US broadcaster CBS fires 60 Minutes’s Scott Pelley after clash with bosses

Veteran journalist Scott Pelley has been fired from CBS's flagship news program "60 Minutes" following a reported clash with new management. The dismissal on Tuesday has intensified turmoil at the influential program, which recently underwent a leadership change.

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Yesterday, you hijacked my first meeting with staff to disparage me, my qualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt.

Pelley, 68, reportedly accused the program's new executive producer, Nick Bilton, of having "slender qualifications" and suggested that the new leadership was "murdering the show." These criticisms were voiced during a staff meeting on Monday, according to reports.

In a termination notice, Bilton accused Pelley of an "ambush" during the meeting, stating, "Yesterday, you hijacked my first meeting with staff to disparage me, my qualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt." Pelley, in turn, released a statement claiming "60 Minutes" had lost its "DNA" under new management and accused them of asking him to "inject falsehoods and bias" into his work.

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Now, the new owner of our network is casting this legend aside, apparently to curry a moment of favor with the Trump administration.

The shake-up at "60 Minutes" comes after Skydance Media, led by David Ellison, acquired CBS owner Paramount. The new ownership has aimed to ensure the network reflects "varied ideological perspectives" of American viewers. Pelley's departure is part of a larger exodus of staff in recent weeks, including correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, who had previously expressed criticism of management decisions.

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60 Minutes has lost its DNA under new management.