Latest news with #60Minutes
Fox News
7 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
CBS News taps Tanya Simon as new '60 Minutes' executive producer following Trump-Paramount settlement
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! CBS News announced that Tanya Simon will serve as the new executive producer of "60 Minutes" after filling the role on an interim basis following the resignation of her predecessor. Simon, a 25-year veteran of "60 Minutes" and daughter of the late famed CBS News correspondent Bob Simon, is only the show's fourth executive producer in its decades-long history and the first woman in the role. "Tanya Simon understands what makes 60 MINUTES tick. She is an innovative leader, an exceptional producer and someone who knows how to inspire people," CBS News President and executive editor Tom Cibrowski said in a press release on Thursday. "Tanya knows that the success of today's 60 MINUTES depends on delivering a weekly mix of the most informative, impactful and entertaining stories and investigative journalism from around the world. This is the true essence and foundation of 60 MINUTES." "It is a privilege to lead 60 MINUTES and its formidable team of journalists," Simon said. "60 is in a class of its own, upholding a legacy of extraordinary and thought-provoking journalism for more than half a century. I'm deeply committed to this level of excellence and I look forward to delivering an exciting season of signature 60 stories that cover a wide range of subjects for a broad audience and engage viewers with their world." TOP '60 MINUTES' PRODUCER RESIGNS FROM SHOW, CITES LACK OF INDEPENDENCE Simon's appointment was widely embraced within the network, sources within CBS News tell Fox News Digital. Cibrowski's announcement during Thursday's 9 a.m. editorial call sparked lots of claps and excitement, according to one CBS News staffer who attended. A "60 Minutes" producer told Fox News Digital that Simon's appointment will lift clouds that have hovered over the newsroom in recent months. And while staffers still have their worries going forward, Simon serving as their leader in an official capacity is a "positive signal in terms of the future of '60 Minutes' being able to stay true to its founding principles." Simon was first tapped to lead "60 Minutes" in April following the resignation of Bill Owens, who claimed he could no longer maintain editorial independence from corporate honchos while CBS' parent company Paramount Global was in a months-long legal battle with President Donald Trump. '60 MINUTES' KAMALA HARRIS INTERVIEW AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP'S CBS LAWSUIT RECEIVES EMMY NOMINATION It was previously reported that Shari Redstone, Paramount's controlling shareholder, wanted to keep tabs on "60 Minutes" stories pertaining to the Trump administration as she aimed to settle Trump's lawsuit against CBS News in order to pave the way for Paramount's $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, which needs FCC approval. Trump and Paramount settled the lawsuit earlier this month. Trump had accused CBS News of election interference over its handling of the "60 Minutes" interview of then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the weeks leading up to the presidential election, specifically over how her comments to an answer were edited differently between the preview clip that aired on "Face the Nation," which was mocked on social media as "word salad," versus the cleaner portion of her response that aired during the primetime special. Owens stood by the edit and refused to offer an apology. '60 MINUTES' STAFF STAND BY KAMALA HARRIS INTERVIEW AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP'S MAJOR PARAMOUNT LAWSUIT While CBS News did not issue any statement of regret as part of Paramount's settlement with Trump, the network did adopt a new editorial policy that would require all raw transcripts of interviews with presidential candidates to be released. Regardless, Paramount's settlement sparked fierce condemnation among liberal critics who accuse the company of bending the knee to Trump. Tensions further escalated last week after CBS News announced it was canceling "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in May 2026, something the network insisted was purely a financial decision.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Business
- Yahoo
CBS News names '60 Minutes' veteran Tanya Simon as broadcast's new top producer
CBS News said Thursday it has selected Tanya Simon as the top producer at '60 Minutes,' elevating a respected insider in a closely-watched appointment given the turmoil that enveloped the newsmagazine with the settlement of President Donald Trump's lawsuit. Simon, daughter of the late '60 Minutes' correspondent Bob Simon, becomes only the fourth executive producer of the influential newsmagazine since it was invented by Don Hewitt in the late 1960s. She's been executive editor of the broadcast, and running it on an interim basis since her predecessor Bill Owens quit in April, saying he questioned whether he'd be allowed to lead the program as he saw fit. Owens had opposed settling Trump's lawsuit over the editing of last fall's interview with Kamala Harris. CBS News parent company Paramount Global agreed earlier this month to pay Trump $16 million to end their dispute. Simon has worked at '60 Minutes' for 25 years, and was strongly supported by many at the famously insular broadcast to take over for Owens. 'Tanya Simon understands what makes '60 Minutes' tick,' said Tom Cibrowski, president and executive editor of CBS News. 'She is an innovative leader, an exceptional producer, and someone who knows how to inspire people.' In May, seven '60 Minutes' correspondents signed a letter to Paramount Global management urging that Simon be appointed. 'As much as we will miss Bill Owens, we believe — no, we know — that his long-term successor must come from within,' the correspondents wrote. Crucially, Simon's appointment came before the Trump administration's approval of Paramount Global's proposed merger with Skydance Media, a takeover that is expected to result in changes at CBS News. ___ David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at and
