Tension in the program «60 Minutes» reached its climax on Monday, June 1, when a seasoned correspondent reportedly Scott Pelley accused the editor-in-chief of CBS News Bari Weiss in an attempt to destroy this long-standing news program.
The conflict occurred during an introductory staff meeting with the program's new executive producer. Nick Bilton , just days after a wave of layoffs rocked the show, according to a recording obtained by the newspaper. The New York Times .
When Bilton told the audience that Weiss "loves '60 Minutes,'" America's most popular news program, Pelley snapped back, the newspaper reported on June 1.
«"She's ruining '60 Minutes.' She doesn't love the place, she was brought in to destroy it, and that's exactly what she's doing," said Pelley, the former host of "« Evening News on CBS , as reported The New York Times .
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Pelley countered: "I'm not being rude... you know what was rude? Black Thursday. That was the absolute definition of rude," he said, referring to the firings, according to the publication. "It's a conversation. It's rude, and you were part of it.".
When Bilton suggested the conversation be held privately, Pelley said he preferred to speak in the presence of his colleagues. "They're my colleagues too," Bilton countered, to which Pelley replied, "That remains to be seen," reports The Wrap .
On Thursday, May 28, Los Angeles Times newspaper reported that Weiss fired the executive producer Tanya Simon and parted with the correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi и Cecilia Vega , as well as other senior staff, appointing Bilton as head of broadcast.