Bill Owens, the longtime executive producer of CBS's iconic news magazine 60 Minutes, announced his resignation on Tuesday, citing a loss of editorial independence and increased corporate interference in the program's direction. Image: NBC News.
(The Post News)– Bill Owens, a veteran executive producer of CBS’s iconic ’60 Minutes’ news show, quit Tuesday, citing waning editorial control and more corporate intrusions into the program’s direction.
In a memo, which has been received by CNN, Owens told the 60 Minutes crew that past months had made clear to him that he could no longer “run the show” as he always did or “make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes”. According to Owens, he has defended the show and what it stands for in every manner possible and is now stepping aside to allow the show to move forward.
The announcement comes as CBS News is increasingly divided internally, which has been in the middle of a $10 billion defamation lawsuit by Trump over a 60 Minutes interview of former Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump alleged that the interview was selectively edited to favour Harris, who had run against him in the 2024 election.
The suit, which CBS has termed meritless, has clearly taken a toll on newsroom morale. Sources suggest Paramount executives, including controlling shareholder Shari Redstone, are weighing a potential settlement or even an apology to Trump—a move that has outraged journalists across the network.
Owens’ resignation is only the latest episode in the press’s ongoing tussle with Trump, who has repeatedly berated the press and labelled CBS as “fake news”. Last week in a Truth Social update, Trump declared, “I am so honoured to be suing 60 Minutes, CBS Fake News, and Paramount for their fraudulent, beyond recognition, reporting. They should lose their licence!
Wendy McMahon, president and CEO of CBS News, praised Owens in a memo, dubbing him the “leader of 60 Minutes with unshakable integrity, with curiosity, and with an abiding passion for the truth.” She said that Owens “embodied the type of journalism that educates, enlightens, and at times alters the national dialogue.”
Despite Owens remaining at 60 Minutes during a transition period, there has been no announcement of a replacement. His resignation also follows as there are merger negotiations between Paramount and Skydance Media, a company led by Donald Trump supporter Larry Ellison’s son David Ellison. There is pending regulatory approval on the proposed $8 billion merger.
Two experienced 60 Minutes producers who spoke off the record to CNN lamented Owens’ resignation. One called Trump’s lawsuit “baseless” and said Owens’ failure to apologise for the segment “cost him his job”. Another called the resignation a “sacrifice”, continuing, “He battled for months against an attack. He sacrificed himself in the hope that it would give our corporate masters a wake-up call and they’d see they risk ruining what makes 60 Minutes great.”
Owens, with 37 years at CBS, including 24 years at 60 Minutes, would not comment on his exit. CBS remained mum beyond McMahon’s memo. As the media universe stumbles through political pressure and threats of a lawsuit, Owens’ exit spotlights the precarious balance between news reporting freedom and corporate pressure —a tightrope that may shape the future of traditional news organizations.
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