CBS News has announced a major overhaul of its flagship Sunday news programme 60 Minutes, appointing former New York Times tech journalist Nick Bilton as executive producer for its 59th season. The move comes amid growing concerns over the show’s editorial integrity and follows the departure of several key figures.
Tanya Simon, daughter of legendary correspondent Bob Simon, has been ousted as top producer after taking over from Bill Owens in spring 2025. Correspondent Cecilia Vega, who joined in 2023, and executive editor Draggan Mihailovich have also left the programme. Veteran correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi confirmed her termination, claiming she was penalised for resisting criticism of a December 2025 segment on an El Salvador prison.
In a statement, Vega said she was fired despite having nearly a year left on her contract. She alleged efforts to insert political bias into stories, describing a climate of “censorship, both imposed and self-driven” that she said was “dangerous for the show and dangerous for democracy”. Alfonsi similarly suggested political bias at play.
Bilton’s appointment marks a significant shift for the programme, which has been the most-watched news show on US television for 52 seasons, averaging 9.1 million viewers. He replaces Simon, who had been seen as a guardian of the show’s traditional formula. Bilton, known for tech journalism and documentaries, has no broadcast television experience, mirroring the background of editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who joined in October 2025.
In a staff memo, Bilton called the role the “honour of [his] career” and acknowledged the need to adapt to changing news consumption habits while maintaining public trust. “If we don’t move with it, in the ways that matter, we won’t be here for the next sixty years,” he wrote.
