60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley lambasts Paramount over Bill Owens' exit

Time of India

28-04-2025

The high-intensity drama concerning the growing tensions between the editorial staff and the corporate hierarchy at
CBS
was laid bare this weekend when veteran
60 Minutes
correspondent
Scott Pelley
lambasted the broadcaster's parent entity,
Paramount
Global, during a show. He alleged that the company came up with "new ways" to "supervise" the contents of 60 Minutes.
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Scott Pelley attacks Paramount
The rebuke came as Pelley spoke on the abrupt exit of
Bill Owens
, who stepped down as the executive producer of 60 Minutes last week. Pelley said the decision was hard on Owens as well as on his colleagues.
The high-profile exit attracted widespread attention as it came amid Paramount's ongoing pursuit of a
merger
with
Skydance
Media. The deal needs the
Donald Trump
administration's approval to get finalised, Pelley noted.
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CBS tensions: Scott Pelley reacts to Bill Owens' exit
According to USA Today, he told viewers that though "none" of 60 Minutes' stories were "blocked," Owens was feeling an absence of editorial independence. As per news agency Reuters, Owens, while announcing his departure, had said in a memo that it was "clear" that he wouldn't be allowed to run 60 Minutes in the manner that he had always done.
Live Events
60 Minutes troubles with Donald Trump
60 Minutes ran into legal troubles with Trump last year when the then-Republican presidential candidate sued the news programme while alleging that it had edited an interview with his then-rival Kamala Harris to project her in a favourable light. Efforts to settle the dispute outside the court began in April, months after Trump was sworn in as US President for a second time.
Paramount merger with Skydance in trouble?
Besides the legal troubles faced by 60 Minutes, a renewed probe against CBS by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also risks derailing Paramount's merger plans. The investigation pertains to allegations of "news distortion". The probe, which was shut down before incumbent FCC chair Brendan Carr decided to reopen it. stems from a complaint about the aforementioned interview.
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On Monday, Carr stated that "all options remain on the table" in regard to the ongoing probe into the controversial interview. The FCC has the authority to block the Paramount-Skydance Media merger.
FAQs
What happened to Donald Trump's lawsuit against 60 Minutes?
In April this year, the involved parties agreed to pursue the matter outside court.
When did Bill Owens leave 60 Minutes?
Bill Owens left the popular news programme last month. He was serving as its executive producer.