The highest producer of “60 Minutes” give up Tuesday amid rising stress stemming from a $20 billion lawsuit President Trump filed towards CBS.
“It has become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it, to make independent decisions based on what was right for ‘60 Minutes,’ right for the audience,” Owens wrote in a memo to employees.
“So, having defended this show — and what we stand for — from every angle, over time with everything I could, I am stepping aside so the show can move forward,” he added.
Owens is a legend on the Eye Community with 37 years expertise and is just the third individual to guide “60 Minutes.”
President Donald Trump. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
“The show is too important to the country, it has to continue, just not with me as the executive producer,” Owens added.
Trump filed the large swimsuit towards CBS simply earlier than the November election, claiming the community favorably edited a “60 Minutes” interview with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
He not too long ago resumed the assaults when “60 Minutes” aired a vital piece on his dealing with of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and his push to grab Greenland.
The president has urged authorities regulators to strip CBS of its broadcast license or face different authorized penalties.
“CBS is out of control, at levels never seen before, and they should pay a big price for this,” Trump wrote on his social media website final month.
Like different main American establishments, CBS is below stress to keep away from confrontation with Trump or face extreme authorized or enterprise payback.
Paramount chief Shari Redstone reportedly needs to curry favor with Trump to win approval of the corporate’s proposed $8 billion merger with Skydance Media.
However after Trump gained one other 4 years within the White Home, Paramount opened negotiations for a doable settlement.
Initially Revealed: April 22, 2025 at 2:52 PM EDT
