New York, New York – Nick Bilton, the new executive producer of 60 Minutes, reportedly walked out of a recent meeting after veteran anchor Scott Pelley challenged him and the higher-ups at CBS News.
According to The New York Post, Bilton held a Monday morning meet-and-greet with the show’s staff following the announcement that CBS News head Bari Weiss had tapped him to be executive producer.
But sources say things quickly went awry after Pelley spoke out, slamming Weiss – who was not at the meeting – for having “no qualifications for her job” and accusing her of “murdering” the show.
Bilton tried to squash rumors that he planned to turn the show into “60 one-minute episodes… like TikTok,” insisting it will remain the way it has been – “for now.”
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Pelley then challenged Bilton to atone for the sweeping changes Weiss has made since landing her role last October, which has included firing multiple longtime journalists.
He also reportedly attacked Bilton’s “slender” qualifications and told him he would “never be welcome here.”
After about 15 minutes, Bilton abruptly ended the meeting, telling the room, “Enjoy the bagels.”
A source claimed, “The room erupted into applause and Nick definitely heard it.”
Tensions at CBS come after parent company Paramount settled a lawsuit with President Donald Trump over claims that the network maliciously edited a 60 Minutes segment during the 2024 presidential election.
CBS News has since taken drastic measures to revamp itself in what many critics have argued appears to be a more conservative image.
Last year, Pelley gave a commencement speech at Wake Forest University, during which he lamented that journalism, free speech, and universities are under attack, warning that “Power can rewrite history, with grotesque, false narratives.”
