The future of “60 Minutes” may depend on two people with deep ties to CBS News’ past.
Many staffers and producers at the embattled newsmagazine are wondering whether Leslie Stahl and Bill Whitaker, two CBS News veterans who have worked in the Paramount-Skydance-controlled news division since 1971 and 1984, respectively, will stay on the show after a series of surprising ouster from top executives over the past week. Their decisions could have a huge impact on whether the show becomes completely sacrosanct or has some connection to the elements that have long drawn viewers.
A source familiar with the CBS News industry said the decision was an emotional one: “I think they feel that if they leave, there won’t be anything left for ’60.”
It’s certainly less. On Tuesday night, one of the show’s most prominent correspondents, Scott Pelley, was fired by Nick Bilton and appointed the show’s new editor-in-chief last week by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who is seeking to overhaul the series. Bilton was furious that Perry questioned his qualifications during a show staff meeting on Monday, and was upset that his correspondent did not return his calls or meet with him before the event. Bilton and Weiss felt that Perry had created an unsustainable working environment.
“Your antipathy towards the future of the show has been made clear to me,” Bilton said in a letter sent to Perry on Tuesday night and seen by Variety. “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.”
“We tried to engage with Scott Pelley and find a way to come back, but unfortunately we were unable to do that and we had to part ways,” Weiss said Wednesday during a CBS News editorial conference. We didn’t want that, but that’s the path he chose. ”
CBS News executives and Mr. Bilton contacted all remaining correspondents last week and engaged with many of them, according to people familiar with the matter. Perry was not one of them. CBS News declined to request comment from executives Wednesday morning.
In a statement issued Tuesday night, Perry said he felt the new management at CBS News and its parent company was “undermining the news magazine in a clear way to benefit the Trump administration,” adding that he felt “the new management’s incompetence and unprofessionalism is wreaking havoc on programming.”
Two people familiar with the show said Perry’s departure will only heighten the spotlight on the remaining correspondents. Stahl, who joined “60 Minutes” in 1991, has made the show an integral part of her life, and people close to the show believe the choice to leave will be difficult for her. When Stahl started working on the program, legends like Mike Wallace and Morely Safer were still actively involved. She has a year-long contract with the program, officials said.
Whittaker had recently expressed a desire to remain on the show. Even though he’s been with CBS News for many years, mostly on the West Coast, he’s something of a “new guy” at 60 years old, having joined the company in 2014. Until recently, he was considered a candidate to replace Jane Pauley at CBS Sunday Morning because executives feared they wouldn’t be able to agree on a new contract, two people familiar with the matter said.
Mr. Stahl and Mr. Whitaker did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday, and 60 Minutes correspondent Jon Wertheim, who joined the show in 2017, could not be reached for comment earlier this week about his thoughts on the show’s recent changes. Some staffers have interpreted recent silence as a sign they may stay.
Both Mr. Stahl and Mr. Whitaker are elder statesmen of journalism. Mr. Whittaker is 74 years old, and Mr. Stahl is 10 years older. But both show youthful spirit in interviews, with Whittaker taking on multiple assignments ranging from features to investigative pieces. Meanwhile, one of Stahl’s producers once called her “bad grandma” after a trek she undertook to find mountain primates in Rwanda in 2021.
“Here’s the truth: I’m not bored,” Stahl told Variety in 2021.
Many of the “60 Minutes” staffers have been with the show for years, even decades, and may be reluctant to leave, said one person familiar with how the series works. These producers may also feel pressured to stay rather than quit when their compensation may be reduced because they owe large severance or severance payments.
Also, few news outlets give producers a similar role. “60 Minutes” doesn’t follow breaking news. It either beats itself out or provides a view of the news cycle that no one else has. Or its operatives can spend weeks preparing some broadcasts, allowing for more immersive reporting and thorough investigations that other news organizations simply cannot afford, especially in an age of streaming and social media.
Even so, Mr. Staal and Mr. Whittaker will never have more influence than they currently have.
