Is Former ’60 Minutes’ Boss Recruiting Scott Pelley for Rival Show?
Is Former ’60 Minutes’ Boss Recruiting Scott Pelley for Rival Show?
Martin HolmesMon, August 3, 2026 at 12:45 PM UTC
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Former 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens wants to launch a rival news program with ousted reporter Scott Pelley at its helm, according to a recent New York Post report.
Owens, who resigned as the show’s exec producer in April 2025 after saying that he no longer could be guaranteed editorial independence, is reportedly looking to raise around $50 million to fund two years’ worth of content, which would include in-depth and investigative news segments.
Sources told The Post that this lump sum would bankroll everything from staffing to production to marketing and legal. However, if former 60 Minutes journalists were to come aboard the project, they would likely have to take a significant pay cut.
“I think they’re asking for too much money,” one source told the outlet. “They’re looking at the old 60 Minutes model and they’re all used to mega salaries.”
Bill Owens, Cecilia Vega and Scott Pelley; Gregg DeGuire/Variety via Getty Images
Another source claimed that Owens is particularly interested in hiring Pelley, the veteran journalist who was fired in June after confronting new 60 Minutes exec producer Nick Bilton. During a heated staff meeting, Pelley allegedly told Bilton that CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss is “murdering 60 Minutes” and was “brought in to kill [the show].”
In May, Weiss announced that filmmaker Bilton would replace 60 Minutes exec producer Tanya Simon. In addition, exec producer Draggan Mihailovich and correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi were fired.
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A source with knowledge of the plan told The Post that, in addition to Pelley, Owens could tap other fired 60 Minutes staffers, including Simon, Mihailovich, Alfonsi, Vega, and producers Guy Campanile and Matthew Polevoy.
Owens declined to comment on the report, and a source close to the former producer denied the plans.
Despite the denial, other sources told The Post that fired 60 Minutes staffers recently put together a business plan and pitch deck. The plan is to produce a documentary-style program for streaming and digital platforms.
“Rather than a chat show, it will be deeply reported, similar to 60 Minutes,” a source said.
However, it was noted that securing money and a platform has proven to be an issue. “There isn’t a huge appetite [from streamers or broadcast networks,” one TV agent told the outlet.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
