Scott Pelley was one of the longest-running correspondents on CBS’s 60 Minutes, having been with the show for over 20 years. However, in June 2026, his time on the program and network came to an end after he was fired, ending a 37-year career with CBS News.
However, there is much more to the story of Pelley’s firing. Below, we take a closer look at the events that led to his termination, including the executive reshuffling at CBS, the confrontation with CBS News management, and allegations Pelley has since made.
Fired for cause after a staff meeting confrontation
Scott Pelley was fired on June 2, 2026, following a heated clash with CBS News management during a staff meeting.
At the staff meeting, Pelley publicly confronted 60 Minutes’ newly appointed executive producer, Nick Bilton, accusing him of being unqualified. Bilton is a former tech reporter and filmmaker, and had no broadcast TV experience before being appointed to the role.
Pelley also took a shot at CBS’s News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, accusing her of “murdering 60 Minutes.”
CBS News management reportedly attempted negotiations with Scott Pelley, which were unsuccessful, resulting in the termination of his contract.
In a letter informing him (Pelley) of his firing, Bilton accused him of “hostility and incivility.”
“Yesterday, you hijacked my first meeting with staff to disparage me, my qualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt,” read part of the letter.
“Yesterday’s performative display of hostility—enacted in front of the staff instead of in a civil, private conversation—demonstrated you have no interest in contributing to the future success of the show.”
Scott Pelley’s allegations of forced political bias
Following his firing, Pelley released a statement thanking CBS News staff who supported him. He also called out the management for a series of actions, which he claimed had ruined 60 Minutes.
Among the issues Pelley mentioned was the firing of 60 Minutes’ senior leadership and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega. The terminations, he claimed, had eroded the show’s DNA.
He also claimed CBS News’ new management had instructed him to “inject falsehoods and bias in a politically sensitive story.”
Other CBS 60 Minutes journalists and staff who have left the show
60 Minutes has experienced upheaval in the last few months, with several journalists and staff members quitting or being fired.
In May 2026, Bari Weiss fired the show’s producer, Tanya Simon and correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi.
Before being fired, Alfonsi had clashed with Weiss, accusing her of pulling a 60 Minutes segment that investigated abuses at an El Salvador detention center where the Trump administration had deported migrants.
Likewise, after Vega was fired, she released a statement accusing CBS News management of censorship. In the statement, she claimed she and her production team had been pressured to “insert political bias” in their stories.
Correspondent Anderson Cooper also left the show in May 2026 for CNN, citing concerns with CBS News’ direction. Additionally, former executive producer Bill Owens quit in April 2025, citing loss of journalistic independence.