CBS News Fired Scott Pelley Over Trust Breakdown

CBS News has fired longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley after he publicly assailed network leadership, breaking a “foundation” of trust, Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss told the newsroom Wednesday morning.

Weiss said the decision followed an explosive staff meeting on Monday in which Pelley accused her of “murdering ‘60 Minutes’” and declared that Nick Bilton, the tech journalist hired to run the program, would “never be welcome.”

“I’m only interested in working in a newsroom that is built on trust and mutual respect,” Weiss said on a 9 a.m. editorial call, according to a recording obtained by The NYTimes. “That foundation was broken on Monday.”

Weiss, Pelley

“Despite our attempts to engage with Scott Pelley and to find a way back, unfortunately we weren’t able to do so, and so we had to part ways,” she added. “We did not want that to happen, but that’s the path that he chose.”

Pelley was informed of his termination Tuesday evening. CBS News has not issued an official statement on the firing.

In a statement Wednesday, Pelley pushed back against Weiss’s version of events, saying there was “no effort of any kind to ‘find a way back.’”He met Tuesday with Weiss, Bilton, and CBS News President Tom Cibrowski. Pelley described the meeting as hostile and said the network showed little interest in addressing his concerns about the future of “60 Minutes.”

Back To Her Roots: Taylor Swift Flips To Country Music

Taylor Swift made a surprise return to her country roots on Wednesday night, appearing unannounced at the Bluebird Café and debuting raw, acoustic material that signals a full artistic homecoming after more than a decade dominating pop.

The 36-year-old superstar, dressed in a hoodie and baseball cap, performed new songs including an early version of what appears to be the lead single “Nashville Again,” drawing tears from the intimate crowd of songwriters and fans. The performance marks her most significant return to country music since her 2014 album 1989 launched her into global pop stardom.Swift followed the café set by booking time at the same studio where she recorded Fearless as a teenager. Insiders say she is completing a new country album titled Back to December (Again), reuniting with longtime collaborators including producer Nathan Chapman. 

The project blends fresh tracks with resurrected 2008-era demos and a sequel to her early hit “Tim McGraw” called “Red Boots (Revisited).”A source close to the project said Swift told the team, “I don’t want it polished. I want it honest. Like I used to be.”The move comes after years of record-breaking pop tours and re-recordings. Industry observers note the timing aligns with Swift’s pattern of artistic reinvention, but this time she is deliberately dialing back the spectacle—no massive production, no heavy promotion, just songs and a guitar.Swift is expected to make her official return to the format with a performance on the Grand Ole Opry in the coming weeks. 

NFL Ad Revenue Climbs 7% to Record $5.9B

NFL broadcast and streaming partners generated $5.9 billion in advertising revenue during the 2025-26 season, marking a 7% increase over the previous year, according to media intelligence firm Guideline.

Regular-season TV advertising rose 6% to $4.1 billion. Playoff games jumped 13% to $1.1 billion, while the Super Bowl on NBC brought in $500 million in ad revenue, up 2% from the year before.

Broadcast and cable networks accounted for $5.19 billion of the total (up 7%), while streaming platforms contributed $676 million (up 5%).

TV Ratings: Fox News Dominates During May

FOX News Channel (FNC) continued to exert its dominance in all of television for the month of May, beating ABC in weekday primetime, according to data from Nielsen Media Research. FNC averaged 2.8 million viewers in weekday primetime making it the third highest-rated network in all of television, leading ABC (2.7 million viewers) and marking the network's highest rated May during a midterm election year in the network's history. 

FNC also surpassed ESPN (2.8 million viewers) in weekday primetime during coverage of the 2026 NBA and NHL Playoffs. In May primetime (8-11 PM/ET), FNC delivered 2.4 million viewers and 210,000 in the 25-54 demographic. In total day, FNC drew over 1.5 million viewers and 143,000 in the 25-54 demo. FNC commanded nearly 60% of the cable news share with viewers across total day and primetime and delivered the top 85 cable news telecasts. FNC was also number one in cable news with Asians, Hispanics and upscale viewers throughout total day during the month. Notably, the latest New York Times/Siena poll of registered voters found that FNC was the leading single source of news in the country, reflecting its strong audience ratings performance.

