60 Minutes Returns for 59th Season, Sidesteps Behind-the-Scenes Turmoil
60 Minutes opened its 59th season without addressing recent departures and leadership changes, mentioning only 'new faces' at the show's end.
CBS's long-running newsmagazine "60 Minutes" began its 59th season on Sunday night without directly addressing the upheaval that has reshaped the program in recent months. Viewers heard no mention of the departures or the leadership changes until the closing moments of the broadcast.
At the end of the show, an announcer tied the program's legacy to a segment about artificial intelligence, saying that for nearly six decades the broadcast has stood for trustworthy journalism, and that such work would be needed going forward. The announcer also noted that "new faces" would appear on the show this season.
The changes stem from a broader restructuring at CBS News. Bari Weiss, named editor-in-chief by parent company Paramount after David Ellison took over as corporate leader, has said the program would adopt a new approach. That has included dismissing the top producer and two correspondents, and appointing a new chief with no prior television broadcast experience.
Nick Bilton, a former technology columnist and documentarian, was installed as executive producer earlier this year, replacing Tanya Simon, a 30-year veteran of the show who had held the role for about a year. Correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega were also let go. Alfonsi's segment on Trump administration deportees in a Salvadoran prison was pulled by Weiss before airing a month later. Anderson Cooper left voluntarily.
Scott Pelley, one of the program's most recognizable figures, was absent after being fired following a tense confrontation with bosses earlier this year. In June, Pelley accused the organization's leaders of instructing him to inject falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story. CBS denied the claim.
The turmoil has been evident for more than a year, dating to a lawsuit by President Donald Trump over the show's editing of a 2024 interview with then-Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. That dispute became part of a wider shake-up at CBS News following Weiss's appointment late last year.