Leslie Stahl Signs New Contract with “60 Minutes”
Leslie Stahl has reportedly signed a two-year extension to remain with “60 Minutes,” which some see as a reassuring move amid recent upheaval within the program.
Stahl, who is 84 years old, finalized the contract in the last few days. This news emerged late Wednesday.
This agreement was made public shortly after she, alongside colleagues Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim, indicated in a joint memo that they would stay with “60 Minutes,” despite frustrations over recent staff changes that have caused significant unrest.
The new deal is a significant boost for CBS News as the network works to stabilize its lineup following a contentious overhaul led by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.
The restructuring involves various new and established personnel, including executive producer Tanya Simon, correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, senior executive producer Dragan Mihajlović, veteran producer Guy Campanile, and head of digital operations Matthew Paulvoy.
Amid this shake-up, veteran correspondent Scott Pelley faced dismissal after a public disagreement regarding his exit.
Stahl’s new contract was negotiated by Brian Lard, CEO of CAA, who primarily worked with CBS Television Director George Cheeks and CBS News President Tom Cybrowski to secure the agreement.
This deal marks a tumultuous time for “60 Minutes,” which has had its share of challenges in its nearly 60-year existence, especially following Weiss’ intervention regarding reporter Alfonsi’s piece on El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison.
Alfonsi raised concerns that CBS News leadership was trying to “sanitize accurate reporting” when Weiss pulled the story shortly before its airing, citing the need for more reporting.
That report eventually aired with additional context from the Trump administration.
Weiss’ editorial methods have faced scrutiny, particularly regarding sensitive coverage like that of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the conflict in Gaza. Current and former staff have voiced concerns that editorial decisions might be swayed by factors outside standard journalistic principles, although CBS News maintains these allegations are unfounded.
Last month saw significant staff turnover as Weiss dismissed several senior journalists and producers in a bold reorganization of the newsmagazine, leading to employee discontent and calls for clarity on the firings.
Shortly thereafter, Weiss appointed former New York Times columnist Nick Bilton as executive producer. During their initial meeting, Perry directly confronted Bilton, alleging Weiss was “murdering” “60 Minutes” and suggesting a hidden agenda.
In the wake of this, CBS News let Perry go the following day.
Amidst the turmoil, Paramount CEO David Ellison reached out to Stahl, assuring her of the show’s editorial autonomy, as reported by the New York Times.
Stahl shared this assurance during a champagne toast with her coworkers at their Manhattan office, calling them “survivors.”
“My toast was ‘to us’ – to the survivors,” Stahl mentioned, noting that perhaps they felt some degree of “survivor’s guilt.”
Even after committing to the program, Stahl hasn’t shied away from critiquing the ongoing changes, describing the firings as “the most difficult chapter of my career” and “the worst experience I’ve ever been involved in or witnessed.”
The Post has reached out to CBS News and Paramount for their comments on this situation.
