After a series of high-profile departures from “60 Minutes,” the remaining three on-air correspondents said Friday that they would stay at the program in order to keep it alive, putting an end to days of speculation about the future of the CBS show.
The correspondents, Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim, said in an email to employees that they had reached their decision after a period of frustration and grief.
“Here’s why we are staying: We don’t want to see ‘60 Minutes’ die,” they wrote.
Their memo came after a tumultuous week for the storied news program. Last Thursday, CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss fired Tanya Simon, the show’s executive producer, and two of its on-air correspondents and installed Nick Bilton, a tech journalist and filmmaker with no television news experience, as the new head of “60 Minutes.”
Another correspondent, Scott Pelley, laced into that decision on Monday in an explosive staff meeting, accusing Ms. Weiss of “murdering” the show. He was fired the next day, and the turmoil had raised questions about whether the show’s remaining stars would continue at the program.
In an interview with The New York Times on Friday afternoon, Ms. Stahl said that she, Mr. Whitaker and Mr. Wertheim had reached their decision after a marathon of calls across multiple continents. Mr. Wertheim was covering the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Ms. Stahl said, so the trio decided to huddle over Zoom while in different time zones.
Several days ago, the remaining correspondents decided to make their decision about whether to stay at the program together, she said. They reasoned that they could best accomplish their goal of preserving the program if they made their decision as a unit, because any further departures could tank the show.
CBS News did not immediately return a request for comment.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
