CBS News terminated Scott Pelley from his role as 60 Minutes anchor on Tuesday, amid a broader reorganization of the network under new leadership, BBC News reported. Pelley, who had worked for CBS News for 37 years, was fired by newly appointed CBS News chief Bari Weiss.

Leadership Changes and Staff Disruptions

Since taking charge. Weiss has fired several staff members at 60 Minutes, including longtime executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega. She also appointed Nick Bilton. A former New York Times technology columnist, as the new editor of the show, despite his lack of broadcast news experience.

These changes have raised concerns among staff and media observers that the network is moving away from its traditional standards of independent journalism — Pelley, in a public statement, accused the new management of trying to inject political bias and falsehoods into reporting.

Accusations of Political Influence and Unprofessionalism

According to a termination letter from Bilton, Pelley was uncooperative during a staff meeting on Monday, where he criticized the leadership; Pelley, in turn, accused Bilton of incompetence and unprofessionalism that had “wreaked havoc” on the program.

In his statement, Pelley said executives had instructed him to include “assertions that are unverified” in his reporting and gave politicians control over interview assignments. He also noted that the program had nearly failed to air a story due to internal disarray.

Vega, who was also fired, echoed Pelley’s concerns, calling the changes “dangerous for the show and dangerous for democracy.” She added that executives had “tried to influence stories and insert political bias.”

Broader Network Restructuring

The upheaval at CBS News began in August 2025 when David Ellison, an ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, acquired CBS’s parent company, Paramount. Weiss was installed as editor-in-chief in October and outlined a new vision for the network, arguing that it had become too reliant on broadcast television and was failing to meet audience expectations.

According to Weiss, the network was not producing content that enough people wanted. She also cited a lack of trust in mainstream media as a key issue. As part of her strategy, CBS has laid off more than 6% of its workforce and shut down its radio division.

Bilton, in an interview with CNBC, acknowledged that while 60 Minutes remains the top-rated news broadcast in the U.S., the future of broadcast TV is uncertain. He added that Nielsen ratings showed a 9% increase in the show’s audience, but that long-term trends suggest disruption is on the horizon.

CBS News has a partnership with the BBC that allows for the sharing of news content, including video footage. The BBC confirmed it had reached out to CBS for comment and is editorially independent from the network.