CBS News fired veteran “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley on Tuesday, hours after a contentious meeting with management in response to criticism of the newsmagazine’s new leadership.
“Despite yesterday’s misconduct, I was hopeful that by sitting with you today we could find a way forward together. You have made it clear you have no interest in taking such a path,” newly appointed “60 Minutes” executive producer Nick Bilton wrote to Pelley Tuesday evening.
“Your dislike for the future of the show has come through loud and clear,” Bilton wrote. “And I have heard you.”
Therefore, he wrote, “Your employment with CBS is terminated effective immediately.”
On Monday, Pelé pointedly questioned and criticized Bilton in a staff-wide meeting. His sharp comments were immediately leaked to outside news outlets and caused a crisis inside CBS.
Pelley accused editor-in-chief Bari Weiss of trying to “kill” the acclaimed news magazine and strongly objected to the hiring of Bilton, a former technical reporter with little TV news experience, to run the program.
The longtime correspondent last Thursday rejected Weiss and Bilton’s previous attempts to meet privately with him to discuss the shake-up of “60 Minutes,” which included the firing of top producers and two correspondents. Bilton was appointed the same day.
At Monday’s staff meeting, Pelley described Weiss and Bilton as unfit for their jobs and said Bilton would “never be welcome here.”
Some CBS insiders later said that they thought Pelley was daring Weiss to fire him. His detractors at the network said he behaved like a bully in staff meetings. But his supporters — and he has many supporters — said he was just standing up for his colleagues and trying to protect the “60 Minutes” franchise.
Pelé was expected to begin his summer holidays on Tuesday, but he remained in New York and told colleagues he had been called to a Tuesday afternoon meeting with management.
According to a source, Weiss and Bilton were in attendance, along with CBS News president Tom Cibrowski and a human resources representative.
The meeting, which was first reported by Puck, ended without any clear resolution about the way forward.
A CBS News spokesperson had no immediate comment. Pelé did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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