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Correspondents at “60 Minutes” are pressuring CBS News parent Paramount Global to hand the reins of the iconic show to a longtime insider — or risk a revolt from the tight-knit newsroom, according to a report.
All seven of the current correspondents at “60 Minutes” — Lesley Stahl, Scott Pelley, Bill Whitaker, Anderson Cooper, Sharyn Alfonsi, Jon Wertheim and Cecilia Vega — signed a letter last month urging Paramount co-CEO George Cheeks to officially name Tanya Simon as the show’s executive producer, the Status newsletter reported on Friday.
Simon — the daughter of late “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Simon who has been serving as interim executive producer since April — is widely seen by staff as the natural successor to Bill Owens, who resigned this spring over what he described as editorial meddling by the network’s parent company.
Weeks after Owens stepped down in April, the president and CEO of the news division, Wendy McMahon, also announced she was resigning, stating: “It’s become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward.”
Simon, whose history with the show runs deep, joined the program in 1999 as an associate producer and has steadily risen through the ranks over the past 26 years, earning the trust and admiration of the veteran reporting team, according to the Status report.
“The next EP has to be Tanya,” one staffer told Status. “There will be a revolt if it’s not her.”
Despite the internal show of solidarity, the correspondents’ appeal reportedly appears to have hit a wall. Weeks after the letter was sent, Cheeks has not responded, and it’s unclear whether CBS News president Tom Cibrowski — who stepped into the role earlier this year — has the authority to make the decision without his boss’s blessing, Status reported.
That decision may ultimately rest with Shari Redstone, the Paramount chairwoman and controlling shareholder, who has reportedly taken issue with the show’s coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict and President Donald Trump.
A spokesperson for Paramount Global declined to comment.
Trump has filed a $20 billion lawsuit against CBS News and Paramount Global, alleging the deceptive editing of a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris misled voters and harmed his media ventures.
CBS has denied wrongdoing, citing First Amendment protections, while settlement talks have included a $20 million mediator proposal and a $15 million offer from Paramount, which Trump rejected.
The lawsuit — still active in Texas federal court — could complicate Paramount’s pending $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media.
In light of these developments, insiders speculated to Status that Redstone may not be eager to promote someone so closely associated with the current editorial team such as Simon to the top post at “60 Minutes.”
More likely, though, is that the executive suite is simply waiting.
With Paramount’s merger with David Ellison’s Skydance Media expected to close soon, company leaders may be delaying any major personnel moves until the dust settles — particularly one involving “60 Minutes,” long considered the crown jewel of CBS News.
But that wait-and-see approach is fueling anxiety inside the program, Status reported.
Some at “60 Minutes” fear that Ellison, who is expected to reshape the news division with his own editorial vision, could look outside the storied broadcast for fresh leadership — bypassing Simon and disregarding the decades of institutional knowledge she represents, according to the report.
Ellison has already raised eyebrows by reportedly reaching out to former New York Times editor Bari Weiss, offering a hint of his ideological leanings.
Weiss, who gained notoriety after leaving the Times and launching her own platform, has become a major figure in conservative and anti-establishment media circles.
She frequently criticizes legacy outlets — including CBS — as captured by a progressive elite.
That Ellison would consider bringing her into the fold suggests a willingness to challenge institutional norms and possibly reorient CBS News toward a more ideologically diverse, or even right-leaning, editorial direction.
If he chooses to overhaul “60 Minutes” — or install an executive producer who isn’t trusted by the core team — the fallout could be significant.
Veteran correspondents like Stahl and Pelley are said to be weighing whether to stick around for another season, according to Status.
“If Simon is appointed,” one source said, “they may be persuaded to stay.”
But if the job goes to an outsider, “their exits would appear far more likely.”
The Post has sought comment from CBS News, Redstone, Ellison and Weiss.
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