Scott Pelley thanks fans for support after ’60 Minutes’ shooting
Unemployment is looking good for former “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley, who took to Instagram on Saturday to thank his fans for their support after the show’s new executive producer, Nick Bilton, fired him following an explosive confrontation.
“To all of you who have been so kind, you are the wind in my sails. So deeply grateful,” Pelley wrote, along with a photo of him looking elated at the helm of his sailboat.
Pelley, a respected veteran of “60 Minutes,” was fired from the news magazine after lashing out at Bilton during a May 25 staff meeting. He reportedly told the former NYT technology columnist that he had “slight qualifications” to steer the ship on “60 Minutes.” Bilton was put in charge by CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, who accused Pelley of “killing” the show at the same meeting.
Shortly after reports of the feud became public, Bilton released a letter revealing that Pelley and CBS leadership failed to find common ground and Pelley was fired from “60 Minutes.”
“Your antipathy towards the future of the show has come through loud and clear,” Bilton wrote. “And I have heard you. I am therefore writing to inform you on behalf of CBS News that your employment with CBS will be terminated with immediate effect.”
Hours later, Pelley fired back with his own letter: “For my part, new management has instructed me to inject falsehoods and biases into a politically sensitive story. I have been told to include claims that have not been verified. So far, in every case, I have managed to ignore or refuse these instructions. Recently, politicians have been invited to choose correspondents for on-air interviews. Giving politicians control over 60 Minutes interviews is not the way this is done.”
Bilton was assigned to helm the show following an announcement from Weiss, who fired longtime executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi. “60 Minutes” has been under intense scrutiny since Paramount-Skydance CEO David Ellison named Weiss as top executive at CBS News. Some have accused Weiss of trying to infect one of the most respected brands in news with political bias.
