"He did it for us" — “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley says “no one here is happy” about show’s executive producer Bill Owens' exit

Almost a week after Bill Owens’ departure as executive producer, the 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley voiced his and his colleagues’ opinions on-air.

The longtime reporter for the CBS News magazine broadcast presented “a note on Bill Owens” during the last-minute segment, lauding his former boss and criticizing Paramount for his exit. Pelley started by commending the former executive producer for his contributions. He mentioned how Owens spent almost four decades at CBS and devoted 26 years of his tenure to 60 Minutes. Scott added,

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“He [Bill Owens] covered the world, covered combat, [and] the White House. His was a quest to open minds not close them. If you've ever worked hard for a boss because you admired him then you understand what we've enjoyed here.”

Highlighting Bill Owens’ abrupt exit, Scott Pelley said,

“It was hard on him and hard on us, but he did it for us and you.”

The veteran journalist mentioned about 60 Minutes covering “controversial” stories over its 57-season-long run, with the “Israel-Gaza war” and the “Trump Administration” being the recent ones. Scott Pelley asserted that Bill ensured that the reporting was “accurate and fair.” The 60 Minutes correspondent briefly spoke about the reason why Owens resigned,

“Our parent company Paramount is trying to complete a merger. The Trump administration must approve it. Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways.”

Scott Pelley proclaimed that while Paramount didn’t block any stories, Bill Owens “felt he lost the independence” required for honest journalism. The 67-year-old newsman added,

“No one here is happy about it [Owens’ resignation], but in resigning Bill proved one thing – He was the right person to lead 60 Minutes, all along.”

Bill Owens stepped down as 60 Minutes’ executive producer, citing editorial independence

Amidst the reported increase in scrutiny from Paramount, the executive producer for the CBS News magazine broadcast resigned last week, on April 22, 2025. Bill Owens notified the 60 Minutes team with a memo obtained by The New York Times. In the note, he mentioned being unable to run the show for the past few months, as he had always run,

“Over the past months, it has also 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.”

In the memo, Bill Owens spoke about defending 60 Minutes with everything before he chose to step down,

“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.”

A week before Owens’ resignation, Donald Trump lambasted 60 Minutes for its two stories about him. The 45th and 47th US President called out the show, accusing it of using his name in a “defamatory” and “derogatory” manner, and wrote on Truth Social,

“They did not one, but TWO, major stories on “TRUMP,” one having to do with Ukraine, which I say is a War that would never have happened if the 2020 Election had not been RIGGED, in other words, if I were President and, the other story was having to do with Greenland, casting our Country, as led by me, falsely, inaccurately, and fraudulently.”

Trump mentioned “being honored” to sue 60 Minutes, CBS News, and Paramount. The lawsuit he was referring to is a $20 billion case he filed last year against the network and its parent company. In the suit, Trump alleged that 60 Minutes edited a Kamala interview to change the public perception during the presidential race.

According to the NYT, Paramount and Trump agreed to enter mediation earlier this month amidst the former’s ongoing $8 billion merger with Skydance Media. The proposed merger agreement requires approval from the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and has been extended until July 7, 2025.

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