AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTYou have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.CBS News Names an Outsider, Nick Bilton, to Lead ‘60 Minutes’Mr. Bilton, a documentarian and former New York Times columnist, said he would bring new voices to the show, which he said was the most important news program in America.Listen · 6:43 min Nick Bilton is a filmmaker and former New York Times columnist.Credit...Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty ImagesMay 28, 2026, 12:01 p.m. ETBari Weiss, the editor in chief of CBS News, signaled a new direction for the nation’s top news program on Thursday, replacing the executive producer of “60 Minutes” with Nick Bilton, a longtime tech journalist and documentarian who has never worked in traditional broadcast news.Mr. Bilton, 49, is a former New York Times technology columnist and a filmmaker who has directed and produced documentaries on business and technology for HBO and Netflix. He is only the fifth executive producer of the program, which was started nearly 60 years ago by the legendary producer Don Hewitt.He is replacing Tanya Simon, who was appointed last year after spending more than 30 years at the program. The choice of Mr. Bilton is one of the biggest moves yet from Ms. Weiss, who has made big changes at the news division since being appointed last year by the tech scion David Ellison. She has named Tony Dokoupil to helm “CBS Evening News,” hired new on-air contributors and personally booked big guests for interviews, a departure from the industry norm.Mr. Bilton’s appointment is by far the biggest gamble of Ms. Weiss’s tenure. “60 Minutes,” which remains appointment viewing for millions every Sunday night, is the top rated weekly newsmagazine show on television, and its viewership this season rose 9 percent from the year prior, according to Nielsen.Ms. Weiss’s handling of “60 Minutes” has led to internal turmoil. Last year, she held a story on a Salvadoran prison for further reporting shortly before it was set to air. It eventually ran with additional comments from the Trump administration appended. This week, the correspondent who reported the segment, Sharyn Alfonsi, told The Times that CBS was no longer separating editorial independence from corporate interests.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT