After remaking “CBS Evening News” and shuttering CBS News Radio, Bari Weiss reportedly has her sights set on “60 Minutes” once it wraps up its 58th season next month.
Weiss, who was appointed editor-in-chief in October, is said to be planning a post-season makeover of the storied newsmagazine, which is often the top-rated weekly primetime broadcast outside of sports. More layoffs are expected in June, according to the New York Post, following the network’s decision to lay off 6% of its staff last month. Correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Scott Pelley, whose contracts are up this year and next, respectively, could be out in the shake-up.
Weiss is said to want to focus the show more on scoops and investigative reporting and less on “soft programming” to boost relevance, sources told the Post. The network expanded its investigative unit last week with hires from the Washington Post and the Free Press, and Weiss told network staffers in a January town hall she envisioned a future where an investigative story could be repurposed for segments on “Evening News” and “60 Minutes.”
“60 Minutes is a powerhouse program, and the probing, serious high-quality journalism that is its hallmark is vital to CBS News,” a CBS News spokesperson told TheWrap. “We’re immensely excited about its future.”
Beyond correspondent moves, CBS News could part ways with with executive producer Tanya Simon, according to Variety. Simon, a “60 Minutes” veteran who has worked as a producer and an editor, stepped into the role after Bill Owens left “60 Minutes” as the network sought to settle a $10 billion lawsuit that Donald Trump brought over a Kamala Harris interview.
Simon has a multi-year agreement with CBS News, but she struck a one-year executive producer deal as executives worked to sell CBS News’ parent company, Paramount, to David Ellison’s Skydance.
Weiss has considered overhauling “60 Minutes” for months, per Status, which reported on Monday that Weiss wanted to make changes mid-season for the top-rated show, though she was talked out of tampering with the broadcast before the season ended by network president Tom Cibrowski. Status also noted Weiss is expected to make moves after the current season ends, while noting that she has “warmed” to Pelley.
Weiss, an opinion journalist who had no broadcast TV experience before she took over the network last year, rankled staff in December. She abruptly held a “60 Minutes” story on the Trump administration’s decision to send migrants to an El Salvadorian megaprison hours before it aired. Alfonsi accused Weiss of making a “political” decision in light of Paramount’s push to have the Trump administration approve its purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, though Weiss has said she held the piece to try and get more administration voices.
The segment ultimately aired virtually unchanged in January, and Weiss acknowledged to network staffers in the town hall that month that she made a mistake in pulling the segment hours before it was set to air, admitting she was “green” when it comes to scheduling.
The network also reportedly delayed a segment anchored by Anderson Cooper, the CNN host and longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent, over Weiss’ extensive feedback on the package ahead of its review by network lawyers. While the segment, which focused on South African farmers whom President Donald Trump has claimed are victims of white genocide, aired in February, Cooper said that month he would leave the show after this season concludes.
Cooper attributed the decision to a desire to spend more time with his children, though Status reported Weiss’ management of CBS News frustrated him and led him to decline her offer of an expanded role and more money at the network. Instead, the outlet reported, CBS News correspondent and “60 Minutes” contributor Norah O’Donnell is being eyed for an expanded role on the program.
Sunday’s “60 Minutes” episode averaged 10.3 million viewers, serving as the No. 1 primetime broadcast for last week.
