The future of “60 Minutes” could well hinge on two people with deep ties to CBS News’ past.
Many staffers and producers at the beleaguered newsmagazine are left wondering whether Lesley Stahl and Bill Whitaker, two CBS News veterans who have been with the news division now controlled by Paramount Skydance since 1971 and 1984, respectively, will stay with the show in the wake of a series of stunning ousters of its top ranks over the past week. Their decisions could play a big role in whether the program will be entirely hallowed out or have some ties to the elements that have brought viewers in for years.
The decision is an emotional one, says one person familiar with the business of CBS News: “I think they feel like if they leave, there’s nothing left of ’60.’”
There is certainly less. On Tuesday night, Scott Pelley, one of the program’s most recognizable correspondents, was ousted by Nick Bilton, installed last week as the show’s new executive editor by Bari Weiss, the CBS News Editor in Chief who is intent on overhauling the series. Bilton was outraged that Pelley questioned his credentials at a Monday meeting of the show’s staff, and angry that the correspondent would not take his calls or meet him in advance of that event. Bilton and Weiss felt Pelley had created an unsustainable working environment.
