Veteran CBS News correspondent Scott Pelley has been fired from the network following an explosive confrontation with CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss over new leadership at 60 Minutes.
Pelley, a correspondent for 60 Minutes since 2004 and one of the most recognizable faces in broadcast journalism, was terminated effective immediately on Tuesday after a contentious staff meeting Monday in which he accused Weiss of “murdering” the long-running agency, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
The firing comes shortly after reports emerged detailing a heated meeting between Pelley and newly appointed executive producer Nick Bilton, a former technology journalist who was tapped to lead the program as part of a broader overhaul at CBS News.
According to the multiple reports, Pelley challenged Bilton’s qualifications and sharply criticized Weiss, saying she had been “brought in to kill” the show and was “murdering it through a series of management decisions. Pelley interrupted Bilton after introductory remarks during the meeting and ripped into the new leader, according to the outlet.
There are varying reports about Weiss’s attendance at the meeting, some outlets reporting that she did not attend after being advised not to. Pelley also reportedly went after Weiss’s resume, saying she didn’t have any qualifications for the job.
Bilton sent Pelley a termination notice Tuesday night, citing the cause for the dismissal after the confrontation. In a reported copy of the letter, Bilton said he had invited Pelley to dinner shortly after taking on the role, which Bilton claims Pelley rejected.
“Yesterday, you hijacked my first meeting with staff to disparage me, my qualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt,” Bilton, who has never led a weekly broadcast show, wrote to Pelley. “I welcome diversity of viewpoints and respectful debate among the team, but this was nothing of the sort.”
Monday’s meeting reportedly ended with a standing ovation for Pelley from some staff members.
Bilton explained to Pelley that he is terminated effective immediately because his “antipathy to the future of the show has come through loud and clear.”
The dispute is the latest chapter in months of turmoil at CBS News following the merger of Paramount and Skydance Media and the installation of Weiss as the network’s first editor-in-chief.
Since taking over, Weiss and CBS News President Tom Cibrowski have pursued sweeping changes aimed at reshaping the news division and expanding 60 Minutes across additional platforms.
Four days before the contentious meeting, Weiss and Cibrowski reportedly sent a memo to staff that said their goal was to build a show “that thrives in the 21st century,” which they said “requires a new approach.”
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The changes have generated fierce resistance from some of the network’s most prominent journalists.
Former executive producer Tanya Simon was removed from her role, while correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecillia Vega departed amid the restructuring. Former 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens and other network veterans have also publicly raised concerns about the program’s direction and editorial independence.