CBS News named Draggan Mihailovich as executive editor of “60 Minutes” on Thursday, TheWrap has learned.
Execuitve producer Tanya Simon shared the news, saying that the CBS News veteran and longtime “60 Minutes” producer is a “first-rate journalist and storyteller whose pieces have been among the most memorable to air on ’60 Minutes’ since he joined the broadcast nearly three decades ago.”
Mihailovich’s promotion comes as the long-running newsmagazine grapples with the leadership exodus seen ahead of Paramount’s $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump. In April, longtime EP Bill Owens resigned from his role. In a memo to staff, he said he felt he lost the ability to make independent decisions as the show’s parent company Paramount Global faced the $20 billion defamation lawsuit from Trump. Wendy McMahon, president and CEO of CBS News, also resigned a month later.
“This is the honor of my career,” Mihailovich said of Thursday’s promotion. “I’ve had the privilege to work with many legends inside ’60 Minutes’ and it means a great deal to me to help usher in a new era of the broadcast under Tanya.”
Mihailovich upped to “60 Minutes” leadership after 27 years as a “60 Minutes” and “60 Minutes II” producer — and worked across news reports, profiles and investigations that earned him seven Emmys and three Edward R. Murrow Awards. His “60 Minutes” tenure began in 1998 working with correspondents Steve Kroft and Bob Simon and has more recently produced for Jon Wertheim and Sharyn Alfonsi over the last decade.
“Whether he’s producing investigations, features or profiles of legendary athletes, he thinks big and has the highest standards,” Simon said Thursday. “I can’t think of a better partner.”
Simon, who was most recently the interim EP for “60 Minutes,” has served as its executive producer since late July following Owens’ exit. As only the fourth EP in the 57-year history of the news program, she is the first woman in the role.
