PSKY CEO Pledges Editorial Independence For 60 Minutes

David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount, promised to respect the editorial independence of “60 Minutes” during a phone call with longtime correspondent Lesley Stahl, she told The New York Times on Tuesday.

David Ellison

The Sunday call was among Ellison’s first direct steps to ease turmoil at the CBS news program following the abrupt firing of its top leadership and several star correspondents. The changes, directed by new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, drew a sharp public rebuke from Scott Pelley, a “60 Minutes” veteran who was himself later fired.

On Monday, Stahl tried to boost morale by hosting a champagne toast for the staff at the program’s Midtown Manhattan offices. She informed colleagues of Ellison’s assurance during the gathering.

Stahl, along with remaining stars Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim, had seriously considered leaving after the upheaval and Pelley’s dismissal. In a letter to staff on Friday, however, the three said they would stay because they did not “want to see ‘60 Minutes’ die.”

“My toast was, ‘to us,’ meaning the survivors,” Stahl said in a text message Tuesday. “Maybe ‘us’ with a twinge of survivor’s guilt.”

Scott Pelley

Ellison’s acquisition of Paramount last year has fueled concerns about his stewardship of CBS News. He maintains a friendly relationship with President Trump as Paramount seeks regulatory approval for a $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. Ellison has stated he wants the network to better serve the roughly 70 percent of Americans he describes as center-right or center-left.

Pelley told The Times that Weiss “put her thumb on the scale” for Trump during the most recent season of “60 Minutes,” an allegation the network has denied. Similar complaints of political editorial guidance came from correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi.

Last week, dozens of prominent journalists and CBS News veterans signed an open letter urging Ellison to publicly commit to the program’s independence. He has not responded publicly.

Paramount had no immediate comment.