Tanya Simon, the daughter of the late 60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon, has been executive-producing the newsmagazine present on an interim foundation since Invoice Owens’ surprising resignation. The present crop of 60 Minutes correspondents have been lobbying Paramount World to make it official.
On Friday, Oliver Darcy’s Standing e-newsletter reported that Lesley Stahl, Scott Pelley, Invoice Whitaker, Anderson Cooper, Sharyn Alfonsi, Jon Wertheim and Cecilia Vega — the entire gang of 60 Minutes correspondents — collectively wrote and signed a letter in Could urging Paramount co-CEO George Cheeks to formally title Simon because the present’s govt producer.
Owens resigned as 60 Minutes EP in April in protest of what he believed to be a dwindling potential to independently management the present’s editorial positions. In different phrases, Paramount company was getting in the way in which of their reporting. Owens’ boss Wendy McMahon resigned as head of CBS Information in Could, citing related causes as Owens.
Particularly, Owens and McMahon have taken subject with the way in which through which Paramount World and its controlling firm Nationwide Amusements Inc. (NAI) have dealt with a lawsuit by Donald Trump alleging 60 Minutes confirmed preferential remedy to his 2024 presidential-election opponent Kamala Harris.
Paramount is within the last throes of a merger with Skydance, which requires federal regulatory approval. Shari Redstone controls Paramount World — and thus has the ultimate vote on any M&A exercise — by way of her possession of NAI.
Tanya Simon started her profession at 60 Minutes 1999 as an affiliate producer. She is beloved internally, not solely due to the familial connection, however due to the respect she has earned over her 25-plus years on the newsmagazine.
One staffer advised the Standing, “The following E.P. must be Tanya. There might be a revolt if it’s not her.”
Internally at 60 Minutes, staffers are already starting to worry in regards to the present’s future below the brand new possession, particularly whether or not the independence from the remainder of CBS Information that the present has traditionally loved will proceed, or if Skydance can have a heavier hand in directing the present’s construction. Standing reported earlier this week that Skydance chief David Ellison approached Bari Weiss to see if she was concerned about a job at CBS post-merger.
The Hollywood Reporter has not seen the reported letter; a spokesperson for 60 Minutes/CBS Information didn’t instantly reply to our request for remark. A separate spokesperson for Paramount World declined touch upon this story.
A spokesperson for Redstone didn’t instantly reply to our request for remark.