’60 Minutes’ EP Bill Owens Quits, Says He Lost Ability to Make Independent Decisions

Bill Owens is resigning from his role as executive producer of CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” telling staff in a memo that he lost the ability to make independent decisions as the network and parent company Paramount Global are facing a $20 billion lawsuit from President Donald Trump.

“My 60 Minutes priorities have always been clear. Maybe not smart, but clear. Over the past months, it has also become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it,” Owens wrote in a Tuesday memo to staff. “To make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience. So, having defended this show- and what we stand for – from every angle, over time with everything I could,  I am stepping aside so the show can move forward.  The show is too important to the country, it has to continue, just not with me as the Executive Producer.”

While Owens is stepping aside, he emphasized that “60 Minutes” would continue to cover the Trump administration and future administrations, report from war zones, investigate injustices and continue to educate its audience.

“In short, 60 Minutes will do what it has done for 57 years,” his memo continued. “Wendy McMahon has always had our back, and she agrees that 60 Minutes needs to be run by a 60 Minute producer. Tanya has been an amazing partner, as have Claudia and Debbie, Matt Richman and Matt Polevoy. I am grateful to all of them.”

Owens has worked at CBS News for 37 years, 24 of which were spent at “60 Minutes.” He took over as executive producer of “60 Minutes” in February 2019 after 12 years serving as a senior producer and executive editor on the show. Prior to those senior roles, he was a senior broadcast producer for the show and “CBS Evening News,” co-executive produced 60 Minutes Sports and launched 60MinutesOvertime.com.

During his tenure at the Sunday news program, he helmed interviews with Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump, Pope Francis, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, and Fed Chair Jerome Powell. He also oversaw investigations including the show’s five-year report on Havana Syndrome that revealed, for the first time, that Russia could be behind potential attacks on American government officials; a year-long investigation into the looting of Cambodian antiquities that have ended up in American museums, including the Met; and a look into Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims that Dominion Voting Systems rigged the 2020 presidential election. He also steered the show through the COVID-19 pandemic, the impeachments of former President Donald Trump, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war and more.  

Owens first joined “60 Minutes” in 2003, working as a producer for Scott Pelley on segments including coverage of Hurricane Katrina, the genocide in Sudan, climate change and a memorable profile of controversial NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski. Before that, the Pelley-Owens team produced segments for 60 Minutes II, highlighted by an hour-long interview with President George W. Bush on the first anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The team also covered the American invasion of Iraq as a unilateral correspondent-producer team on the ground, contributing news-making reports to all CBS News programs.

His other roles at the network have included a senior White House producer, an anchor producer for Paula Zahn and Harry Smith when they anchored “CBS This Morning,” New York broadcast coordinating producer, national desk assignment editor and a field producer and desk assistant for CBS News and for WCBS-TV.

“I have been shot at and threatened with jail for protecting a source. I have overseen more than 600 stories as Executive Producer of 60.  I know who I am and what I have done to cover the most important stories of our time under difficult conditions,” his memo concluded. “I am also proud to have hired the next generation of correspondents and to call Lesley, Bill, Anderson, Sharyn, Jon, Cecilia and Scott friends. Scott one of my closest. Thank you all, remain focused on the moment, our audience deserves it.”

In her own memo to staff, McMahon praised Owens for leading the news program with “unwavering integrity, curiosity, and a deep commitment to the truth.”

“He has championed the kind of journalism that informs, enlightens, and often changes the national conversation. His dedication to finding and nurturing talent will be felt across CBS News for years.” she said. “Working with Bill has been one of the great privileges of my career. Standing behind what he stood for was an easy decision for me, and I never took for granted that he did the same for me.

She also pledged that CBS News leadership remains committed to “60 Minutes” and ensuring its mission and work remain a priority.

“We have already begun conversations with correspondents and senior leaders, and those will continue in the days and weeks ahead,” she said.

Trump has accused “60 Minutes” of deceptively editing the answers of an Oct. 7 interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris to make her look good. In addition to the lawsuit, the president has called for CBS New’s broadcast license to be revoked over the interview. CBS has filed a motion to dismiss the suit, and Paramount has since entered into talks with Trump about a potential settlement.

For its part, CBS has denied any wrongdoing and publicly submitted the complete transcripts for the interview in question to the FCC. They’ve further noted that American law makes it “clear that consumers cannot exercise control over editing decisions by news organizations.”

The lawsuit also coincides with the FCC’s ongoing review of Paramount’s pending $8 billion merger with Skydance Media due to a required transfer of broadcast licenses.

The closing deadline for the deal was recently extended to July 6 as part of an automatic 90-day extension. If the deal is not closed by July 6, the deadline will be automatically pushed another 90 days to Oct. 4. After that, if the deal is still not closed, or if a regulator blocks the merger or one of the parties involved breaches the terms of the agreement, then Skydance and Paramount will have the option of terminating the deal. Exercising that option would leave Paramount on the hook to pay Skydance a $400 million breakup fee. 

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