’60 Minutes’ Top Producer Resigns, Cites Loss Of ‘independent Decisions’: Report

[Karah Rucker]

C-B-S’ ‘60 MINUTES’ HAS ONLY SEEN THREE EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS IN ITS NEARLY 60 YEAR HISTORY.

NOW, THAT’S CHANGING.

THE TOP PRODUCER OF THE LONG-RUNNING SUNDAY NEWS PROGRAM, BILL OWENS, REVEALING IN AN INTERNAL MEMO OBTAINED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, HE’S RESIGNING, CITING THE INABILITY TO “MAKE INDEPENDENT DECISIONS.”

OWENS REPORTEDLY SAYS IN THE ALL STAFF MEMO, “OVER THE PAST MONTHS, IT HAS BECOME CLEAR THAT I WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO RUN THE SHOW AS I HAVE ALWAYS RUN IT, TO MAKE INDEPENDENT DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT WAS RIGHT FOR ‘60 MINUTES,’ RIGHT FOR THE AUDIENCE,” OWENS CONTINUED, “SO, HAVING DEFENDED THIS SHOW– AND WHAT WE STAND FOR– FROM EVERY ANGLE, OVER TIME WITH EVERYTHING I COULD, I AM STEPPING ASIDE SO THE SHOW CAN MOVE FORWARD.”

AS STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS REPORTED, ‘60 MINUTES’ IS FACING A LAWSUIT FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP, ACCUSING THE NETWORK OF DECEPTIVELY EDITING AN INTERVIEW WITH FORMER VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS DURING THE 2024 ELECTION BY SHORTENING HER ANSWER TO A QUESTION ON ISRAEL’S WAR AGAINST HAMAS. C-B-S CONTENDS THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION WAS SHORTENED DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS AND SAID THE FULL INTERVIEW WAS AVAILABLE ONLINE.

TRUMP MORE RECENTLY, PUSHED FOR C-B-S TO LOSE ITS BROADCAST LICENSE EARLIER THIS MONTH ON TRUTH SOCIAL, CITING AN INTERVIEW ON ‘60 MINUTES’ WITH UKRAININAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, SHOWING TRUMP COMMENDING RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN WHILE CRITICIZING ZELENSKKY. TRUMP ALSO TOOK ISSUE WITH A ‘60 MINUTES’ PIECE ON GREENLAND, HE SAYS SHOWED HIM IN A FALSE LIGHT.

OWENS PREVIOUSLY SAID HE WOULD NOT APOLOGIZE AS PART OF A POTENTIAL SETTLEMENT WITH TRUMP OVER THE LAWSUIT. PARAMOUNT, HOWEVER, IS REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING A DEAL AS ITS LEADING SHAREHOLDER SHARI REDSTONE SEEKS F-T-C APPROVAL FOR THE SALE OF HER COMPANY TO SKYDANCE.

ACCORDING TO THE TIMES, SETTLEMENT TALKS BETWEEN PARAMOUNT AND TRUMP ARE STILL UNDERWAY.

IN HIS FAREWELL MEMO, THE TIMES REPORTS, OWENS VOWS “‘60 MINUTES’ WILL CONTINUE TO COVER THE NEW ADMINISTRATION AS WE WILL FUTURE ADMINISTRATIONS.” OWENS ADDING, “THE SHOW IS TOO IMPORTANT TO THE COUNTRY. IT HAS TO CONTINUE, JUST NOT WITH ME AS THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER.”

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M KARAH RUCKER.