PBS NewsHour reporter Geoff Bennett teased an excerpt from his interview with Steve Croft, in which the “60 Minutes” legend said the direction of the historic news program under the leadership of CBS News boss Bari Weiss was “disastrous.”
“This is journalistic interference,” Kroft said. “It makes no business sense whatsoever. It’s the highest rated news program on television, and it has been that way for more than 50 years. The audience was up about 9% last year. Why would you mess with that?”
PBS NewsHour’s entire sitdown with Kroft airs on Wednesday at 4 p.m. PT.
“60 Minutes” has been under intense scrutiny since Paramount-Skydance CEO David Ellison inserted Weiss as the new head of CBS News. Some have accused Weiss, who lacks experience in TV reporting, of trying to undermine one of the most revered sources of broadcast news with political bias. The drama came to a head in late May after longtime executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi were fired, and former NYT technology columnist Nick Bilton was hired to run the show.
Just days later, it was reported that “60 Minutes” veteran Scott Pelley lashed out at Bilton during a staff meeting, saying the new executive producer has “slender qualifications for this job.” He also went after Weiss, alleging that she is “murdering ‘60 Minutes’” with her changes.
Late Tuesday, Bilton released a letter announcing that CBS leadership and Pelley failed to reach common ground, and that Pelley was released from “60 Minutes.”
“Your antipathy to the future of the show has come through loud and clear,” Bilton wrote. “And I have heard you. I therefore write on behalf of CBS News to inform you that your employment with CBS is terminated effective immediately.”
Hours later, Pelley fired back with a letter of his own, claiming that “incompetence and unprofessionalism” had “wreaked havoc” on “60 Minutes” for months.
