Veteran anchor Scott Pelley was fired by CBS News on Tuesday, a day after his explosive meeting with new 60 Minutes executive producer Nick Bilton.
Bilton announced Pelley’s termination in a letter addressed to the longtime 60 Minutes correspondent, obtained by Mediaite.
“Yesterday, you hijacked my first meeting with staff to disparage me, my qualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt,” wrote Bilton. “Yesterday’s performative display of hostility enacted in front of the staff instead of in a civil, private conversation demonstrated that you have no interest in contributing to the future success of the show, or approaching my new tenure with a mind open to collaboration and progress.”
The move from the new EP comes just a day after his first meeting with 60 Minutes staff was hijacked by Pelley, who demanded to know more details on Thursday’s firings, which included Bilton’s predecessor, Tanya Simon, correspondent Cecilia Vega, and the show’s long-time Executive Editor Draggan Mihailovich.
