Bill Owens, the long-serving executive producer of CBS News’s “60 Minutes,” resigned on April 22, 2025, citing loss of editorial independence in the wake of Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against CBS. Owens told staff he could no longer “run the show as I have always run it,” and stepped aside to safeguard the program’s future. His departure, first reported by The New York Times, intensifies scrutiny on corporate and political pressures facing legacy news outlets. CBS says it will name a successor in due course; meanwhile, internal debates continue over how best to defend journalistic autonomy.
Lead
Who: Bill Owens, executive producer of “60 Minutes,” and CBS News leadership
What: Owens’s resignation over curtailed editorial control amid litigation pressure
Where: CBS News, New York; announcement circulated via internal memo and media reports
When: Resignation announced April 22, 2025; lawsuit filed November 2024
Why: Owens concluded he could no longer make “independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes” under current pressures
Resignation Announcement
In a memo to “60 Minutes” staff obtained by CNN, Bill Owens wrote that recent months made clear he “would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it” and could not make “independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes.” He added that, after defending the program “from every angle,” he was “stepping aside so the show can move forward”—without him at the helm.
CBS News chief Wendy McMahon praised Owens’s “unwavering integrity, curiosity, and deep commitment to the truth,” and said he will remain during a transition period while a successor is sought. Owens has been with CBS News for 37 years, 24 of them leading “60 Minutes.”
Background: Trump Lawsuit and Editorial Independence
In November 2024, former President Donald Trump sued CBS News and its parent company, Paramount Global, for $10 billion, alleging that a “60 Minutes” interview with then–Vice President Kamala Harris had been “grossly misedited” at her campaign’s direction. Trump has since called on the FCC to revoke CBS’s license and publicly castigated the network. In response, “60 Minutes” provided full transcripts and raw footage to regulators, and the parties have agreed to mediation.
Owens informed colleagues that the lawsuit and subsequent executive interventions had hindered his ability to make editorial decisions, prompting his decision to resign. Two anonymous “60 Minutes” producers told CNN that Owens refused to apologize or alter content under pressure, and that his stand for independent journalism “cost him his job.”
Impact on CBS and “60 Minutes”
Owens’s departure removes a protector for the program’s editorial standards at a time when media credibility is under intense attack. CBS insiders say the network’s leadership is weighing how to shield producers from political and corporate influence. The shake-up also occurs amid Shari Redstone’s push to merge Paramount Global with Skydance Media; some board members view the resolution of the Trump lawsuit as key to that deal.
Analysts warn that without clear editorial guards, “60 Minutes” risks erosion of trust that has sustained its viewership for over five decades. The new executive producer will face immediate pressure to strike a balance between investigative rigor and corporate and regulatory concerns.
What’s Next
- Succession process: CBS News has begun discussions with senior correspondents and producers; no replacement has been named.
- Legal mediation: Trump and Paramount will continue mediation, with potential settlement terms influencing network governance.
- Editorial safeguards: Industry observers will closely monitor new policies at CBS to ensure the protection of journalistic independence in politically charged coverage.
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