60 Minutes’ Scott Pelley Dr4matically Fir3d from CBS After H3ated Meeting with New Exec Who Claims Correspondent Ambush3d Him
The firing comes days after the veteran correspondent allegedly accused CBS News leadership of “murd3ring” the iconic news program
Veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley has been fired from CBS following a heated confrontation with the show’s new ex3cutive producer, Nick Bilton, during a staff meeting
Pelley’s termination letter obtained accuses the longtime 60 Minutes correspondent of “4mbush,” “h0stility” and “misc0nduct”
The dramatic letter claims Pelley “h1jacked” a meeting and showed “no interest in contributing to the future success of the show”
Veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley has been fired from CBS following a heated confrontation with the show’s new ex3cutive producer, Nick Bilton, who accused the longtime journalist of “4mbush,” “h0stility” and “misc0nduct” in a striking termination letter obtained
In the letter, which is signed by Bilton, Pelley is informed that his employment with CBS has been “terminat3d for cause effective immediately.”
“It is a profound disappointment that you rejected that overture and chose 4mbush instead,” the letter states. “Yesterday, you h1jacked my first meeting with staff to disparage me, my qualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and cont3mpt.”
The letter continues by accusing Pelley of showing “performative display[s] of h0stility” and having “no interest in contributing to the future success of the show.”
“I am here to deliver first in cla.ss news programming, not to make headlines about newsroom drama,” the letter claims. “I am eager to work alongside those who share this goal.”
“Your ant1pathy to the future of the show has come through loud and clear,” the letter later adds. “And I have heard you.”
The firing comes after Pelley allegedly clashed with Bilton during a tense staff meeting at 60 Minutes, according to The New York Times and The Guardian.
According to those reports, Bilton told staff that CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss “loves 60 Minutes,” prompting Pelley to respond: “She’s murd3ring 60 Minutes. She does not love this place, she was brought in to k1ll it and is doing exactly that.
“She has no qualifications for her job; you have sl3nder qualifications for this job,” Pelley reportedly continued, according to The New York Times. “The changes that she’s made at the Evening News have been c4tastrophic, so why should we expect that any of this is going to be any better?”
Bilton reportedly responded: “Well, I will show you. That’s what I have to say. That is my plan over the next two weeks. I’ll be meeting with everyone. I’m very excited to meet with everyone, yourself included.”
Bilton was appointed ex3cutive producer last week as part of a broader leadership overhaul at the legacy CBS news program
