Scott Pelley Fired After Accusing 60 Minutes Leadership of Bias

The departure follows months of internal turmoil at the long-running news magazine. Pelley, a fixture at the network for 37 years, alleged that the show has lost its professional identity, citing instances where management allowed politicians to select their own interviewers. He described a chaotic environment where incompetence nearly prevented a recent episode from airing, noting that he had consistently refused to comply with directives to alter his stories.

Executive producer Nick Bilton, appointed by Weiss last month, characterized the exit as a termination for cause. According to Bilton, the decision followed a tense staff meeting on Monday where Pelley accused the new leadership of attempting to dismantle the program. Bilton stated that management had sought to find common ground with the correspondent over the weekend, but those efforts were unsuccessful. Pelley, however, framed his exit as a necessary stand against the influence of political bias within the newsroom.