CBS executives have consistently highlighted the prominence of 60 Minutes as television’s leading newsmagazine.
However, according to a well-regarded Hollywood insider source, the show’s success might not be as straightforward as it seems.
Sports broadcasts that precede the show almost every Sunday have obscured many of its setbacks, as Matt Belloni from Puck reported on Friday.
In response, correspondents Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim quickly assured staff they intend to remain with the show to prevent its decline.
Longtime correspondent Scott Pelley was dismissed on Tuesday after he expressed dissatisfaction with the show’s current direction during a meeting with the newly appointed executive producer, Nick Bilton.
The disagreement between Pelley and Bilton stemmed from recent changes introduced by Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss at the newsmagazine.
Belloni pointed out how the 9.1 million viewers most recently touted by Paramount differs greatly from ‘the 5 million to 6 million viewer range’ it finds itself every February, when the NFL season ends and before March Madness or the Masters.
The dip puts a noticeable dent in 60’s status at ‘the leader among newsmagazines,’ Belloni wrote. He noted how during those weeks, the program is ‘not that much ahead of Dateline on NBC or 20/20 on ABC.’
Veteran correspondent Scott Pelley was fired from the high-rated broadcast on Tuesday after a brush with CBS management during a Monday meeting
Correspondents Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim told fellow staff Friday they will stay on to keep the show from dying
Bilton, 49, was brought in by Weiss to help oversee 60 Minutes on the same day that correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega were forced out.
Longtime correspondent Anderson Cooper allowed his contract to expire last month, leaving behind only Stahl, Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim.
Stahl was being advised by Hollywood super-agent and Creative Artists Agency CEO Bryan Lourd when she and the other correspondents sent out the statement, Puck reported Friday.
Cooper already signed with Lourd this time last year, following a lengthy stint with United Talent Agency (UTA).
At the time, Paramount was in the midst of finalizing its merger with David Ellison’s Skydance. Ellison, 43, is now the company’s CEO. He hired Weiss in October.
Stahl, Whitaker and Wertheim all had sharp critiques for how Weiss and Bilton handled the staffing changes seen Thursday, according to a copy of the internal email obtained by NPR.
‘We’re still deeply upset by the firings of Tanya [Simon] and Draggan [Mihailovich], strong leaders who everyone respected,’ a portion read. Simon and Mihailovich had been the show’s top producers.
The trio said they never received an ‘explanation’ as to why the two were fired.
A slew of departures hit the newsmagazine last week, after veteran Anderson Cooper’s exit in May
CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss was accused of ‘murdering’ the show by Pelley despite not being present. She has implemented a host of changes at the network and show since assuming her position in October
New exec Nick Bilton, 49, was brought in by Weiss to help oversee an increasingly new-look 60 Minutes on the same day that correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega were forced out
‘[T]hey were expelled because they fought for our 60 Minutes values and stood up to protect our independence and integrity,’ they claimed.
‘Newsrooms are not supposed to be run like dictatorships. Collaboration and argument are the way we have always worked at 60. Don Hewitt actually encouraged loud passionate advocacy for our pieces.’
Bilton, meanwhile, praised Stahl, Whitaker, and Wertheim in a Thursday email to staff, where he doubled down on his commitment to the show’s editorial independence.
‘We talked about what makes 60 Minutes exceptional, about the traditions and legacy of the past, about how you do the work that produces such momentous pieces,’ the former New York Times columnist and filmmaker wrote.
‘We also talked about change: About new audiences, new platforms, and new ways of storytelling that these new audiences need.
‘We’ll speak more about that in the weeks to come.’
The Daily Mail approached CBS News for comment.
