Bill Owens, executive producer of CBS’s 60 Minutes, announced his resignation Tuesday, saying he could no longer run the show with full journalistic independence. In a memo to staff, Owens wrote that “over the past months, it has become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it,” and that he was stepping aside so the program “can move forward.”
Owens, only the third person to lead 60 Minutes in its 57-year history, said he had “done everything possible to defend the show and its editorial standards.” His departure comes as the program faces legal and corporate pressure — including a $10 billion lawsuit from President Trump, who accused CBS of “unlawful and illegal behavior” tied to a deceptively edited 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris.
The show’s parent company, Paramount, is also under scrutiny as it pursues a multibillion-dollar sale to Skydance, a company led by the son of tech billionaire Larry Ellison. Shari Redstone, Paramount’s controlling shareholder, is reportedly eager to resolve the Trump lawsuit.
In his farewell note, Owens emphasized the importance of 60 Minutes continuing its coverage of the Trump administration and future ones, but concluded, “It has to continue, just not with me as the executive producer.”
