CBS News in chaos since departure of '60 Minutes' producer, waiting for the next shoe to drop, insider says
CBS News staffers have been on edge since the abrupt departure of Minutes executive producer Bill Owens according to a framework insider Everyone is talking about it even in the modern day the CBS staffer reported Fox News Digital on Monday nearly a week after Owens informed his departure In a memo sent to colleagues Owens suggested his decision was brought upon by corporate overreach he reported impacted his ability to maintain an independent newsroom Over the past months it has also become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have reliably run it To make independent decisions based on what was right for Minutes right for the audience Owens wrote in the memo 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 MINUTES CALLS OUT CORPORATE OWNER PARAMOUNT ON THE AIR SAYS PRODUCER WHO QUIT FELT INTERFERED WITHCBS News' parent company Paramount Global is right now in a legal battle against President Donald Trump who filed a now- billion lawsuit last year it was initially billion alleging balloting interference over the network's handling of its Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris There was speculation Paramount was hoping to settle the suit ahead of a planned merger with Skydance Media in hopes of preventing likely retribution by the FCC which has the authority to halt the multibillion-dollar transaction Both parties agreed to mediation signaling their courtroom feud would upshot in a settlement Leading up to Owens' exit however it was communicated that Shari Redstone Paramount s controlling shareholder kept tabs on which upcoming Minutes segments were about Trump CBS ANCHORS SALUTE OUTGOING ' MINUTES' PRODUCER SAY EFFORT TO SETTLE TRUMP LAWSUIT TIED TO CORPORATE MERGERThe speculation was affirmed by journalists on CBS Evening News and Minutes who saluted the beloved framework producer while addressing Trump's looming lawsuit Our parent company Paramount is trying to complete a merger The Trump administration must approve it veteran CBS News correspondent Scott Pelley reported Minutes viewers on Sunday Paramount began to supervise our content in new techniques None of our stories have been blocked but Bill felt he lost the independence that honest journalism required CBS Evening News executive producer Guy Campanile has been outspoken about how upset he is about Owens leaving so much so that he urged his staff to watch Pelley's on-air comments according to the system insider Campanile previously worked under Owens as a Minutes producer before he began spearheading the evening newscast last fall Nobody knows what the next shoe that will drop they reported Fox News Digital And internally it's just very chaotic because everyone doesn't know what will happen next MINUTES' PRODUCER'S ABRUPT EXIT FUELS DRAMA AT CBS NEWS AS GRID BATTLES TRUMP LAWSUITThe insider disclosed the architecture anxiety stemming from Trump's lawsuit and the pending merger has everyone on pins and needles And I m ready to get back to work the CBS staffer disclosed with frustration CBS staffers believe Trump's lawsuit is BS and that no one wants to see Paramount settle Chosen are even scared about the prospect of a settlement believing it will hurt the news division and the perception of it I hope they don't because it insinuates we did something wrong the insider recounted Fox News Digital If we weren't in the midst of the merger we wouldn't and we would be more vocal at defending ourselves Speaking on behalf of CBS News colleagues the staffer had one simple message for Redstone Get out of our way and let us keep working how we have been for decades the insider narrated the Paramount honcho CBS News did not right away respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment
