Veteran journalist Scott Pelley, one of the faces of the iconic news program “60 Minutes,” was fired from the program Tuesday, according to a publicized letter from CBS.
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Pelley is a decades-long CBS News veteran and former anchor of the CBS Evening News. His firing comes amid a broader upheaval at “60 Minutes” after CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, appointed by David Ellison, the tech scion who took control of CBS parent company Paramount in a multibillion-dollar merger, dismissed top producers and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega in what colleagues called “Black Thursday.”
“Your antipathy to the future of the show has come through loud and clear,” Nick Bilton, the executive producer of “60 Minutes,” wrote in a termination letter to Pelley. Journalist Dylan Byers shared the letter on X.
“I have heard you, and I therefore write on behalf of CBS News, Inc. (“CBS”) to inform you that your employment with CBS is terminated for cause effective immediately,” Bilton wrote.
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Pelley reportedly erupted at Weiss during a heated meeting and told her she was “murdering 60 Minutes” after she fired Alfonsi and others. He also reportedly raked Bilton over the coals.
“You hijacked my first meeting with staff to disparage me,” Bilton wrote, saying Pelley “chose to ambush” him.
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