Nick Bilton hired television production consultant Kelly Funke to help his transition to lead the “60 Minutes” newsroom, and did so before the firings and turmoil that have roiled the CBS show, TheWrap has confirmed.
Funke, a TV consultant with more than a decade of experience, has been accompanying Bilton during his first days leading the CBS program and helping organize meetings with staff, producers and assistants, Reuters first reported on Wednesday. A staffer described her role as helping to fix trust issues between management and employees by learning how “60 Minutes” works operationally from top to bottom.
“Kelly Funke is excellent,” a CBS News spokesman told TheWrap. “She is supporting Nick in an operational capacity – not as a journalist or editorial consultant.”
Her hiring had not previously been reported. Reuters said Funke is working under a 90-day contract with an option to renew.
The move comes as “60 Minutes” grapples with one of the most dramatic leadership transitions in its history. Bilton, a former tech columnist and documentary filmmaker, became the first “60” chief to come from outside traditional TV journalism. He came to CBS after Weiss was installed to oversee the news division following David Ellison’s acquisition of Paramount through Skydance Media.
The management overhaul accelerated in recent weeks. On May 28, CBS dismissed executive producer Tanya Simon, longtime producer Draggan Mihailovich and correspondent Cecilia Vega. A day earlier, the network declined to renew correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi’s contract. CBS has not publicly explained the personnel decisions, citing legal and personnel considerations.
Tensions reached a breaking point during Bilton’s first staff meeting on June 1, Reuters reported. According to one employee who attended, veteran correspondent Scott Pelley directly challenged the new executive. Pelley was subsequently fired after criticizing network leadership during the meeting and accusing Weiss of “murdering” the program.
Bilton has sought to reassure employees that “60 Minutes” will retain its editorial independence, and Ellison reportedly delivered a similar message directly to veteran correspondent Lesley Stahl during a private conversation.
Bilton has also brought in another associate, 24-year-old Nick De Lucca, who has been given the title of operations manager. According to Reuters, De Lucca previously worked as an associate producer at Bilton’s production company and has described himself to staff as “Nick 2.0.”
“60 Minutes” finished its most recent season as the nation’s top-rated television news program, increasing its audience by 9% from the previous year, according to Nielsen data.
