Staff at CBS News are shaken following the termination of veteran correspondent Scott Pelley, and several insiders are now questioning what comes next at 60 Minutes, according to Deadline.
Pelley, a 37-year network veteran and former CBS Evening News anchor, was fired for cause effective immediately late Tuesday after a verbal confrontation with new executive producer Nick Bilton. The dismissal is the latest in a series of high-profile exits at the newsmagazine since Bari Weiss, founder of The Free Press, was installed as editor-in-chief of the CBS News division.
"I have been in this business a long time, and I have never seen anything this bad," one CBS News insider told Deadline on Wednesday.
The mood inside the network is grim. One veteran described the environment as "closed-door toxic" and called the situation a public embarrassment. "We cover the news, we should never be the news," she said. "This is a damn embarrassment."
Staffers are also worried about the practical consequences. "How are we going to even be able to put on a show next season?" one longtime staffer said. "We are running out of time and people here, and we need both."
The departures have been significant. In addition to Pelley, Anderson Cooper left at the end of 60 Minutes' 58th season last month. Correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega were also cut last month, along with executive producer Tanya Simon and other top producers. The show premiered in 1968 and was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard.
Three full-time correspondents remain at 60 Minutes: Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim. Sources say the three are taking a breath and assessing the situation. None have issued a public statement.
Weiss told staff in a call Wednesday that CBS News leadership is looking to bring in new hires. There has also been speculation that existing CBS News talent will contribute more frequently to the show. Major Garrett recently interviewed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the program. Former CBS Evening News anchor Norah O'Donnell already serves as a contributing correspondent, and some inside the network expect her role to expand further.
CBS Evening News has also faced separate challenges since Weiss installed Tony Dokoupil as anchor in January, with the broadcast suffering from what Deadline described as constant weak or declining viewership and amateur-hour missteps.
