All posts tagged "60 Minutes"

CBS News insiders are sounding the alarm over Bari Weiss' revamped '60 Minutes,' with one senior staffer declaring the show already "dead."

The grim verdict came from an unnamed CBS News senior staffer who spoke with media columnist Justin Baragona in a Wednesday article for his Zeteo newsletter "Ragebait."

"The show is dead. We're just looking at some Frankenstein of bits sewn together of mismatched pieces," the staffer told Baragona. "I think the season is in trouble."...

Eyes are on CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss as the final ratings for the '60 Minutes' premiere come in, and they don't look good.

On Tuesday, the final Nielsen ratings for the season debut of '60 Minutes' revealed that the show's viewership had dropped by about 21 percent. The drop in ratings came after veteran '60 Minutes' producers and correspondents left, and as Weiss and her boss, Paramount CEO David Ellison, have been criticized for their ties to President Donald Trump and his administration.

Other CBS News programs have seen their ratings plummet since Weiss took over earlier this year as well. Media reporter Justin Baragona noted that 7.9 million total viewers watched the '60 Minutes' season premiere, which marked "the first time this century it's premiered with fewer than 9 million viewers."...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ignored concerns about leaking classified information by pressuring airmen to do a '60 Minutes' interview, CNN reported.

According to a Saturday article, Hegseth and political appointees in his department pressured two crew members of an F-15 to take part in a '60 Minutes' story that will air on Sunday. Ultimately, one airman agreed to the interview while the other declined, according to CNN.

The two were shot down over Iran and then rescued in April. Multiple anonymous sources told CNN that Hegseth went as far as meeting with them personally about going on '60 Minutes.' Hegseth ignored concerns from military officials that the interview risked exposing classified details of the rescue effort, three anonymous sources told CNN. ...

Veteran '60 Minutes' correspondent Bill Whitaker admitted in an "emotional" toast that he feels like he's a traitor amid infighting.

During a Friday episode of the Power Lines podcast produced by Status, media reporter Oliver Darcy shared details about Whitaker's emotional toast at a party held by Jonathan LaPook, the CBS News chief medical correspondent.

LaPook hosted current and former "60 Minutes" staffers, including some fired by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. CBS News has faced criticism for its makeover under Weiss' leadership that has led to plummeting ratings and an exodus at "60 Minutes," its flagship program. Darcy said that Lesley Stahl and "former show boss" Tanya Simon were at LaPook's party, among others....

A slip by conservative New York Times columnist Ross Douthat revealed that promises to "60 Minutes" from CBS don't mean anything, an expert said.

In a Friday episode of the Power Lines podcast, media expert Jon Passantino called out how Douthat answered questions during his exit interview. Douthat was announced as the newest "60 Minutes" correspondent last month, and fellow New York Times columnist Ezra Klein interviewed Douthat for his podcast.

Klein asked Douthat, "What did they say they wanted? Like, what is your sense of what '60 Minutes' is trying to become with you launching as a marquee name?"...

Another Colbert is leaving CBS amid a growing exodus and producers saying they're "actively exploring options," according to reports.

Comedian Stephen Colbert lost his show at CBS earlier this year as the network's MAGA-friendly owner David Ellison sought the Trump administration's approval for a merger. Now, Colbert's daughter, Madeleine Carlisle, is leaving her role as an associate producer for '60 Minutes,' which is bleeding talent under Bari Weiss, according to reporting by The Daily Beast.

Carlisle worked as an associate producer for '60 Minutes' since November 2022 and as an intern for the show in 2017. She also worked at The Atlantic and Time. CBS axed her dad's show, "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," with its final episode airing in May....