In May, CBS continued its downward trend with CBS Evening News delivering its second consecutive month under 4 million viewers and its 14th straight month under 600,000 viewers aged 25-54. The program saw 3.8 million viewers and 525,000 in the 25-54 demo. CBS Mornings saw its lowest-rated May in program history across the board, with 1.8 million viewers and 296,000 25-54. ABC primetime notched its lowest-rated May of the 21st century across both demos, averaging 2.8 million viewers and 577,000 25-54 demo.

FNC's number one program The Five secured 3.6 million viewers and 317,000 in the 25-54 demo, leading all of cable news across the board. The Five also surpassed broadcast programs including CBS' CIA (3.6 million viewers), ABC's Celebrity Jeopardy (3.3 million viewers) and ESPN's NBA Playoffs First round (3.3 million viewers). At 8 PM/ET Jesse Watters Primetime led primetime, commanding 3.1 million viewers and 261,000 in the 25-54 demo.

TV Ratings: Fox Dominates The Week

FOX News Channel (FNC) concluded the week of May 25th with more than 2.6 million weekday primetime viewers and 217,000 in the 25-54 demo, outpacing CBS (2.5 million viewers) and ABC (1.9 million viewers), according to Nielsen Media Research Big Data + Panel. 

In Monday – Sunday primetime, FNC delivered 2.3 million viewers, notably leading ABC (1.7 million viewers). In Monday – Sunday total day, FNC garnered over 1.4 million viewers. CBS Evening News maintained its downward spiral (3.8 million viewers; 493,000 in the 25-54 demo), with the program posting its eighth consecutive week under 4 million viewers (including all weekday airings).

The Five led the week, claiming over 3.3 million viewers and 285,000 in the 25-54 demo. In the 6 PM/ET hour, Special Report with Bret Baier notched nearly 2.5 million viewers and 181,000 in the 25-54 demo. During the 7 PM/ET hour, The Ingraham Angle nabbed almost 2.4 million viewers and 198,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 8 PM/ET, Jesse Watters Primetime saw 3.1 million viewers and 264,000 in the 25-54 demo. In the 9 PM/ET hour, Hannity garnered more than 2.6 million viewers and 184,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 11PM/ET, FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher drew 1.5 million viewers and 171,000 in the 25-54 demo.

FNC’s signature late-night show Gutfeld! (weeknights, 10 PM/ET) dominated the competition in primetime viewers, averaging 2.8 million viewers and 246,000 in the 25-54 demo. ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! posted only 2.5 million viewers and 403,000 in the 25-54 demo while CBS’s Comics Unleashed posted a measly 849,000 viewers and 134,00 in the 25-54 demo. Notably, since Comics Unleashed debuted on Friday, May 22nd, the program is down 60 percent in primetime viewers and 54 percent among the 25-54 demo compared to CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s year-to-date average.

Happy Thursday: The Pulse For June 4 Is The Place to Start

Radio Broadcasting

Back to Her Roots: Taylor Swift made a surprise return to her country roots on Wednesday night, appearing unannounced at the Bluebird Café and debuting raw, acoustic material that signals a full artistic homecoming after more than a decade dominating pop.

Hamand Sets Retirement: Doug Hamand, Vice President of Programming Operations at Cumulus Media, will retire from the company at the end of June, concluding a 48-year career in radio.

Giving Day Set: The Broadcasters Foundation of America (BFOA) will hold its annual Giving Day on June 25, bringing together broadcasters nationwide for a one-day fundraising campaign to support radio and television professionals facing severe financial hardship.

TV Ratings: ABC's WNT Remains Most-Watched With Total Viewers

For the seventh consecutive week, “World News Tonight with David Muir” stood as the No. 1 program in Total Viewers (7.824 million) on all of broadcast and cable (excluding sports) during the week of May 25, 2026, based on Live+Same Day Big Data Plus Panel Program Ratings from Nielsen Media Research.

• “World News Tonight” ranked as the No. 1 newscast across broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (7.824 million), Adults 25-54 (961,000) and Adults 18-49 (722,000).

