CBS anchors salute outgoing ’60 Minutes’ producer, say effort to settle Trump lawsuit tied to corporate merger

“CBS Evening News” anchors John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois paid tribute to outgoing “60 Minutes” producer while being candid about the corporate pressure the network is facing from President Donald Trump. 

“Finally, tonight, a story that is personal for us here at CBS News,” Dickerson told viewers at the end of Tuesday’s newscast. “Our friend and colleague, Bill Owens, announced today he is stepping down as executive producer of ‘60 Minutes.’”

“In its more than half a century on the air, 60 Minutes has prided itself on independent reporting, but Owens said he was no longer allowed to run the broadcast as it had been run and to make independent decisions,” DuBois said. 

‘60 MINUTES’ PRODUCER’S ABRUPT EXIT FUELS DRAMA AT CBS NEWS AS NETWORK BATTLES TRUMP LAWSUIT

Dickerson went on to acknowledge that “60 Minutes” was at the center of Trump’s lawsuit against the network, but then said, “CBS’s parent, Paramount Global, is trying to resolve this suit as it works to complete a merger that needs government approval.” 

Paramount Global plans to merge with Skydance Media, which requires authorization from Trump’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC). 

“Owens has stood firm, insisting ‘60 Minutes’ has done nothing wrong, and he would not apologize,” DuBois said. 

“Bill Owens was also the supervising producer of this broadcast. He’s a man of great integrity. We will always be grateful to him for his wisdom, his guidance and above all, his friendship,” Dickerson said.

“And we cannot thank him enough,” DuBois added.

CBS News did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital‘s request for comment.

TOP ’60 MINUTES’ PRODUCER RESIGNS FROM SHOW, CITES LACK OF INDEPENDENCE

Trump is seeking $20 billion in a lawsuit against CBS, alleging election interference over its handling of a “60 Minutes” interview last year with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. The president accused CBS of aiding his 2024 Democratic opponent through deceptive editing just weeks before the presidential election. CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global, agreed to mediation, signaling their courtroom feud will result in a settlement. 

Owens announced to his colleagues on Tuesday he’s removing himself from the newsroom drama. 

“Over the past months, it has also become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it. To make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience,” Owens wrote in a memo obtained by Fox News Digital. “So, having defended this show – and what we stand for – from every angle, over time with everything I could, I am stepping aside so the show can move forward.”

“The show is too important to the country, it has to continue, just not with me as the Executive Producer,” he said.

TRUMP, CBS PARENT COMPANY SET FOR MEDIATION IN $20 BILLION ‘60 MINUTES’ LAWSUIT

It’s been previously reported that Shari Redstone, Paramount’s controlling shareholder, has been in favor of settling Trump’s lawsuit in order to help clear the path for Paramount’s merger with Skydance. 

Owens expressed concern about a recent uptick in oversight from CBS executives during an internal meeting on Tuesday when informing staffers of his abrupt exit, according to The New York Times. 

Leading up to his exit, Redstone reportedly “kept tabs” on which upcoming “60 Minutes” segments were about Trump. 

While a spokesperson for Redstone told Semafor neither she nor Paramount sought to kill stories, one source told Semafor that Redstone had been privately and publicly critical of “60 Minutes” in recent months. 

The lawsuit stems from an exchange Harris had with “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Whitaker, who asked her why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn’t “listening” to the Biden administration.

Harris was widely mocked for the “word salad” answer that aired in a preview clip of the interview on “Face the Nation.” However, when Whitaker asked the same question during the primetime special, Harris had a different, more concise response. Critics at the time accused CBS News of editing Harris’ “word salad” answer to shield the then-vice president from further backlash leading up to Election Day. 

Earlier this year, FCC Chair Brendan Carr ordered CBS News to hand over the unedited transcript of the interview as part of its investigation into whether the network violated the FCC’s “news distortion” policy after a complaint was filed. CBS had refused to release the unedited transcript when the controversy first began. 

The released raw transcript and footage showed that both sets of Harris’ comments came from the same response, but CBS News had aired only the first half of her response in the “Face the Nation” preview clip and aired the second half during the primetime special.