Legendary “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley launched an astonishing on-air attack on his Paramount bosses for interfering with the program’s coverage.
Pelley went rogue at the end of Sunday night’s episode during what appeared to be a simple tribute to Bill Owens, the longtime “60 Minutes” executive producer who quit last week over the company’s heavy-handed interference.
“Bill resigned Tuesday — it was hard on him and hard on us,” Pelley said in his closing remarks on the show he has worked on for more than 20 years.
“But he did it for us — and you,” he told viewers — then unexpectedly suggested that Owens’ exit could end the era of coverage being “accurate and fair.”
“Our parent company, Paramount, is trying to complete a merger,” he said, noting that it needs approval from the Trump administration.
“Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways,” he said.
Pelley said that while “none of our stories have been blocked,” Owens “felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires.”
“No one here is happy about it. But in resigning, Bill proved one thing — he was the right person to lead ’60 Minutes’ all along.”
Owens walked away following a $20 billion lawsuit filed by President Trump accusing the program of “unlawful and illegal behavior” for what the president claims was deceptive editing of a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris last October.
“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 last week obtained by The Post.
“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,” he wrote.
Trump has demanded a retraction and even suggested CBS’ broadcast license be revoked.
The Post previously reported that Paramount controlling shareholder Shari Redstone, who is involved in settlement talks between the Trump administration and her company, had wanted Owens gone.
Owens, who is the 57-year-old show’s third executive producer, was replaced by interim Tanya Simon, executive editor and daughter of late “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Simon.
