CBS’s “60 Minutes” remains the top-rated news program of the broadcast season, recently drawing more than 10 million viewers for an episode featuring Pope Leo and great white sharks.
But as its 58th season ends May 17, insiders are bracing for major changes under CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who took over after Skydance Media acquired Paramount Global in August 2025.
The turmoil follows a politically explosive year for the network. In July 2025, Paramount Global and CBS settled President Donald Trump’s lawsuit over a disputed “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris, agreeing to pay more than $30 million and adopt new transparency measures for future presidential candidate interviews. The settlement deepened scrutiny of the program’s editing practices and intensified debate over CBS’s political coverage, according to The Guardian.
Multiple network insiders have told media outlets that “massive changes” are expected after the season concludes, though the show’s basic format and mission are expected to remain. Layoffs appear likely. One insider said “people at 60 Minutes are afraid and they’re waiting for something monumental to happen here.”
The uncertainty comes as major departures are already reshaping the program. Anderson Cooper announced in February that he would leave “60 Minutes” to focus on his family and CNN duties.
Sharyn Alfonsi, another veteran correspondent, strongly hinted at her own likely exit during an April 30 speech at the National Press Club, where she received the Ridenhour Prize for Courage. Alfonsi criticized what she called “the spread of corporate meddling and editorial fear” at CBS News.
She did not name Weiss but referenced a December 21 segment she reported on the Trump administration’s deportation of Venezuelans to a prison in El Salvador. Weiss reportedly pulled the piece, arguing it needed revisions to better reflect the administration’s position.
A source close to the network disputed the claim that certain topics are off-limits.
Insiders say Norah O’Donnell could take on a larger role at “60 Minutes,” while veteran correspondents Lesley Stahl, 84, and Scott Pelley, 68, are expected to remain.
Weiss has said she wants to expand “60 Minutes” beyond its Sunday night slot, calling it “one of the most important, valuable brands, not just to CBS News but to journalism in America.”
“The idea that that should just be something people are encountering for an hour on a Sunday night doesn’t make sense to me, especially when there’s so much love and devotion and trust in that brand,” she said.
At the same time, Weiss has said she does not intend to micromanage the program, leaving daily operations to executive producer Tanya Simon and executive editor Draggan Mihailovich.
“I have no interest in disrupting a productive culture that exists in a show or a department in this company,” she remarked.
The season opened with turmoil after longtime executive producer Bill Owens resigned in protest over what he described as corporate interference. After receiving his own Ridenhour Prize, Owens said: “Our owners were working to censor 60 Minutes, attempting to stop us from covering the difficult stories we had always brought to you.”
Despite the internal tension, Hartman said the program has largely retained its identity.
“Just as a viewer, I think 60 Minutes has been 60 Minutes this season. I think it’s been a strong mix of hard stories and feature stories, which I think it has always aspired to be,” Hartman said.
For now, “60 Minutes” remains a ratings powerhouse facing a defining question: whether new leadership will preserve one of broadcast journalism’s most enduring institutions, or remake it for a new political and media era.
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