CBS has named Nick Bilton, a former technology columnist at The New York Times, as an executive producer of “60 Minutes.” The move comes as key personnel changes unfold, including the exit of correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi after an editorial dispute tied to a De
Nick Bilton’s appointment as an executive producer of “60 Minutes” lands on a week when CBS is reshaping the backbone of its flagship investigation show.
On Thursday, May 28, CBS announced that investigative journalist, author, and filmmaker Nick Bilton will take on the executive producer role for the hit program “60 Minutes.” CBS positioned the hire as part of a broader push to keep the show’s reporting sharp while widening who it reaches.
Bilton has been a technology columnist at The New York Times most recently. In a news release. he described the job as more than a title: “It is an extraordinary honor to lead the next chapter of ’60 Minutes. ‘ one of the most important journalism institutions in this nation’s history.” He added that the program’s mission remains the same—“pursuing the truth. holding power to account and remaining fearless in the face of any external pressure or influence.”.
CBS News President Tom Cibrowski said the network is looking to expand “60 Minutes” beyond an hour on Sunday evenings to bring in new audiences. and he expressed confidence Bilton can help drive that shift. CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss said Bilton will bring “his deep investigative experience and understanding of the technological moment we’re in” to help the show’s journalism “come to life for all audiences.”.
Who is Nick Bilton?
Bilton’s career spans outlets and formats that mix reporting with storytelling. In addition to his work at The New York Times. he has contributed to features and investigative coverage at Vanity Fair. He has also penned books including “American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road” and “Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money. Power. Friendship. and Betrayal.”.
He is also cohost of the tech podcast “The Nick, Dick and Paul Show.” Beyond audio, he has directed, written, and produced documentaries such as “The Inventor,” “Fake Famous,” and “Biggest Heist Ever.”
The hire comes as “60 Minutes” undergoes its own personnel churn. Bilton’s news arrived alongside the exit of correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi. Alfonsi’s contract expired over the weekend after nearly 20 years at CBS News and more than a decade at “60 Minutes. ” she confirmed with the Los Angeles Times and People.
Alfonsi said her departure followed an editorial dispute from December about a story featuring President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
Anderson Cooper, who joined “60 Minutes” in 2006, also has already stepped away from the program. He bid farewell on May 17 after announcing his departure in February.
The sequence is striking for one simple reason: Bilton is being brought in as CBS looks to widen the show. even as familiar voices are leaving amid contract endings and an editorial fight. The newsroom choices—who leads, who stays, and what stories make the final cut—are colliding on the same timeline.
For now, CBS is signaling that the show’s next chapter will be shaped by Bilton’s blend of investigative work and technology reporting, as the network weighs whether “60 Minutes” can expand beyond a Sunday-hour format while preserving the investigative identity viewers associate with it.
60 Minutes Nick Bilton CBS News executive producer Sharyn Alfonsi Anderson Cooper Tom Cibrowski Bari Weiss investigative journalism The New York Times technology columnist