EXCLUSIVE:“I have been in this business a long time, and I have never seen anything this bad,” aCBSNews insider told Deadline today amid the fallout of recent firings at60 Minutesand accusations of political interference at theBari Weiss-ruled division.
After a verbal dust-up this week between60 MinutescorrespondentScott Pelleyandnew EP Nick Biltonsaw the ex-CBS Evening Newsanchor terminatedfor cause effective immediately late Tuesday, manyCBS Newsstaffers are wondering, what and who could be next?
“We cover the news, we should never be the news,” a network vet lamented Wednesday as a litany of searing salvos from both sides flew on and offline. “This is a damn embarrassment,” she added, noting the morale is low and the environment “closed-door toxic” at CBS News today.Watch on Deadline
RELATED:Scott Pelley Responds To Bari Weiss, Says She Misled Staffers About What Transpired In Final Meeting With CBS News Brass
Also,CBS Evening Newshas suffered from constant weak or declining viewership and amateur-hour missteps sinceWeiss installed Tony Dokoupilas anchor in January.
RELATED:Fired Scott Pelley Decries “Heartbreaking” Submission To Trump By CBS, Paramount: “Incompetence & Unprofessionalism In The New Management Have Wreaked Havoc”
Whether it is blush-worthy or not, the past year sinceDavid Ellisontook over parent company Paramount and especially since Free Press founderWeiss was given the new gigof editor-in-chief, has seen a parade of exits on both sides of the camera on the acclaimed newsmagazine.
Not only has 37-year network veteran Pelley been shown the door afterquestioning the intentions and qualificationsof both Weiss and Bilton, but60 Minutesalonelost Anderson Cooperat the end of its 58th season last month despite Weiss’ efforts to retain the CNN star. Additionally, last month saw correspondentsSharyn AlfonsiandCecilia Vega axed, along with executive producer Tanya Simon and other top producers.
RELATED:“I Hope ‘60 Minutes’ Remains ‘60 Minutes’”: Anderson Cooper Signs Off CBS Newsmagazine With Tribute To Its Quality And Independence
“How are we going to even be able to put on a show next season?” a longtime staffer said today of60 Minutes,which was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard and premiered in 1968.“We are running out of time and people here, and we need both.”
Source: Drudge Report
