60 Minutes opened its latest broadcast with a powerful message about the departure of executive producer Bill Owens.
Owens announced his resignation, citing growing corporate interference from CBS parent company, Paramount Global.
Correspondent Scott Pelley addressed viewers, saying, “No one here is happy,” during a segment titled “The Last Minute”.
Pelley explained, “Bill resigned Tuesday. It was hard on him and hard on us, but he did it for us.” Owens had resisted Paramount Global’s efforts to manage editorial content, especially amid a $20-billion Trump lawsuit.
The case stems from an October 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, allegedly edited deceptively. Paramount Global is currently seeking government approval for a major merger deal with Skydance Media.
According to Pelley, “Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways,” though no stories were officially blocked.
Still, Owens felt the trusted independence that journalism demands had been compromised under new corporate oversight. 60 Minutes staff have previously acknowledged network tensions but rarely express discontent openly before millions of viewers.
Sources inside the network revealed that Shari Redstone, Paramount’s key shareholder, demanded advance access to story line-ups. While no stories were removed, insiders said, “Not yet,” when asked if censorship had already occurred.
Trump’s lawsuit against CBS is moving toward mediation, but 60 Minutes has maintained aggressive coverage of his administration.
Sunday’s show also featured a segment on NIH budget cuts and their devastating impact on medical research. Owens, who will remain at 60 Minutes for a few more weeks, is praised for defending editorial freedom.
“If you’ve ever worked hard for a boss you admired, you understand what we’ve enjoyed here,” Pelley said.
The broadcast highlighted the ongoing struggle to preserve journalistic independence in an increasingly corporate-controlled media landscape.