60 Minutes Shrinks From 7 to 3 Correspondents as Paramount Upheaval Engulfs $70 Million Franchise
Updated
Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Jun 5
60 Minutes Shrinks From 7 to 3 Correspondents as Paramount Upheaval Engulfs $70 Million Franchise
3 articles · Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Jun 5
Summary
Three correspondents remain at 60 Minutes after a rapid leadership shake-up that included Scott Pelley's firing, staff exits and the appointment of Nick Bilton despite his lack of TV experience.
$70 million in annual advertising and a 52-year run as TV's most-watched news program have not spared the show from leaks, internal drama, pulled segments and allegations of pressure to add factual errors or political bias.
Ratings are still up 9% since September, according to CBS, undercutting the case for a radical overhaul of a franchise long prized for trust and stability.
The turmoil is increasingly being pinned on Paramount chief David Ellison and CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, raising broader doubts about their ability to manage larger media assets after the Warner Bros. merger.