The long-serving executive producer of “60 Minutes” departed from the program and was unable to communicate with staff on Monday to host the Sunday evening broadcast impartially.
“My priorities for 60 minutes have always been evident. Perhaps not wise, but evident,” Bill Owens, executive producer of the CBS News show, mentioned in a memo obtained by Hill.
“In recent months, it has become apparent that I’m not permitted to manage the show as I have historically,” he added. “For the audience, making autonomous decisions based on the appropriate 60 minutes.”
Owens stated, “I have defended this show and what it signifies from every perspective, and as time wore on, all that I could,” and he expressed that he would step aside “so the show can proceed.”
His resignation comes amid a $20 billion lawsuit lodged in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, where President Trump claims he was pressured to present a favorable light on him, arising from a “60-minute” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Meanwhile, Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company, is seeking to initiate a multi-billion-dollar merger with Hollywood powerhouse Skydance.
Speculation about a settlement between Paramount and the president has been ongoing for months, with both parties reportedly engaging mediators in recent weeks to explore possible agreements.
That was the situation surrounding Owens’ resignation. Initially reported by The New York Times which highlighted that he had previously guaranteed CBS staff he wouldn’t apologize as part of the settlement.
“We will keep reporting on the new administration for 60 minutes, as we cover upcoming administrations,” he conveyed to staff this week. “We report from conflict zones, unearth injustice, and inform our audience. In summary, 60 minutes will continue what we’ve been doing for 57 years.”
CBS is among various broadcast news networks, and Trump along with his Federal Communications Commission have been tightening scrutiny in recent months, suggesting earlier this month that the president might lose his broadcast license in a social media post.
In a communication to staff, Wendy McMahon, president of CBS News and Stations, stated “for 60 minutes we are devoted to making sure that mission and work will stay our main focus.”
