«Scandals and layoffs at CBS: the departure of veterans from 60 Minutes»
3 june 2026 в 07:13
Since the parent company of CBS News, Paramount, merged with Skydance last year, program cancellations and layoffs have become commonplace for the network. In May 2026, the program «60 Minutes» came under intense scrutiny when several veteran journalists were fired, including Scott Pelley. Pelley, who joined the program in 2004, was let go following reports of a conflict with management.
Below you can find out why Pelley was fired from «60 Minutes».
Yes, Pelley was fired from CBS after more than 20 years with the network. Executive producer Nick Bilton confirmed this in a letter to the staff of «60 Minutes». Bilton noted that CBS had «parted ways» with Pelley, according to information from NBC News.
«I know how much Scott meant to many of you, and I do not say this lightly», - Bilton wrote in the letter to staff. «I have repeatedly tried to have direct conversations with him over the weekends, and today I tried to find common ground. But that is not the path Scott chose».
Pelley was fired due to his «dislike for the future» of the «60 Minutes» program, Bilton wrote in a letter to Pelley, a copy of which was obtained by NBC News.
«Your dislike for the future of the show was clear and evident. And I heard you», - Bilton wrote. «Therefore, I am writing on behalf of CBS News, Inc., to inform you that your employment with CBS is terminated for cause, effective immediately».
Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi publicly confirmed their layoffs from «60 Minutes».
As the first Latina correspondent for «60 Minutes», - Cecilia announced her departure and accused CBS of attempting to manipulate her team’s reports.
«In recent months, my production teams and I have faced attempts to inject political bias into our stories», - Vega stated. «Reporting teams were held back from pitching story ideas on important news topics out of fear of internal repercussions».
As for Alfonsi, her contract was not renewed, as she stated in a public announcement.
«Over the weekend, my contract with CBS News expired, marking the end of 20 years with the network, including more than ten years at '60 Minutes,'» Sharyn told the Los Angeles Times. «After an intense editorial dispute over our story on CECOT, multiple attempts by my representation to establish a way forward met with absolute silence from network executives. The message could not have been clearer: my time at '60 Minutes' had clearly come to an end».
At the time of publication, CBS had not announced any official decisions regarding the future of «60 Minutes». The program had not been canceled
Below you can find out why Pelley was fired from «60 Minutes».
Yes, Pelley was fired from CBS after more than 20 years with the network. Executive producer Nick Bilton confirmed this in a letter to the staff of «60 Minutes». Bilton noted that CBS had «parted ways» with Pelley, according to information from NBC News.
«I know how much Scott meant to many of you, and I do not say this lightly», - Bilton wrote in the letter to staff. «I have repeatedly tried to have direct conversations with him over the weekends, and today I tried to find common ground. But that is not the path Scott chose».
Pelley was fired due to his «dislike for the future» of the «60 Minutes» program, Bilton wrote in a letter to Pelley, a copy of which was obtained by NBC News.
«Your dislike for the future of the show was clear and evident. And I heard you», - Bilton wrote. «Therefore, I am writing on behalf of CBS News, Inc., to inform you that your employment with CBS is terminated for cause, effective immediately».
Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi publicly confirmed their layoffs from «60 Minutes».
As the first Latina correspondent for «60 Minutes», - Cecilia announced her departure and accused CBS of attempting to manipulate her team’s reports.
«In recent months, my production teams and I have faced attempts to inject political bias into our stories», - Vega stated. «Reporting teams were held back from pitching story ideas on important news topics out of fear of internal repercussions».
As for Alfonsi, her contract was not renewed, as she stated in a public announcement.
«Over the weekend, my contract with CBS News expired, marking the end of 20 years with the network, including more than ten years at '60 Minutes,'» Sharyn told the Los Angeles Times. «After an intense editorial dispute over our story on CECOT, multiple attempts by my representation to establish a way forward met with absolute silence from network executives. The message could not have been clearer: my time at '60 Minutes' had clearly come to an end».
At the time of publication, CBS had not announced any official decisions regarding the future of «60 Minutes». The program had not been canceled
© Artemenko Olga
