“60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Perry mentioned the resignation of longtime producer Bill Owens at the end of Sunday’s latest episode.
Owens announced a sharp departure Tuesday as he faces ongoing lawsuits from President Donald Trump.
“Over the past few months, it has become clear that I am not allowed to run the show because I have always been doing it. To make independent decisions based on what is right for the audience, based on what is right for 60 minutes,” Owens wrote in a note obtained by Fox News Digital. “So I’m on the sidelines to defend this show and what we represent, from every angle, as much as I can over time, and I’m on the sidelines so that the show can move forward.”
Bill Owens resigned as “60 Minutes” producer on Tuesday. (SportsFile for conflict via Pierasó Mídheach/SportsFile Getty Images; Reuters/Shannon Stapleton; Screenshots/CBS News)
CBS Anchor Salute “60 Minutes” Producer says efforts to resolve Trump lawsuits related to corporate mergers
Perry spoke on behalf of the “60 minute” team, lamenting Owens’ departure.
“Bill was on CBS News for nearly 40 years, 60 minutes and 26 years,” Perry said. “He covered the world, battles, the White House. He was not a heart-opening, but a quest to open up.
He added that Owens resigned “for us and you” after feeling that he lost his “independence” to join “honest journalism.”
President Trump has filed a $20 billion lawsuit against CBS, alleging election interference in handling CBS interviews. (Left: (Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Image), Right: (Photo by Thasos Katopodis/Getty Image), Right: Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg by Getty Images)
“Our parent company, Paramount, is about to complete the merger,” Perry said. “The Trump administration has to approve it. Paramount has begun to oversee our content in a new way. None of our stories are blocked, but Bill felt that he had lost the independence that honest journalism needed.”
He said, “No one here is happy about it, but by resigning, Bill has proven one thing.
Fox News Digital reached out to CBS for comment.
Promote settlement chatter in CBS News lawsuit seeking Trump and Paramount Mediator
Trump is seeking $20 billion in a lawsuit against CBS and claims election interference in handling the “60-minute” interview with then-President Kamala Harris last year. The president accused CBS of supporting 2024 Democratic opponents through deceptive editorials a few weeks before the presidential election. CBS’ parent company Paramount Global agrees to mediation and informs that the court feud will lead to a settlement.
“60 Minutes” host Scott Perry spoke about Owens’ departure on Sunday night’s episode. (Screenshot/CBS)
Some criticize the possibility that Paramount with Trump will calm down, claiming it is “wrenching.”[ing] knees. ”
Click here to get the Fox News app
Brian Flood and Joseph Wulfsohn of Fox News contributed to this report.
