(AP Photo/Richard Drew, archive)
Veteran CBS correspondent Steve Kroft warned that the program «60 minutes, which viewers have known for decades "no longer exists," and said the news magazine has undergone fundamental changes following a string of layoffs.
Croft, who worked in the program «60 Minutes» three decades before retiring in 2019, he gave an interview to New York Magazine , published Thursday, just days after the reporter's explosive dismissal Scott Pelley after a heated conflict with the program's new executive producer Nick Bilton at his first team meeting.
Pelley's departure was just one of several events in recent months that have affected the show's executive and journalistic teams.
«"I think the program «60 Minutes» "The show as audiences knew it essentially no longer exists," Croft said. "The layoffs are far too extensive.".
He continued: «All the people involved are very good journalists, and the new leadership, [CBS News editor-in-chief] Bari Weiss and [Paramount CEO] David Ellison , made it clear that they wanted to move to a completely different format, model, or whatever you want to call it. They believed that the program «60 Minutes» "It's outdated, old and musty and needs to change, even though its audience has grown by 9 percent over the past year.".
The former correspondent said that given all the upheaval, he finds it hard to imagine what the show will look like when it returns in the fall.
«"I find it almost impossible to imagine what kind of show they'll be able to put on in September," Croft added.
Croft linked the current crisis to the president's lawsuit Donald Trump against CBS News over editing of interview Kamala Harris for the program «60 Minutes» in 2024. Paramount, CBS's parent company, later settled the case while seeking regulatory approval for its merger with Skydance.
According to Croft, the dispute marked the beginning of a larger conflict over editorial independence online.
«"There was an intimidation factor," he said. "People became extremely nervous about what stories they could pitch, what stories they could work on, and that any story critical of the Trump administration would face serious obstacles to getting on the air.".
Croft claimed that "the brilliance of the program «60 minutes »" was that the show's team "wasn't afraid to stand up to the government.".
«It’s very difficult for me to imagine a world without 60 Minutes program » "Or a similar show that isn't afraid to criticize the government. There's a timidity everywhere on air right now," he said.
The article "60 Minutes star Steve Kroft warns show 'no longer exists' after firing Scott Pelley and others" first appeared on Mediaite.