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Pelley made his comments at the end of the evening's CBS News
telecast, saying that in quitting, Owens proved he was the right
person for the job.
“It was hard on him and it was hard on us,” Pelley said. “But he
did it for us — and you.”
His on-air statement was an unusual peek behind the scenes at
the sort of inner turmoil that viewers seldom get the
opportunity to see.
Owens, only the third top executive in the 57-year history of
television's most influential newscast, resigned last week,
saying he no longer felt he had the independence to run the
program as he had in the past, and felt necessary.
CBS News' parent company, Paramount Global, is in the midst of a
merger with Skydance Media that needs the approval of the Trump
administration. Trump has sued “60 Minutes” for $20 billion,
saying it unfairly edited a Kamala Harris interview last fall to
her advantage. Owens and others at “60 Minutes” believe they did
nothing wrong and have opposed a settlement.
An extra look at “60 Minutes” stories before they air
As a result, Pelley explained to viewers on Sunday, Paramount
has begun to supervise “60 Minutes” stories in new ways. Former
CBS News President Susan Zirinsky, a longtime news producer, has
reportedly been asked to look at the show's stories before they
air.
“None of our stories has been blocked,” Pelley said. “But Bill
felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires.
No one here is happy about it. But in resigning, Bill proved he
was the right person to lead ‘60 Minutes’ all along."
Despite this, “60 Minutes” has done tough stories about the
Trump administration almost every week since the inauguration in
January, many of them reported by Pelley. On Sunday, “60
Minutes” correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi had the latest,
interviewing scientists about cutbacks at the National
Institutes for Health.
Trump was particularly angered by the show's telecast two weeks
ago, saying on social media that CBS News should “pay a big
price” for going after him.
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