Former “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens has lined up his next venture, announcing Sunday he will join independent creator-led media company Newpress as executive producer in March 2027. The move comes in tandem with a $12 million investment round led by Emerson Collective and Glick Family Investments.
Owens, who departed the CBS newsmagazine last spring, will begin his new role March 1, 2027, working with Newpress co-founders Johnny and Iz Harris to develop shows and expand the company’s reporting and production operations.
The investment will fund Newpress’ expansion into new subjects and formats, the recruitment of journalists and creators and the development of new programming. The company, which currently reaches more than 15 million followers across its network, plans to launch two to four creator-led shows in the coming months, with technology, finance and economics among its initial areas of focus. Its longer-term goal is to build a network of 12 to 16 channels reaching 100 million followers across digital platforms.
Emerson Collective Managing Director of Media Peter Lattman will join Newpress’ board, as will Patrick Steel, the former CEO of Politico. Other investors in the round include Jesse Angelo, CEO of Checker Media; David Leavy, former chief operating officer of CNN Worldwide; and Brent Montgomery, CEO of Wheelhouse Entertainment. They join existing investor Mark Rober, the science educator and founder of CrunchLabs.
The investment marks Emerson Collective’s first media investment in the creator space.
Newpress builds shows around individual journalists, providing production, research, fact-checking and commercial support while allowing creators to develop their own storytelling approaches and audiences. The company owns the intellectual property behind its programming, with creators sharing in the financial upside once their shows become profitable.
Its current network includes Johnny Harris’ channel, which is preparing to launch the documentary series “The Human Element”; “The Bigger Picture,” featuring analysis from Max Fisher; “Search Party,” hosted by Sam Ellis; and “Tunnel Vision,” featuring internet and technology investigations from Christophe Haubursin.