The Independent
36 minutes ago
- Business
- The Independent
CBS News names '60 Minutes' veteran Tanya Simon as broadcast's new top producer
CBS News said Thursday it has selected Tanya Simon as the top producer at '60 Minutes,' elevating a respected insider in a closely-watched appointment given the turmoil that enveloped the newsmagazine with the settlement of President Donald Trump 's lawsuit. Simon, daughter of the late '60 Minutes' correspondent Bob Simon, becomes only the fourth executive producer of the influential newsmagazine since it was invented by Don Hewitt in the late 1960s. She's been executive editor of the broadcast, and running it on an interim basis since her predecessor Bill Owens quit in April, saying he questioned whether he'd be allowed to lead the program as he saw fit. Owens had opposed settling Trump's lawsuit over the editing of last fall's interview with Kamala Harris. CBS News parent company Paramount Global agreed earlier this month to pay Trump $16 million to end their dispute. Simon has worked at '60 Minutes' for 25 years, and was strongly supported by many at the famously insular broadcast to take over for Owens. 'Tanya Simon understands what makes '60 Minutes' tick,' said Tom Cibrowski, president and executive editor of CBS News. 'She is an innovative leader, an exceptional producer, and someone who knows how to inspire people.' In May, seven '60 Minutes' correspondents signed a letter to Paramount Global management urging that Simon be appointed. 'As much as we will miss Bill Owens, we believe — no, we know — that his long-term successor must come from within,' the correspondents wrote. Crucially, Simon's appointment came before the Trump administration's approval of Paramount Global's proposed merger with Skydance Media, a takeover that is expected to result in changes at CBS News. ___ David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at and
7NEWS
37 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
South Park skewers Trump, Paramount hours after creators sign $2.3 billion deal
Paramount announced Wednesday afternoon that the creators of South Park had agreed to produce 50 new episodes over the next five years in a deal reportedly valued at $1.5 billion (A$2.3b). Ten hours later, South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker excoriated Paramount — and aggressively skewered President Donald Trump — in the premiere episode of the Comedy Central show's 27th season. In the episode, Trump (voiced by Stone) sues the town of South Park for $5 billion after they push back on Jesus Christ's presence in their elementary school. The townspeople are prepared to fight back, but Jesus Christ (also voiced by Stone) urges them to settle. 'You guys saw what happened to CBS? Yeah, well, guess who owns CBS? Paramount,' Jesus Christ says at the episode's climax. 'Do you really want to end up like Colbert?' Paramount is under intense scrutiny for appearing to kowtow to the Trump administration ahead of a proposed blockbuster merger. Stone and Parker were clearly riffing on their corporate parent's eventful summer. On July 2, Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit from Trump, who alleged that CBS' 60 Minutes had deceptively edited an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. CBS denied that claim. On July 17, CBS announced that it planned to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in May, calling the move 'purely a financial decision.' But many of Colbert's fans cried foul, arguing that the comedian was being penalised for his years of anti-Trump humor. Both developments came as Paramount is preparing to be sold to Skydance Media, an entertainment production and finance company headed by David Ellison, the son of Oracle mogul (and Trump ally) Larry Ellison. The corporate tie-up requires federal approval. The premiere episode, titled Sermon on the 'Mount, took aim at other satirical targets, including the supposed death of 'wokeness,' the rise of ChatGPT and the debate over Christian teachings in public schools. Trump and Paramount were the focal points, however. In one scene, 60 Minutes reports on the social unrest roiling South Park amid Trump's lawsuit. The fictional hosts of the news show are visibly nervous as they introduce the segment, going out of their way to praise the president as 'a great man.' 'We know he's probably watching,' one of the hosts says. CBS is not the only network to reach a legal settlement with Trump. ABC agreed to pay $15 million as part of a settlement with Trump a month before he took office, effectively ending a case concerning alleged defamation. Paramount's settlement with Trump has drawn more attention, though. Colbert, three days before CBS announced the end of his show, blasted the arrangement as a 'big fat bribe.' Jon Stewart, the host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show, also assailed the deal. Paramount owns CBS, a venerable Hollywood movie studio, a suite of cable brands (including Comedy Central) and the Paramount+ streaming platform. South Park is widely known for jabbing politicians and social trends across the ideological spectrum. But the latest episode's depiction of Trump arguably went further than usual. Stone and Parker depict Trump as a petulant child, recycling the animation style they used for Saddam Hussein in the 1999 film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. They also make profane references to the president's anatomy. Sermon on the 'Mount closes with an apparently AI-generated video of Trump wandering in a desert and removing his clothes. Paramount spokespeople did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the episode.
