The executive producer of CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” Bill Owens, only the third in the venerable newsmagazine’s history, said he will leave his job, citing an increasing lack of ability “to make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience” as parent company Paramount Global tries to move past a lawsuit filed against CBS News by President Donald Trump and secure its future in a merger with Skydance Media.
“Over the past months, it has also become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it,” Owens told staffers in a memo Tuesday, adding: “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.”
A spokesperson for Paramount Global could not be reached for immediate comment.
Owens’ decision to leave comes as executives at Paramount, including controlling shareholder Shari Redstone,
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