In a rare and riveting moment on national television, veteran journalist Scott Pelley used the closing minutes of CBS’s 60 Minutes on April 27, 2025, to deliver a pointed rebuke of the show’s parent company, Paramount Global. The on-air confrontation, sparked by the sudden resignation of executive producer Bill Owens, has ignited a firestorm over journalistic independence, corporate interference, and political pressure in American media.
Pelley, a respected voice in broadcast journalism, addressed viewers directly in the program’s final segment, paying tribute to Owens while subtly but unmistakably criticizing Paramount’s growing influence over the show’s editorial direction. “Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways,” Pelley said, adding that while no stories had been blocked, Owens “felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires
Owens, who had served as executive producer for 26 years, resigned earlier that week, citing concerns over editorial autonomy. In a memo to staff, he wrote, “Over the past months, it has become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it, to make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience.”
🧩 The Corporate and Political Backdrop
The controversy comes amid Paramount’s efforts to finalize an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, a deal requiring approval from the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Reports suggest that Paramount’s controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, urged CBS executives to delay airing potentially controversial stories about President Trump until after the merger’s completion.
