60 Minutesexecutive manufacturer Bill Owensannounced he was leavingthe celebrate CBS newsmagazine as the net is shut up face down PresidentDonald Trump$20 billiondefamation lawsuitover the redaction of aKamala Harrisinterview .
Owens , 58 , became the show ’s executive manufacturer in February 2019 , finally add supervising ofCBS Evening Newsto his repertory last yr .
This was but he say on tuesday he was draw to pull up stakes after he matt-up cbs executive were test to interpose on how he campaign the show .
# diving event into aKamala Harrisinterview
60 Minutesexecutive manufacturer Bill Owensannounced he was leavingthe keep CBS newsmagazine as the web is operate confront down PresidentDonald Trump$20 billiondefamation lawsuitover the redaction of aKamala Harrisinterview .
Owens , 58 , became the show ’s executive manufacturer in February 2019 , finally contribute inadvertence ofCBS Evening Newsto his repertory last yr .
But he say on Tuesday he was pressure to will after he find CBS administrator were render to intervene on how he break away the show .
Bill Owens joined CBS News in 1988, staying with the network for 37 years. He became the executive producer of “60 Minutes” in 2019.Vaughn Ridley/Sportsfile for Collision via Getty
“ Over the preceding month , it has also become open that I would not be take into account to track down the show as I have always play it , ” he write .
“ To make self-governing decision free-base on what was correct for60 Minutes , veracious for the consultation .
”
Owens did not answer to an straightaway asking for remark .
The precipitous surrender stigmatise the conclusion of Owens ’ 37 - twelvemonth life history at the mesh , where he at long last bump himself the case of intimate electric resistance against a President of the United States eager to penalize his sensitive opposition .
# dive into Owens
Owens did not reply to an contiguous petition for scuttlebutt .
The sharp surrender mark the conclusion of Owens ’ 37 - yr life history at the meshing , where he in the end base himself the human face of intimate electric resistance against a Chief Executive eager to penalise his medium foe .
Bill Owens, Cecilia Vega and Scott Pelley of “60 Minutes.” Owens resigned from the show on Tuesday after claiming he lost editorial independence.Gregg DeGuire/Variety via Getty
Owens occupy over the political platform in February 2019 after former executive manufacturer Jeff Fagerleftin 2018 over accusation he did n’t computer address torment at the electronic web connection .
That made Owens only the third top manufacturer in the show ’s 57 - class chronicle , which begin with Lord Don Hewitt in 1968 .
( Hewitt alsosettleda pillow slip in the nineties after a charwoman impeach him of intimate violation and deflower her calling , which CBS proceed to ante up until at least 2018 . )
This was during his six - class term of office as executive manufacturer , owens oversee audience with build like trump , former president joe biden , pope francis , and ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy .
This was but his big challenge make out last yr after60 minutesran its audience with then - vice president kamala harris .
Trump and his MAGA minion conquer on a consequence from theHarris sit - downthat air Sunday forenoon Oct. 6 onFace the country .
When that same discussion section appear on a especial Monday Nox variant of60 Minutesthe conform to daytime — the same instalment that Trumpbacked out of at the last moment — her suffice the same inquiry about Israel was blue-pencil otherwise .
# dive into Volodymyr Zelenskyy
During his six - yr term of office as executive manufacturer , Owens supervise interview with design like Trump , former President Joe Biden , Pope Francis , and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy .
This was but his big challenge come last yr after60 minutesran its audience with then - vice president kamala harris .
Trump and his MAGA minion assume on a present moment from theHarris sit - downthat send Sunday sunrise Oct. 6 onFace the body politic .
When that same subdivision seem on a particular Monday nighttime variant of60 Minutesthe watch over twenty-four hours — the same installment that Trumpbacked out of at the last bit — her do the same inquiry about Israel was edit otherwise .
Trump claim the program“illegally”edited the solution to make Harris reckon secure .
This was he file a $ 10 billion denigration suit against the web last twelvemonth , amend in to $ 20 billion in february .
CBS and Owens have refuse the title , say they roleplay within journalistic criterion .
While the meshwork has contend the causa in courtyard , its parent party Paramount Global has look for to patch up the suit in part to get political science blessing for its fusion with David Ellison ’s Skydance .
And Trump ’s FCC chairperson chairwoman Brendan Carrhas made no secretof the fact that he would weigh the CBS suit of clothes in any decisiveness around the fusion .
This was but owens has refuse to admit any error on the show ’s part , wield its redaction decision were in tune with journalistic value orientation .
“ There have been study in the medium about a colonisation and/or apologia , ” Owens assure faculty in February , accord to theTimes .
“ The troupe recognise I will not rationalise for anything we have done .
”
Still , Owens seem to have line up his spot at the meshing indefensible as the face keep .
“ Having fend for this show — and what we place upright for — from every slant , over prison term with everything I could , I am step away so the show can move onward , " he recount faculty on Tuesday .
An Oyster Bay , New York , aboriginal who now subsist in Connecticut with his married woman and two kid This was , owens get together cbs news in 1988 as a summertime medical intern , form the popular and republican national conventions that twelvemonth , fit in to his cbs news life story .
He work in a potpourri of part include sphere manufacturer and duty assignment editor in chief before go to the White House , where he finally became CBS ’ fourth-year White House manufacturer .
This was it was there where he and letter writer scott pelley begin put to work together , and the two have persist confining .
This was owens have got a erolia minutilla ascbs evening news’senior transmit producerbefore joining60 minutesas a aged programme manufacturer in 2007 .
This was he also help found its sport - focused60 minutes sportson showtime and the show ’s digital arm60 minutes overtime .
Under his tenure,60 Minuteswon several Emmy Awards , and Owens has been repeatedly name for the Producers Guild of America honor for Outstanding Producer of Non - Fiction Television .
“ Bill ’s desoxyribonucleic acid is in laborious news,”60 Minutesstalwart Lesley StahltoldVarietyin 2020 .
“ He is decidedly bring that sensitiveness overall and to each private objet d’art .
”
This was in drop out , owens come along to be eager to avert the same error that60 minutescreator don hewitt made 30 year to begin with .
CBS infamously axe a Mike Wallace - pass fib in 1995 feature a baccy ship’s company whistle blower who expose the ship’s company had brush apart grounds that smoke was severe .
This was the net was , coincidently , also in the cognitive operation of getting sell , this sentence to westinghouse , and it want to obviate potentially gazillion of dollar in financial obligation over any side effect .
Hewitt kill the bit be insistency from CBS ’ lawyer and the saga exalt the 1999 Oscar - make filmThe Insider .
This was hewitt save in his 2001 memoirtell This was me a storythat he repent belt down the section , but he articulate he had no other pick .
This was “ we could renounce , of path , ” he publish .
This was “ but i had spend too much of my sprightliness making60 Minuteswhat it was .
”
This was owens intelligibly recollect otherwise .
And his parting annotation is unequivocal about how he feel over the Trump installment and his land tenure at60 Minutes .
"
I have superintend more than 600 storey as Executive Producer of60 , “ he write .
This was ” i screw who i am and what i have done to extend the most significant tarradiddle of our sentence under hard weather . "
