Sunday’s 60 Minutes ended by addressing executive producer Bill Owens’ surprise departure last week.
In the show’s “The Last Minute” segment, correspondent Scott Pelley took a moment to address Owens’ resignation as executive producer, a position he’d held since 2019.
Noting that 60 Minutes has covered many controversial stories during its nearly 60-decade run, Pelley gave Owens credit for making sure those stories “were accurate and fair. He was tough that way.”
He continued: “But our parent company, Paramount, is trying to complete a merger. The Trump administration must approve it. Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways. None of our stories has been blocked, but Bill felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires.”
Pelley noted that Owens had been with CBS News for 40 years — 26 of those at 60 Minutes — and that “no one here is happy about” his departure. Owens was only the third executive producer in the history of the CBS newsmagazine. Last year, he added oversight of CBS Evening News.
Owens announced his shock resignation last week. In an email to staff, he cited an inability “to make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes.”
“Over the past months, it has … become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it,” Owens wrote. “To make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience. So, having defended this show — and what we stand for — from every angle, over time with everything I could, I am stepping aside so the show can move forward.”
Read Pelley’s full comments on 60 Minutes below:
In tonight’s last minute, a note on Bill Owens, who until this past week was executive producer of 60 Minutes. He was our boss.
Bill was with CBS News nearly 40 years, 26 years at 60 Minutes. He covered the world, covered combat, the White House. His was a quest to open minds, not close them.
If you’ve ever worked hard for a boss because you admired him, then you understand what we’ve enjoyed here.
Bill resigned Tuesday. It was hard on him and hard on us, but he did it for us and you.
Stories we pursued for 57 years are often controversial. Lately, the Israel-Gaza war and the Trump administration.
Bill made sure they were accurate and fair. He was tough that way. But our parent company, Paramount is trying to complete a merger. The Trump administration must approve it.
Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways. None of our stories has been blocked, but Bill felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires.
No one here is happy about it, but in resigning, Bill proved one thing: He was the right person to lead 60 Minutes all along.
