By Brian Stelter, CNN
(CNN) — CBS News management faced a fresh crisis on Monday after legendary “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley accused the network’s editor in chief Bari Weiss of trying to “kill” the acclaimed newsmagazine.
Pelley made the comments during a tense meeting between the staff of “60 Minutes” and the program’s brand-new executive producer, Nick Bilton.
Last week, Weiss stunned the TV news industry by hiring Bilton, an outsider with roots in tech reporting, to run the show, which consistently ranks as the highest-rated news program on television.
Bilton replaced “60 Minutes” veteran Tanya Simon, who was dismissed along with several longtime producers and two correspondents, Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega.
When Bilton said in Monday’s meeting that Weiss loved CBS News and “60 Minutes,” Pelley responded, “She is murdering ‘60 Minutes.’ She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it, and she’s been doing exactly that.”
Pelley also depicted Weiss and Bilton as unqualified for their jobs and said Bilton would “never be welcome here.”
One of the sources who described the meeting to CNN said they agreed with Pelley’s assessment and noted that he received applause from staffers immediately afterward.
Another source said they thought Pelley was rude and unprofessional, a sentiment echoed by Weiss deputy Charles Forelle during the meeting.
The divergent opinions reflect the severe tensions on display at “60 Minutes,” which have been exacerbated by fears about CBS’s parent company, Paramount, attempting to curry favor with President Donald Trump.
Paramount is currently trying to acquire CNN and the rest of Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal that requires approval from the Trump administration.
And Trump is both a viewer and, at times, a vocal critic of “60 Minutes.” In 2024 he filed a lawsuit against CBS over a segment on the newsmagazine, and Paramount opted to settle with Trump rather than defend itself in court.
With that in mind, veteran producers have suggested that Weiss is trying to neuter the newsmagazine, a charge that her allies say is outlandish.
When asked by CNN last week if he would shy away from aggressive coverage of the Trump administration, Bilton said, “Absolutely not. If you look at Season 58 of ‘60 Minutes,’ the team produced incredible coverage of the Trump administration, and that will continue in Season 59, Season 60 and so on.”
Bilton, whose first official day was Monday, projected calm during the meeting and said he looked forward to one-on-one conversations with the correspondents, producers and other staff members.
According to a person with knowledge of the matter, Weiss and Bilton had sought out Pelley for a private meeting last week, but the longtime correspondent had not taken them up on the offer.
A CBS News spokesperson declined to comment on the confrontation at the meeting. Pelley did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNN. But an audio recording of the meeting leaked to outlets such as The New York Times and Status, ensuring his remarks were widely reported.
Pelley is under contract with CBS, and management sources have previously said that they want him to remain with the newsmagazine.
On Monday, however, CBS staffers openly wondered whether