60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley lays into CBS leadership over cuts

Scott Pelley, a veteran 60 Minutes correspondent, called out CBS News management in a heated meeting on Monday morning, attacking the network’s decision on Thursday to fire the show’s executive producer, executive editor, and two fellow correspondents, Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, as part of a broader overhaul of the show, sources tell the Guardian. During a meeting of the show’s staff and Nick Bilton, its newly appointed executive producer, along with the CBS News managing editor Charles Forelle, Pelley took direct aim at Bari Weiss , the network’s controversial editor-in-chief. “She’s murdering 60 Minutes,” Pelley said, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. “She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it and is doing exactly that.” Forelle accused Pelley of being rude, and Pelley countered by saying that the network had been rude by the way it treated Tanya Simon, the show’s executive producer who was fired on Thursday. Bilton conveyed to Pelley that he would not be “intimidated” by his remarks. 60 Minutes staff who were present for the meeting showed strong support for Pelley, giving him a standing ovation, sources said. Last Wednesday, hours after Alfonsi announced that the network had opted not to renew her contract for the show’s 59th season, Pelley gave her a shoutout at the News & Documentary Emmy awards. “There have been many great 60 Minutes correspondents over the years. I see Sharyn Alfonsi in the audience,” he said. …