PBS NewsHour reporter Jeff Bennett teased excerpts from an interview with Steve Kroft in which the “60 Minutes” legend said the direction of the historic news program under the leadership of CBS News head Bari Weiss was “disastrous.”
“This is obstruction of journalism,” Kraft said. “It makes no business sense at all. This is the most-watched news program on television and has been for over 50 years. Last year’s ratings were up about 9%. Why mess with that?”
The PBS NewsHour’s conversation with Kraft will air Wednesday at 4pm PT.
“60 Minutes” has come under intense scrutiny since Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison made Weiss the new head of CBS News. Some have accused Mr. Weiss, who has little experience in television reporting, of trying to tarnish one of the most respected broadcast news sources with political bias. The show hit a snag 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.
A few days later, 60 Minutes veteran Scott Pelley reportedly berated Bilton during a staff meeting, saying the new executive producer was “poorly qualified to do this job.” He also went after Weiss, claiming her changes were “killing 60 Minutes.”
Late Tuesday, Bilton released a letter announcing that CBS leadership and Perry were unable to reach an agreement and that Perry had been released from “60 Minutes.”
“Your antipathy toward the future of the program has been made very clear,” Bilton wrote. “I have heard your story. Therefore, I am writing on behalf of CBS News to inform you that your employment with CBS is terminated effective immediately.”
Hours later, Perry fired back with a letter of his own, claiming that “incompetence and unprofessionalism” had “wreaked havoc” on 60 Minutes for months.
