CBS News fired its longtime "60 Minutes" anchor Scott Pelley on Tuesday evening amid ongoing turbulent changes at the organization under new leadership.
Pelley's resignation letter stated that he appeared "uninterested in contributing to the future success of the show" or collaborating with its new executive producer, Nick Bilton.
Pelley's dismissal comes after reports of a series of recent clashes between him and Bilton, including a heated exchange on Monday during a staff meeting in which Bilton accused Pelley of a "power grab.".
A letter signed by Bilton said Pelley was "terminated for cause, effective immediately.".
Bilton accused Pelley of being cold and unpleasant toward him from the moment he began hosting "60 Minutes" in late May, including refusing an invitation to dinner.
That hostility then escalated into a conflict at a staff meeting on Monday, Bilton's letter said.
«"You disrupted my first staff meeting to discredit me, my qualifications, and my intentions with astonishing impoliteness and contempt," he wrote.
He also accused Pelley of remaining hostile even after a staff meeting, saying that in a subsequent meeting, Pelley made it clear he was "not interested" in finding a way to resolve their differences.
«"Your opposition to the future series is very clear. And I heard you," Bilton wrote.
Bilton sent a separate note to the 60 Minutes staff saying he had tried repeatedly to speak directly with Pelley but had been unable to find common ground.
«"This is not the path Scott chose," Bilton said in a letter to employees published by CBS News.
The BBC has reached out to CBS News and Pelley for comment.
CBS News has a partnership agreement with the BBC, allowing it to share news content, including video. BBC News is editorially independent from CBS.
The shakeup at the news organization had been brewing for years before Pelley's dismissal, dating back to August 2025, when David Ellison, an ally of US President Donald Trump, bought CBS's parent company, Paramount.
Bilton's predecessor, Tanya Simon, and 60 Minutes correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega were fired last week.
The changes are being led by Bari Weiss, who was appointed the new editor-in-chief after Ellison took over the publication.
According to media news site Status, during a confrontation between Pelley and Bilton at a staff meeting on Monday, Pelley accused Weiss of "ruining the show" and said she was "not qualified for this job.".