. Weiss has replaced the program’s leadership team and brought in Bilton to oversee the show.
“60 Minutes” remains a high-water mark in network news. The program’s viewership was up 9% this past season from a year prior, and it routinely ranks among the nation’s highest-rated weekly broadcasts, according to Nielsen.
Pelley’s departure lands at a moment when the show’s results could have offered cover for a calmer transition. Instead, it signals how hard the conflict has become—one that began as words in a staff meeting and ended with a formal termination shortly thereafter.
As of Tuesday night, the scramble over who leads “60 Minutes” and how it should change has moved from behind-the-scenes tension into personnel action that the staff will now have to live with immediately.
CBS News Scott Pelley 60 Minutes Bari Weiss Nick Bilton CBS Evening News media television news
So they fired him for saying that? Sounds like CBS is allergic to honesty.
Wait Bari Weiss was just “murdering” 60 Minutes?? That’s wild. Also the whole show is basically ancient news anyway, who cares.
I don’t even know who Bari Weiss is but if she’s editing and people are calling it “murdering,” that feels like HR should’ve handled it softer. The Iraq/Afghanistan line makes it sound like he’s the victim of bureaucracy, but I’m like… maybe don’t say stuff like that in staff meetings?
This is why I don’t trust network news leadership. One minute it’s viewership up 9%, next minute they boot a guy immediately? Makes it seem like the “memo” and Nick Bilton thing is just power grabbing behind closed doors. And calling it “murdering” is definitely an out of pocket phrase but firing for cause seems extreme… unless they’re hiding something. Like what did he say exactly, because I bet it got twisted.