Scott Pelley fired from "60 Minutes" following testy exchange

Nick Bilton, the newly installed executive producer of "https://www.axios.com/2026/05/30/nick-bilton-60-minutes" target="_blank">60 Minutes," has fired Scott Pelley after the veteran anchor assailed him in front of staff members during a meeting on Bilton's first day on the job.

Why it matters: The leaked exchange showed how little confidence top talent has in the new management team at "https://www.axios.com/2026/06/02/60-minutes-nick-bilton-cbs-news" target="_blank">60 Minutes" and CBS News.

• Pelley told Bilton he lacked relevant expertise and that Bilton's new boss Bari Weiss was "murdering" CBS News' flagship show.

Zoom in: In a termination letter, Bilton said he fired Pelley "for cause" after the confrontation.

• He said he was disappointed the journalist chose to ambush him at his first meeting instead of have a conversation after he invited Pelley to dinner.
• "Yesterday, you hijacked my first meeting with staff to disparage me, my qualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt," the note said.
• "Yesterday's performative display of hostility — enacted in front of the staff instead of in a civil, private conversation-demonstrated that you have no interest in contributing to the future success of the show, or approaching my new tenure with a mind open to collaboration and progress."

Of note: Bilton had a conversation with Pelley Tuesday to sort out their differences.

• In a separate letter to staff, Bilton said during that meeting he "tried to find common ground," adding: "That was not the path Scott chose."

The big picture: The firing of Pelley adds to a growing list of veteran "60 Minutes" talent exiting the show following management and ownership changes.

• Last week, the network parted ways with longtime producer-turned-interim executive producer Tanya Simon, as well as correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega.
• Alfonsi, who https://www.axios.com/2025/12/22/60-minutes-pulls-segment-trump-bari-weiss" target="_self">clashed with Weiss over the delayed airing of one of her reports, https://www.businessinsider.com/read-memo-60-minutes-sharyn-alfonsi-bari-weiss-cbs-news-2026-5" target="_blank">railed against Weiss in her exit memo.
• Bill Owens, that show's former executive producer, https://www.axios.com/2025/04/22/60-minutes-bill-owens-producer-trump" target="_self">resigned in April 2025, citing concerns about journalistic independence.
• Anderson Cooper resigned from "60 Minutes" after nearly two decades this year, citing the desire to spend more time with his family.

What to watch: The takeover of CBS by Paramount chair David Ellison, the son of billionaire Oracle co-founder and Trump ally Larry Ellison, has news staffers at CNN on edge.

• Paramount has agreed to merge with CNN parent Warner Bros Discovery, but the deal is still awaiting regulatory approval before it can close.