CBS Information mentioned Thursday it has chosen Tanya Simon as the highest producer at “60 Minutes,” elevating a revered insider in a closely-watched appointment given the turmoil that enveloped the newsmagazine with the settlement of President Donald Trump’s lawsuit.
Simon, daughter of the late “60 Minutes” correspondent Bob Simon, turns into solely the fourth govt producer of the influential newsmagazine because it was invented by Don Hewitt within the late Sixties.
Simon has labored there for 25 years and been interim govt producer since her predecessor Invoice Owens stop in April, saying he questioned whether or not he’d be allowed to guide this system as he noticed match.
Owens had opposed settling Trump’s lawsuit over the modifying of final fall’s interview with Kamala Harris. CBS Information mum or dad firm Paramount World agreed earlier this month to pay Trump $16 million to finish their dispute.
“Tanya Simon understands what makes ‘60 Minutes’ tick,” mentioned Tom Cibrowski, president and govt editor of CBS Information. “She is an innovative leader, an exceptional producer, and someone who knows how to inspire people.”
Many on the famously insular broadcast supported Simon as a substitute for Owens. In Could, seven of the present’s correspondents signed a letter to Paramount World administration urging her appointment. “As much as we will miss Bill Owens, we believe — no, we know — that his long-term successor must come from within,” the correspondents wrote.
Crucially, Simon’s appointment got here earlier than the Trump administration’s approval of Paramount World’s proposed merger with Skydance Media, a takeover that’s anticipated to end in modifications at CBS Information, and might be a considered as a solution to calm nerves.
With its Sunday evening time slot and a historical past that goes again to legendary correspondents Mike Wallace and Morley Safer, “60 Minutes” is usually the most-watched broadcast information program.
Most journalists at CBS Information thought-about Trump’s argument that the Harris interview was deliberately edited to make her seem like a stronger candidate to be baseless. Speak of the settlement, even a possible apology that wound up not being included, drained morale on the community this spring.
In the meantime, administration at Skydance Media advised the Federal Communications Fee, which is reviewing the merger plans, that it’s going to rigorously look ahead to any perceived biased at CBS Information and rent an ombudsman to evaluation any complaints about equity.
“In all respects, Skydance will ensure that CBS’s reporting is fair, unbiased and fact-based,” the corporate’s basic counsel, Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon, wrote Brendan Carr, FCC chairman.
___
David Bauder writes in regards to the intersection of media and leisure for the AP. Observe him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.
