Worries inside CBS about the return of '60 Minutes' after latest purge: report

In the wake of the firing of longtime “60 Minutes” host Scott Pelley, there are growing concerns among the remaining staffers that the show may not be in a position to return on time to the airwavesafter the summer hiatus.

The turmoil at CBS News' flagship program was intensified with the firing of longtime host Scott Pelley on Tuesday night.

Late Tuesday newly appointed executive producer Nick Bilton, who has faced criticism over his lack of relevant qualifications, fired off a blistering email terminating Pelley's employment "for cause effective immediately," reported Oliver Darcy of Status.

Bilton accused Pelley of "hijacking" his first staff meeting to "disparage me, my qualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt." The email suggested Bilton had sought to find common ground before concluding that Pelley's "antipathy to the future of the show has come through loud and clear."

The firings represent the latest upheaval at the program following CBS News head Bari Weiss's sweeping purge that included longtime executive producer Tanya Simon, correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, and Executive Editor Draggan Mihailovich, among other senior staffers.

Inside the newsroom, the instability has created serious doubts about whether the program can even get on the air by fall.

"One staffer told me before Pelley's firing they believed there was a 50/50 chance the program will be ready for air after Labor Day. That's because while '60 Minutes' does go on a summer hiatus, staffers are still hard at work filling the pipeline for the next season. Stories are green lit, correspondents are sent on shoots, etcetera. 13-minute stories of the '60 Minutes' caliber are not produced overnight," Darcy reported.

The uncertainty extends to basic operational questions. It remains unclear which correspondents will even be available to pursue stories.

"Bilton said last week that it would be a month before he returns to the '60 Minutes' team with his plans, as he intends to meet with staffers one-on-one before announcing decisions," Status is reporting.