NEW YORK – The well-regarded news program “60 Minutes” was thrust into the spotlight on Tuesday following the unexpected resignation of its key executive. The departure of Bill Owens, who had been at the helm of the CBS News cornerstone since 2019, comes in the midst of a tense conflict involving President Donald Trump.
Owens notified his staff of his decision, expressing concerns over his diminishing ability to guide the program with full autonomy. In his message, he stated that it had “become clear” to him that he could no longer make independent choices that were beneficial for “60 Minutes” and its viewership. He stressed the show’s significance to the nation, asserting its continuation was essential, though it would do so without him in charge.
This resignation follows a lawsuit filed by Trump against “60 Minutes,” seeking $20 billion in damages. The lawsuit claims the show misleadingly edited a segment involving Kamala Harris, his Democratic rival in the election. CBS has refuted this, maintaining that no preferential editing occurred, and has made the full interview transcript public.
With President Trump starting his second term, his FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, declared an investigation into CBS over the alleged issue, coinciding with CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, negotiating a merger with Skydance Media. Mediation efforts to resolve Trump’s lawsuit, which Owens never supported, are reportedly ongoing.
Against this backdrop, “60 Minutes” has aired a series of critical stories about the current administration. Recently, following an episode on April 13 that included harsh scrutiny about issues like Ukraine and Greenland, Trump harshly criticized the show on social media, suggesting CBS should face severe consequences for its reporting.
Owens stands as the third executive producer of “60 Minutes,” renowned for its ticking stopwatch symbol. Before him, the program was overseen by its originator, Don Hewitt, and subsequently Jeff Fager. With a near four-decade tenure at CBS News, Owens spent 25 years with “60 Minutes.” Despite attempts to reach him for comments, Owens had not responded by Tuesday. His departure reflects a step back, emphasized in his memo, to allow the show to progress unencumbered by ongoing disputes.
Wendy McMahon, CBS News’ top executive, acknowledged Owens’s steadfast leadership over the program, which she said was characterized by integrity, curiosity, and a dedication to truth. She praised his role in fostering journalism that informs, enlightens, and can reshape national discourse.
Details about what precisely led to his resignation remain unknown, as is whether Owens was directed to step down. Notoriously independent, “60 Minutes” operates as an autonomous entity within CBS News. Owens conveyed McMahon’s alignment with selecting a successor from the current producer ranks, potentially Tanya Simon, the daughter of the late “60 Minutes” correspondent Bob Simon.
In Trump’s renewed tenure, he has frequently clashed with the media on several fronts. The FCC is currently investigating various media firms, the administration is pursuing the closure of Voice of America and similar entities, and ongoing legal actions include a lawsuit from The Associated Press against the administration for its reduction of press access due to not adhering to Trump’s directive regarding the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico.