'60 Minutes' Producer Resigns Citing Editorial Pressure: 'I Would Not Be Allowed to Run the Show as I Have Always'

CBS News is dominating headlines on Tuesday following the resignation of "60 Minutes" executive producer Bill Owens. In a memo to staff, Owens said he could no longer lead the show due to restrictions on his editorial independence.

"Over the past months, it has become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it," said Owens, as reported by The New York Times. He added that "the show is too important to the country" and "has to continue, just not with me as the executive producer."

Owens' departure comes amid ongoing pressure from former President Donald Trump, who filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News back in October of last year, later amending it to $20 billion.

Trump alleges that a 2023 "60 Minutes" interview with Vice President Kamala Harris was deceptively edited to portray her in a more favorable light. The segment, which Trump declined to participate in, was part of the program's election coverage. CBS defended its editing as routine broadcast practice, stating that "'60 Minutes' is always guided by the truth and what we believe will be most informative to the viewing public."

Legal experts interviewed by the NYT have widely dismissed Trump's lawsuit as lacking merit. However, the case has become a sticking point in separate high-stakes negotiations: Paramount Global, CBS News' parent company, is seeking regulatory approval to merge with Skydance Media.

Shari Redstone, Paramount's chairwoman, has reportedly pushed for a settlement to remove legal obstacles to the merger. Multiple sources cited by the NYT say settlement discussions are ongoing, with Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., reportedly seeking $100 to $150 million as part of any deal.

The controversy has also prompted internal scrutiny as Redstone personally criticized a "60 Minutes" story on the Biden administration's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, and CBS subsequently appointed veteran producer Susan Zirinsky to oversee journalistic standards.

Trump's legal campaign against CBS is part of a broader offensive. In December, ABC News paid a $15 million settlement over inaccurate statements made by anchor George Stephanopoulos concerning Trump's civil liability in a defamation case involving E. Jean Carroll. The funds were directed toward Trump's planned presidential library. That case, now closed, avoided further depositions.

Owens, who had been with CBS since 1988 and led "60 Minutes" since 2019, concluded his memo by stating that the program would continue covering the current and future administrations, just "not with me at the helm."