CBS fires veteran journalist Scott Pelley after clash with new '60 Minutes' management

CBS News on Tuesday terminated its working relationship with veteran "60 Minutes" correspondent Scott Pelley after a heated dispute with the program's new management, led by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and newly appointed executive producer Nick Bilton. The firing came a day after Pelley openly challenged management during a staff meeting, criticizing CBS's direction and questioning the credentials of its new leadership.

In a message sent to Pelley on Tuesday night, Bilton claimed that efforts to resolve the conflict had failed. "Despite yesterday’s misconduct, I had hoped that in sitting down with you today we could find a path forward together. You made clear that you are not interested in such a path. Your antipathy to the future of the show has come through loud and clear. And I have heard you," Bilton wrote, concluding by informing Pelley that "your employment with CBS is terminated for cause effective immediately."

A tense meeting

As several media outlets indicated, tensions reached a boiling point during a companywide meeting on Monday, when Pelley sharply criticized Bilton and Weiss. Among his criticisms, Pelley accused Weiss of trying to "kill" the prestigious news program and questioned his decision to place Bilton at the helm of "60 Minutes," noting that Bilton is a technology expert with little TV news experience. Pelley also reportedly described both Weiss and Bilton as unfit for their positions and stated that Bilton "would never be welcome here." 

According to several media outlets privy to internal details of the incident, Pelley had refused several requests from Weiss and Bilton to meet privately before the meeting to discuss a major restructuring announced last week, which included the firing of senior producers and two correspondents. Bilton was named executive producer as part of those changes during a meeting that included Weiss, Bilton, CBS News president Tom Cibrowski and a human resources representative. The conversation ended with no clear agreement on how to move forward.

Reactions within CBS reportedly were deeply divided, with some employees believing Pelley was deliberately defying management to provoke his firing him and arguing that his behavior was overly aggressive. His supporters, however, argued that he was standing up for his colleagues and protecting the legacy of "60 Minutes."