CBS News has fired longtime anchor and 60 Minutes host Scott Pelley. The move comes after months of public tension between Pelley and the network, and just after one day after he criticized company leadership during a 60 Minutes staff meeting.
The consequential meeting, which was held at the program’s Manhattan headquarters, was intended to introduce Nick Bilton, the newly appointed executive producer, amid recent personnel changes.
During the meeting, Pelley addressed a series of firings from the previous week — which were referred to by him as “Black Thursday” — that included executive producer Tanya Simon, her deputy, and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega.
According to a report from Fox News, which cited sources from the meeting, Pelley interrupted Bilton’s remarks and questioned the changes. He stated that Bari Weiss, CBS News editor-in-chief, “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 commented on qualifications, telling Bilton that he had “slender qualifications” for the role and noting that Weiss had “no qualifications for her job.” He pressed Bilton on the reasons for the dismissals of Alfonsi and Vega, to which Bilton responded that those decisions predated his hiring
Reports described Pelley’s tone as intense, with his voice sometimes shaking. Staff members ultimately gave him a standing ovation at the end of the exchange, according to a report from the New York Times.
The heated exchange occurred after months of broader changes at CBS News following Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount in 2025 and Weiss’ appointment as editor-in-chief. The network had sought to expand the 60 Minutes brand beyond its traditional broadcast and hired Bilton, a tech journalist and filmmaker with no prior linear television news experience, was brought in as part of the overhaul.
Following the public reports of the meeting, Pelley met with CBS News executives on Tuesday. At that meeting, CBS News made the decision to terminate his employment effective immediately.
No full public statement detailing the precise cause was issued in initial reports, though internal perspectives referenced concerns over conduct and workplace environment, according to a report from CBS News. Pelley had previously raised issues about management decisions and independence at the program.
Veteran “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley was fired by CBS after a clash with management over his criticism of the newsmagazine’s new leadership. https://t.co/AKlIt4Nhha pic.twitter.com/GEqLXTgt3z
— CNN (@CNN) June 3, 2026
The firing marks the end of one of CBS’ longest tenured employees. Pelley first joined the network in 1989 and has been a correspondent on 60 Minutes since 2004. He previously served as anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News from 2011 through 2017.
Tensions between Pelley and CBS News leadership had built over recent months. These included disagreements over editorial independence, corporate oversight following the Paramount acquisition, and specific story decisions, such as the reported pulling of segments.