FBN Scores 13th Straight Monthly Lead Over CNBC

FOX Business Network (FBN) recorded its 13th consecutive monthly lead over CNBC with business day viewers in May 2026, according to Nielsen Media Research Big Data + Panel. FBN’s flagship market open and close programs, Varney & Co. and Kudlow continue to lead as the top two programs in all of business news.

From 9:30 AM-5 PM/ET, the network drew 243,000 business day viewers, its 13th straight victory over CNBC. Meanwhile, FBN scored 240,000 viewers during market hours marking 14% growth compared to May 2025. In total day viewers, FBN delivered 146,000 viewers, notching a 7% year-over-year increase.

Cumulus Media VP Doug Hamand Announces Retirement

Doug Hamand, Vice President of Programming Operations at Cumulus Media, will retire from the company at the end of June, concluding a 48-year career in radio.

Hamand joined Cumulus in January 2016 after 21 years at Clear Channel/iHeartMedia, where he held operations manager and programming leadership roles in several markets, including Lexington, Kentucky, Birmingham, Alabama, and a decade in Tampa/St. Petersburg.

He shared the news in a heartfelt Facebook post, writing: “I’ve had a ball. It’s hard to believe that when I started 48 years ago, this day would ever come but here we are. I’m excited to share that I will be retiring at the end of June.”

MLB, TelevisaUnivision Expand Radio Deal

Major League Baseball and TelevisaUnivision are significantly expanding their collaboration on Spanish-language broadcasts, adding more than 30 live audio games to TUDN Radio’s national schedule from June 14 through July 19.

The deal includes on-site coverage from MLB All-Star Week in Philadelphia and marks the first time TUDN Radio will broadcast the Futures Game. It also incorporates the network’s daily MLB program “Desde el Diamante,” which features live game narrations, statistical analysis, player projections, and expert commentary.

TelevisaUnivision Sports Radio Vice President Carlos Azcarate led negotiations for the expanded agreement, which builds on the growing reach of TUDN Radio among Spanish-speaking baseball fans across the United States and Latin America.

Radio History: June 4

➦In 1917...CBS News correspondent Charles Collingwood born (Died – October 3, 1985).  He was  an early member of Edward R. Murrow's group of foreign correspondents that was known as the "Murrow Boys". During World War II he covered Europe and North Africa for CBS News. Collingwood was also among the early ranks of television journalists that included Walter Cronkite, Eric Sevareid, and Murrow himself.  Retiring from CBS in 1982, he died from cancer Oct 3, 1985 at age 68.

➦In 1942…Songwriter Johnny Mercer founded Capitol Records with financial help from songwriter and film producer Buddy DeSylva and the business acumen of Glenn Wallichs, owner of Wallichs Music City. Mercer raised the idea of starting a record company while golfing with Harold Arlen and Bobby Sherwood and with Wallichs at Wallichs's record store.

It was Wallichs, Capitol's manager, who invented the art of record promotion by sending free copies of new releases to disc jockeys.

Clem McCarthy

➦In 1962...Pioneering sportscaster Clem McCarthy died at age 79 (Born - September 9, 1882.  He also lent his voice to Pathe News's RKO newsreels. He was known for his gravelly voice and dramatic style, a "whiskey tenor" as sports announcer and executive David J. Halberstam has called it.

As Halberstam's book Sports on New York Radio notes, McCarthy is considered one of horse racing's great callers, setting the stage for well-known voices. He was the first to announce the running of the Kentucky Derby back in 1928 and called every Derby through 1950.

In addition to being a race caller for racetracks and NBC Radio, he was a top boxing announcer, too. His most often replayed boxing sportscast is probably his NBC radio call of the 1938 Joe Louis-Max Schmeling rematch at Yankee Stadium:

McCarthy's career also included work at local radio stations, beginning at KYW in Chicago in 1928. From there, he went to WMCA in New York City.

➦In 1962...The Beatles signed their first record contract with EMI, though it's merely to produce a series of demos.

➦In 1963…"Pop Go the Beatles" was first broadcast on BBC radio.  Each edition of Pop Go The Beatles began and ended with a rock ‘n’ roll version of the nursery rhyme Pop Goes The Weasel recorded by The Beatles.

➦In 1973…WNBC 97.1 FM (now Urban WQHT-NYC) switched format to “The Rock Pile”