NEW YORK (AP) – With his program involved in a bitter dispute with President Donald Trump, the best manager of CBS news issues “60 minutes” suddenly resigned on Tuesday while saying that he lost the freedom to manage him independently.
Bill Owens, executive producer of the most popular and influential magazine on television since 2019, said in a note to the staff that he has “become clear that I would not be allowed to perform the show because I have always executed it, to make independent decisions according to what was well for 60 minutes”, just for the public. »»
“The show is too important for the country,” he wrote. “It must continue, but not with me as an executive producer.”
Trump continued “60 minutes” for $ 20 billion last fall, saying that he was misleadedly changed An interview with his democratic electoral adversary Kamala Harris. CBS denied that he had done anything to give an advantage to Harris, and published the complete transcription of his interview.
AP Audio: The best ’60 -minute producer has left. He says he can no longer direct the show as he always did
The AP correspondent, Ed Donahue, reports that an executive of CBS News part.
When Trump took office for his second term, its president of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, announced that CBS would be the subject of an investigation for the same number.
At the same time, the parent of CBS paramount global, managed by Shari Redstone, requests the approval of a merger with Skydance Media, founded by Larry Ellison. They would be in mediation to settle the trial with Trump, a perspective which was bitterly opposed to Owens and others at “60 minutes”.
With this backdrop, “60 minutes” sank An extraordinary series of difficult stories About the new administration since she took office. The president Died the spectacle with anger On social networks after his episode of April 13, critical stories about Ukraine and Greenland, saying that CBS should “pay a high price” to continue it.
Owens was the third executive producer of the Sunday Night News Magazine, known for its stopwatch. Only Don Hewitt, the founder of the show, and Jeff Fager preceded it. Owens did not immediately send a call asking for comments on Tuesday. Owens has been working at CBS News for 37 years, including 25 to “60 minutes”.
“Having defended this show – and what we defend – from all angles, over time with everything I could, I retire so that the show can move forward,” he said in memo.
The senior CBS News leader, Wendy McMahon, said in a statement that Owens “led” minutes of 60 “with unshakable integrity, curiosity and a deep commitment to the truth. He defended the type of journalism that informs, lights up and often changes the national conversation. ”
He was not immediately clear if a particular event had launched the decision, or if Owens was informed that he had to leave.
“60 minutes” is famous island, managed as an independent stronghold in CBS News, and Owens said that McMahon agrees that it should be replaced by a current producer there. His best deputy is Tanya Simon, daughter of the end of “60 minutes” Correspondent Bob Simon.
Trump has struggled against the press on several levels since its entry into office. The FCC Survey on several media companies, the administration works in Stop America’s voice and other points of sale managed by the government, and the Associated Press has continued the administration For having reduced his access to events because he did not rename the Gulf of Mexico in accordance with Trump’s decree.
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David Bauder writes on the media for the AP. Follow him to http://x.com/dbauder And https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social