CNBC
37 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- CNBC
'South Park' mocks Paramount's settlement with Trump after creators sign $1.5B deal
Paramount announced Wednesday afternoon that the creators of "South Park" had agreed to produce 50 new episodes over the next five years in a deal reportedly valued at $1.5 billion. Ten hours later, "South Park" creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker excoriated Paramount — and aggressively skewered President Donald Trump — in the premiere episode of the Comedy Central show's 27th season. In the episode, Trump (voiced by Stone) sues the town of South Park for $5 billion after they push back on Jesus Christ's presence in their elementary school. The townspeople are prepared to fight back, but Jesus Christ (also voiced by Stone) urges them to settle. "You guys saw what happened to CBS? Yeah, well, guess who owns CBS? Paramount," Jesus Christ says at the episode's climax. "Do you really want to end up like Colbert?" Paramount is under intense scrutiny for appearing to kowtow to the Trump administration ahead of a proposed blockbuster merger. Stone and Parker were clearly riffing on their corporate parent's eventful summer. On July 2, Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit from Trump, who alleged that CBS' "60 Minutes" had deceptively edited an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. CBS denied that claim. On July 17, CBS announced that it planned to cancel "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in May, calling the move "purely a financial decision." But many of Colbert's fans cried foul, arguing that the comedian was being penalized for his years of anti-Trump humor. Both developments came as Paramount is preparing to be sold to Skydance Media, an entertainment production and finance company headed by David Ellison, the son of Oracle mogul (and Trump ally) Larry Ellison. The corporate tie-up requires federal approval. The premiere episode, titled "Sermon on the 'Mount," took aim at other satirical targets, including the supposed death of "wokeness," the rise of ChatGPT and the debate over Christian teachings in public schools. Trump and Paramount were the focal points, however. In one scene, "60 Minutes" reports on the social unrest roiling South Park amid Trump's lawsuit. The fictional hosts of the news show are visibly nervous as they introduce the segment, going out of their way to praise the president as "a great man." "We know he's probably watching," one of the hosts says. CBS is not the only network to reach a legal settlement with Trump. ABC agreed to pay $15 million as part of a settlement with Trump a month before he took office, effectively ending a case concerning alleged defamation. Paramount's settlement with Trump has drawn more attention, though. Colbert, three days before CBS announced the end of his show, blasted the arrangement as a "big fat bribe." Jon Stewart, the host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," also assailed the deal. Paramount owns CBS, a venerable Hollywood movie studio, a suite of cable brands (including Comedy Central) and the Paramount+ streaming platform. "South Park" is widely known for jabbing politicians and social trends across the ideological spectrum. But the latest episode's depiction of Trump arguably went further than usual. Stone and Parker depict Trump as a petulant child, recycling the animation style they used for Saddam Hussein in the 1999 film "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut." They also make profane references to the president's anatomy. "Sermon on the 'Mount" closes with an apparently AI-generated video of Trump wandering in a desert and removing his clothes. Paramount spokespeople did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the episode.
