VETERAN TV newsman Scott Pelley has been fired by CBS after launching a furious attack on the bosses running hit news show 60 Minutes.
The broadcasting legend, 68, was shown the door just a day after reportedly accusing CBS News chief Bari Weiss of “murdering the show” during a tense staff meeting.
Veteran TV newsman Scott Pelley, 68, has been fired by CBS Credit: CBS via Getty Images
Pelley allegedly accused CBS News chief Bari Weiss of “murdering the show” 60 Minutes during a staff meeting Credit: Getty
Pelley, one of the most recognisable faces in American television journalism, allegedly tore into network bosses during an introductory meeting with newly-appointed executive producer Nick Bilton on Monday.
According to reports, Pelley blasted Bilton’s credentials, saying the former technology journalist and filmmaker had “slender qualifications” for the top job.
He also reportedly launched an extraordinary attack on Weiss, claiming: “She’s murdering ‘60 Minutes.’ She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it and she’s doing exactly that.”
The explosive confrontation came amid a major shake-up at the long-running current affairs program.
Just 24 hours later, CBS fired Pelley.
In a termination letter obtained by The Associated Press , Bilton accused the veteran correspondent of staging an “ambush”.
“Yesterday, you hijacked my first meeting with staff to disparage me, my qualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt,” Bilton wrote.
He also described Pelley’s conduct as a “performative display of hostility” and said it showed he had “no interest in contributing to the future success of the show.”
The dramatic exit marks the latest chapter in a growing civil war inside CBS News.
Pelley later hit back, claiming 60 Minutes had lost its identity under new management.
He accused executives of trying to force him to “inject falsehoods and bias” into his reporting, although he did not provide specific examples.
The veteran journalist also defended colleagues who were recently ousted during the network overhaul.
He said they “stood for fairness against the forces of political bias.”
Pelley further accused CBS owner David Ellison of abandoning the programme’s reputation “apparently to curry a moment of favor with the Trump administration.”
The turmoil erupted after Weiss installed Bilton as executive producer last week following the removal of his predecessor Tanya Simon and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega.
According to media outlet Status, which said it obtained a recording of Monday’s meeting, Pelley repeatedly challenged management decisions and questioned the qualifications of both Bilton and Weiss.
At one point, Bilton reportedly fired back: “I have been a journalist for 25 years, Scott. I have sat and talked with incredibly powerful people like you have. None of it intimidates me, OK? So you are not going to intimidate me in front of this group of people.”
The meeting was said to be highly charged, with Status reporting that Pelley received applause from staff multiple times.
CBS insiders said that both Weiss and Bilton had attempted to contact Pelley before the confrontation and had stressed they wanted him to remain a key part of the programme.
But relations appear to have broken down beyond repair.
First broadcast in 1968, 60 Minutes is the longest-running primetime show in television history and has built its reputation on hard-hitting investigations and fearless interviews.
Pelley joined CBS in 1989, later serving as chief White House correspondent and anchor of CBS Evening News.
According to his CBS biography, he has won 51 Emmy Awards during his career.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow…
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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