In an unusual reprimand on the air, one of the best journalists in “60 minutes” directly criticized the parent company in the last moments of Sunday night, CBS TeleCast, its first episode since the program’s executive producer, Bill OwensHe announced his intention to resign.
“Paramount started overseeing the content in new ways,” the reporter, Scott Billy, Tell the viewers. “None of our stories was banned, but Bill felt that he lost the independence required by the sincere press.”
A Paramount spokesman had no immediate comment, and he previously refused to comment on Mr. Owens’s departure.
Mr. Owens amazed the show employees on Tuesday when he said he would leave the highest -rating program in TV news about the differences with Paramount and the father of CBS, saying: “It is clear that the company has ended with me.”
Mr. Owens’s comments It was widely reported in the press last week. The decision to repeat these grievances on the air may be exposed to the viewers of the dangerous tensions between “60 minutes” and their participation in companies for the first time.
Shari Redston, who dominated Paramount, was determined to obtain approval from the Trump administration for a Millions of dollars are sold From her media company to a studio run by Ibn Larry Ellison, the technical billionaire.
President Trump filed a lawsuit against CBS last year, claiming $ 10 billion in damage, in a case of “60 minutes” interview with the 2024 democratic presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, Mr. Trump said he was edited deceptive. Mrs. Redston expressed her desire to settle the lawsuit of Mr. Trump, although legal experts fired the case far.
In his comments on Sunday, Mr. Billy made the decision of Mr. Owens to resign as an effort to protect “60 minutes” from further intervention.
“He did this for us and you,” Mr. Billy told viewers in the show, which began to broadcast in 1968.
After “60 minutes”, a segment in January ran over the war between Israel and Hamas, Mrs. Redston complained to CBS executives about what she considered inclined to the part. After a day, CBS has appointed a veteran product for a new role that includes press standards. Some parts “60 minutes”, which were considered sensitive, reviewed.
Representatives of Mr. Trump and Pramant are participating in the settlement talks, and mediation is It is expected to start this week.
Mr. Billy Monologa raised on the air on Sunday evening A previous moment of the general dispute Between “60 minutes” and the supervisors of companies.
In 1995, also in a closing note for viewers, correspondent Mike Wallace Say on the air The program chose not to broadcast an interview with a former executive director in the tobacco industry because CBS News managers have surrendered to legal pressure. “60 minutes” The interview was released in the endAnd the episode was later updated in the movie “The Insider”, which is the 1999 movie starring Al Pacino in the role of Lowell Bergman, a producer “60 minutes”.
The “60 minutes” episode appeared on Sunday part This studied the Trump administration’s decision to reduce the funding of the National Health Institutes, including an interview with a former director expressed his concerns about the harmful effects of Americans’ health.
Lauren Hersh The reports contributed.
