‘60 Minutes’ producer Bill Owens quits under pressure from Trump’s CBS lawsuit
“60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens abruptly quit on Tuesday, citing a loss of journalistic independence as CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global, looks to settle a lawsuit from President Trump.
“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 wrote in a memo to staff that was obtained by The Post.
He added: “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.”
Inside the halls of CBS, there are whispers that Lesley Stahl, who has reported for “60 Minutes” since 1991,” also could likely step down and finally retire.
Stahl, 83, had been at the center of Trump’s ire after she interviewed him in 2020 and claimed that the Hunter Biden Laptop story could not be verified. Trump has called for Stahl and the program to apologize, but his requests were ignored.
“People are terrified and the fact that Bill Owens is out means nobody is safe,” the insider said. “I think he jumped before he was fired.”
Owens, 57, is expected to work through the end of the current “60 Minutes” season, which is slated for May 18.
CBS News president Wendy McMahon told staff that Tanya Simon, executive editor and daughter of the late “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Simon, will take over on an interim basis after Owens exits.
CBS insiders have speculated for months that Owens, who is just the third person to helm the iconic Sunday evening news magazine in its 57-year history, could be on the hot seat.
The Post previously reported that Paramount controlling shareholder Shari Redstone, who is involved in settlement talks between Trump and her company, had been vocal about wanting Owens out.
A “livid” Redstone, whose family stands to pocket about $1.75 billion if the $8 billion merger with Skydance Media goes through, allegedly pressed McMahon to fire Owens for airing of a one-sided January report on the Gaza War.
Trump, meanwhile, has filed a $20 billion lawsuit accusing the program of “unlawful and illegal behavior” for what he claims was deceptive editing of a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris last October.
He has demanded a retraction and even suggested CBS’s broadcast license be revoked.
“This is Trump settling scores,” a CBS insider told The Post. “He got his head.”
“He was pushed out,” the person speculated, recalling that Owens had defiantly told staffers: “I will not apologize.”
CBS on Tuesday settled a lawsuit about the “SEAL Team” showrunner.
Earlier this month, Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission, has pledged to fast-track an investigation into CBS over alleged political bias. Last month, Carr rejected a bid by CBS to dismiss the complaint against the network.
Carr did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A CBS insider said that while Owens’ exit is loss for the network, he hasn’t had any wins in recent years.
Owens also will give up his role overseeing “CBS Evening News,” which one insider claimed he has “run into the ground” since it replaced anchor Norah O’Donnell and relaunched the show with co-hosts Jeff Dickerson and Maurice DuBois.
The show, which relaunched in January, debuted with 5.2 million total viewers, but in recent weeks its viewership has dipped to the 3.7 million-range.
“Owens’ version of “CBS Evening News has failed” and “60 Minutes has become the headquarters of book and movie launches,” the insider said. “It is not the home of the investigative journalism of Mike Wallace anymore.”
The person said that the program has also become a “mouthpiece” for the left.
“Every allegation of bias only tilts one way and it’s always in the favor of the Democrats,” the source added.
The president has taken aim at the Tiffany Network — accusing it of putting a thumb on the scale for his vanquished opponent, Harris.
“CBS is out of control, at levels never seen before, and they should pay a big price for this,” Trump wrote on April 13 in a social media post.
“Maybe Trump wanted a scalp but he needs more than Owens to reset the CBS bias problem,” a second CBS insider said.
It is also unclear if Trump made any demands as part of the legal settlement that Owens would step down. Owens had previously refused to issue an apology as part of any potential settlement.
“President Trump is committed to holding those who traffic in fake news, hoaxes, and lies to account. CBS and Paramount committed the worst kind of election interference and fraud in the closing days of the most important presidential election in history,” said his attorney Ed Paltzik.
“That the 60 Minutes boss resigned the same week as CBS settled a major discrimination claim is even further proof of their reckless disregard for truth and the law. President Trump will pursue this vital matter to its just and rightful conclusion.”
Owens began his career at CBS as a summer intern in 1988 and took over as executive producer of “60 Minutes” in 2019.
He remained steadfast in his final note to staff.
“‘60 Minutes’ will continue to cover the new administration, as we will report on future administrations,” he wrote.
“The show is too important to the country. It has to continue, just not with me as the executive producer.”
McMahon praised Owens in a separate memo.
“Standing behind what he stood for was an easy decision for me, and I never took for granted that he did the same for me,” she wrote.
She reaffirmed the network’s commitment to the show’s mission, stating that ensuring its integrity remains a top priority.
