Scott Pelley Accuses CBS News Chief of ‘Murdering’ ‘60 Minutes’

CBS News entered a new period of internal conflict on Monday after Scott Pelley, the longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent, sharply criticized the show’s newly hired executive producer, Nick Bilton, during a staff meeting and accused Bari Weiss, CBS News’ editor in chief, of “murdering” the iconic Sunday program.

The confrontation took place at “60 Minutes” headquarters in Midtown Manhattan during a meeting meant to introduce Bilton to staff after a major leadership shake-up. CBS had recently fired former executive producer Tanya Simon, her deputy, and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, a move Pelley described as “Black Thursday.” The firings added to months of tension between veteran “60 Minutes” journalists and Weiss, who was brought in last year by David Ellison after his multibillion-dollar takeover of Paramount, CBS’s parent company.

Bilton, a tech journalist and filmmaker with no traditional broadcast-news background, tried to reassure staff that the program’s identity would remain intact. He told employees that the journalism would not change and dismissed rumors that the show would be transformed into short-form clips or a TikTok-style format. At the same time, he warned that broadcast television is facing a shrinking future and said the program must adapt to survive. He also said Weiss “loves” “60 Minutes” and wants to preserve it.

Pelley quickly challenged that message. In a heated exchange, he said Weiss was “murdering” the program and argued that she had no qualifications for her role. He also said Bilton had only “slender” qualifications and questioned why CBS had brought him in after making what he described as catastrophic changes at the “Evening News.” Bilton pushed back, saying he planned to spend the next two weeks meeting staff members individually and proving himself.

The meeting exposed the depth of the distrust inside CBS News. Weiss did not attend, and a CBS executive said she had been prepared to join but was asked not to because of the anger surrounding the recent firings. Sources familiar with the matter said Weiss and Bilton had tried to speak privately with Pelley in recent days, but he did not respond.

During the session, Pelley repeatedly pressed Bilton on why CBS had dismissed Alfonsi and Vega, though Bilton said those decisions were made before he was hired. Pelley also questioned whether someone who was “never welcome here” should have accepted the job at all. Bilton answered that he was used to working with powerful people and would not be intimidated.

The dispute reflects broader unrest over Weiss’s management style and editorial direction. In December, she blocked a “60 Minutes” report by Alfonsi on the treatment of migrants in a Salvadoran prison, saying it needed more reporting. Alfonsi later said the delay was political, although the segment eventually aired with added comments from the Trump administration.

By the end of Monday’s meeting, Bilton cut things short after about 15 minutes, thanking staff for their reception and urging them to enjoy the bagels. The room then broke into applause for Pelley after Bilton left, underscoring the deep divide now facing one of television news’ most established institutions.