CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and newly-appointed "60 Minutes" executive producer Nick Bilton made multiple overtures to the show's veteran correspondent Scott Pelley before the tense showdown he had with the incoming boss, Fox News Digital has learned.Weiss sent shockwaves across the media landscape on Thursday with the ousting of "60 Minutes" correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega as well as executive producer Tanya Simon among others, marking an editorial shift in the long-running newsmagazine program with Weiss handpicking an outsider to lead its path forward.Prior to Monday's staff meeting, where Pelley had a contentious exchange with Bilton about the dismissals, both Weiss and Bilton had reached out to Pelley expressing their desire to have him remain a "60 Minutes" correspondent and that he hadn't engaged with them before the war of words unfolded, according to a source familiar with CBS News leadership.However, it is unclear whether Weiss and Bilton still hold that sentiment towards Pelley, particularly after he lashed out at his bosses in front of the staff.SCOTT PELLEY HAS HEATED CONFRONTATION WITH NEW ‘60 MINUTES’ BOSS, ACCUSES BARI WEISS OF ‘MURDERING' SHOWA source tells Fox News Digital that CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and new "60 Minutes" executive producer Nick Bilton told longtime "60 Minutes" correspondent Scott Pelley to remain on the program before he lashed out at his bosses at a staff meeting.(Michele Crowe/CBS News 2025; Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)Fox News Digital reached out to Pelley and CBS News for comment.Pelley has had a history of being vocally critical of CBS leadership.
In April 2025, he took aim at the network's parent company, Paramount, following the resignation of "60 Minutes" executive producer Bill Owens, who claimed he had no longer had editorial independence as the company was engaged in mediation talks with President Donald Trump's legal team to settle a lawsuit he filed in 2024.CBS...