Bill Owens. Photo: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile for Collision via Getty Images
“60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens said on Tuesday that he is stepping down from the show due to concerns about journalistic independence.
Why it matters: Owens’ exit comes as CBS’ parent Paramount considers settling a $20 billion lawsuit from President Trump over a segment on the show.
Driving the news: “Over the past months, it has become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it, to make independent decisions based on what was right for ’60 Minutes,’ right for the audience,” Owens wrote in a staff memo obtained by Axios.
- “So, having defended this show — and what we stand for — from every angle, over time with everything I could, I am stepping aside so the show can move forward,” he wrote.
- The New York Times first reported Owens’ exit.
Catch up quick: Owens was a veteran of CBS, having first worked as a summer intern in 1988. He joined “60 Minutes” in 2003 and later worked at “CBS Evening News” before returning to the Sunday show.
- In 2019, CBS named Owens executive producer — the third in its history.
The big picture: CBS is under pressure to resolve its legal battle as it awaits regulatory approval for a merger between Paramount and Skydance Media.
- The lawsuit, filed in October ahead of Trump taking office, alleged CBS engaged in “voter interference” in its editing of a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris. He originally sought $10 billion in damages but increased the claim to $20 billion in February.
- Last month, CBS filed two motions to dismiss an amended complaint to Trump’s lawsuit.
What to watch: In a statement, CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures CEO Wendy McMahon said she and CBS News president and executive editor Tom Cibrowski “are committed to 60 Minutes and to ensuring that the mission and the work remain our priority.”
- “We have already begun conversations with correspondents and senior leaders, and those will continue in the days and weeks ahead.”
