Bill Owens spent decades with 60 Minutes but has now officially left the show.
The veteran journalist served as executive producer of CBS’s 60 Minutes from February 2019 until his resignation in April 2025. He joined CBS News in 1988 and held a variety of senior roles, including senior producer and executive editor. Under his leadership, 60 Minutes remained one of America’s most-watched news programs, earning numerous accolades for its investigative journalism.
Find out more about why Owens decided to step down and the wealth he built during his long career below.
Owens resigned as executive producer of 60 Minutes, citing a loss of editorial independence. In a memo to staff, he said he could no longer make autonomous decisions due to growing corporate oversight from CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, which is pursuing a merger requiring approval from the Trump administration.
Pressure on CBS has been mounting after President Donald Trump filed a $20 billion lawsuit against the network, accusing it of deceptive editing during a 2024 interview with then–Vice President Kamala Harris. Although CBS and its legal team consider the lawsuit groundless, Paramount is reportedly considering a settlement or public apology, a move that has unsettled newsroom staff.
During a staff meeting, Owens said he had become “the corporation’s problem” and hoped his resignation would prompt CBS to reflect on its editorial practices.
Correspondent Scott Pelley addressed Owens’s resignation on air, emphasizing that while no stories had been blocked, the increased corporate supervision had compromised the independence necessary for honest journalism.
