CBS News chiefs told Scott Pelley they wanted him to stay on '60 Minutes' before tense clash with new producer
CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and newly-appointed "60 Minutes" executive producer Nick Bilton made multiple overtures to the show's veteran correspondent Scott Pelley before the tense showdown he had with the incoming boss, Fox News Digital has learned.
Weiss sent shockwaves across the media landscape on Thursday with the ousting of "60 Minutes" correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega as well as executive producer Tanya Simon among others, marking an editorial shift in the long-running newsmagazine program with Weiss handpicking an outsider to lead its path forward.
Prior to Monday's staff meeting, where Pelley had a contentious exchange with Bilton about the dismissals, both Weiss and Bilton had reached out to Pelley expressing their desire to have him remain a "60 Minutes" correspondent and that he hadn't engaged with them before the war of words unfolded, according to a source familiar with CBS News leadership.
However, it is unclear whether Weiss and Bilton still hold that sentiment towards Pelley, particularly after he lashed out at his bosses in front of the staff.
Fox News Digital reached out to Pelley and CBS News for comment.
Pelley has had a history of being vocally critical of CBS leadership. In April 2025, he took aim at the network's parent company, Paramount, following the resignation of "60 Minutes" executive producer Bill Owens, who claimed he had no longer had editorial independence as the company was engaged in mediation talks with President Donald Trump's legal team to settle a lawsuit he filed in 2024.
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"Our parent company, Paramount, is trying to complete a merger," Pelley told viewers at the time. "The Trump administration must approve it. Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways. None of our stories have been blocked, but Bill felt he lost the independence that honest journalism required."
"No one here is happy about it, but in resigning, Bill proved one thing. He was the right person to lead ’60 Minutes’ all along," he added.
The merger was in reference to Paramount's $8 billion takeover by Skydance Media, run by David Ellison, Paramount's new CEO, who appointed Weiss as CBS News' editor-in-chief last fall.
Weeks later, he slammed Trump for filing lawsuits against journalists and their companies "for nothing" during a commencement address at Wake Forest University. Trump accused CBS News of election interference over how the network handled its "60 Minutes" interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Paramount made an eight-figure settlement to Trump days before his FCC approved of the Paramount-Skydance merger.
"Our previous owners at CBS faced political pressure and crumbled‚" Pelley reportedly said in March.
Back in January, the "60 Minutes" veteran swiped Weiss, reportedly telling colleagues, "She needs to take her job a little bit more seriously." That comment came after Weiss clashed with Alfonsi, who accused her of having political motives when she pulled a segment about the infamous El Salvador prison CECOT moments before it was set to air in December. It ultimately aired a month later.
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Bilton met with staff on Monday in a pre-planned meeting to discuss the show’s future, but Pelley used the gathering to unload on Weiss, who was not present at the meeting, after Bilton said Weiss loved "60 Minutes," one of the news business' most revered programs.
"She’s murdering 60 Minutes. She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it and is doing exactly that," Pelley said. The quote was first reported by The Guardian and confirmed by Fox News Digital.
Pelley also told the group that Weiss has "no qualifications for her job" and bluntly informed Bilton, who has no linear television experience, that he has "slender qualifications" for his new role. Before joining "60 Minutes," Bilton was a documentary filmmaker and a technology journalist for The New York Times and Vanity Fair.
"So why should we expect any of this is going to be any better?" Pelley asked.
Bickering ensued, according to audio of the meeting obtained by the Status media newsletter, and Pelley began peppering Bilton with questions about why particular "60 Minutes" staffers were terminated and CBS News managing editor Charles Forelle eventually suggested Pelley was being rude.
"I'm not being rude… you know what was rude? Black Thursday. That was the absolute definition of rudeness," Pelley shot back, referring to the firings.
"This is a conversation," Pelley added. "That is rude, and you were part of that."
As the infighting continued, Bilton suggested that Pelley speak directly with Weiss.
"What I would like to do right now is talk about what happens next," Bilton said, but "60 Minutes" staffers continued to argue.
"You have no idea what my plans are, so I will present those plans to you. I will present them when the time is right," Bilton said.
Pelley didn’t let up, asking his new boss if he knew how the firings were going to play out.
"I am not intimidated by — I have been a journalist for 25 years, Scott. I have sat and talked with incredibly powerful people like you have," Bilton shot back. "None of it intimidates me, OK? So you are not going to intimidate me in front of this group of people."
Remaining "60 Minutes" correspondents include Pelley, Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim. Anderson Cooper previously announced his departure from "60 Minutes" as a correspondent in February after nearly two decades.