Bill Owens. Photo: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Getty Images
Bill Owens, the executive producer of the legendary American TV programme 60 Minutes, has announced his resignation, saying that he had lost his journalistic independence as a result of pressure from US President Donald Trump and the Paramount media corporation. This was reported by The New York Times.
In a memo to the staff, Owens said that “in recent months, it has become clear that I am not being allowed to run the programme as I have done in the past – based on independent decisions that are in the best interests of viewers”. He emphasised that he was not leaving his post because he had given up, but so that “the programme could go on”.
Bill Owens is only the third producer in the history of 60 Minutes, which has been on air for 57 years. His resignation comes amid an unprecedented legal and political attack from Donald Trump, who filed a €10 billion lawsuit against CBS, accusing the show of “illegal behaviour” after an interview with Kamala Harris aired in 2020.
According to the NYT, Paramount shareholder Shari Redstone is seeking a favourable deal with Skydance and is counting on the Trump administration’s loyalty. Redstone expressed her dissatisfaction, in particular, with the report on the White House’s response to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which also aired on 60 Minutes. The day after the broadcast, CBS appointed Susan Zirinsky as the newsroom’s editorial standards officer.
Trump, on his social media, accused the programme of “fake news” and called for the cancellation of CBS’s licence. In 2020, he interrupted an interview with journalist Lesley Stahl, and during the 2024 election campaign, he refused to be interviewed for the programme.
According to media analysts, the pressure on 60 Minutes is an alarming signal for freedom of speech. Although legal experts believe Trump’s lawsuit is unfounded, negotiations between Paramount and the president are ongoing, with an independent mediator even involved.
Bill Owens began his career at CBS News in 1988 as an intern and has been the head of 60 Minutes since 2019. In his farewell statement, he emphasised: “This programme is too important for the country. It must continue to exist. Just without me.”
