CBS News on Thursday named a new star producer for “60 Minutes,” the network’s flagship newsmagazine: Nick Bilton, a documentarian, author and former New York Times technology columnist.
Bilton, who has never worked in television news, replaces Tanya Simon, a 25-year “60 Minutes” veteran.
“Nick is one of the most entrepreneurial journalists of our time and the ideal leader for one of the most entrepreneurial news brands of all time,” said CBS News executive editor Bari Weiss, who also had no television news experience when Paramount Skydance hired her to run the division last fall.
Bari Weiss, executive editor of CBS News.Michele Crowe/CBS via Getty Images“We have one big ambition for ’60 Minutes’: to reach new heights through in-depth, revealing journalism that breaks news, exposes wrongdoing, broadens public understanding and holds every institution and center of power accountable,” Weiss added.
Bilton’s hiring heralds a major shake-up at “60 Minutes,” television’s renowned weekly newsmagazine and a franchise long considered the crown jewel of CBS News. The news was first reported by The Times.
The announcement comes a day after “60 Minutes” correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi told the Times that CBS News had not renewed her contract. In December, Alfonsi clashed with Weiss over the last-minute delay of her reporting on a notorious prison in El Salvador.
CBS News and Alfonsi did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the status of his deal.
In a letter to “60 Minutes” staff Thursday, Bilton introduced himself and said in part: “I’m here to run this show, not keep it under glass. That means honoring what works and being honest about what doesn’t. I have a notebook full of ideas.”
“Some of it is about the show itself. Some of it is about the next generation of correspondents. Some of it is about the strange fact that we produce an extraordinary hour one night a week in a world that consumes content 24 hours a day,” he added.
In a statement shared with NBC News, Simon acknowledged that “leaders decided it was time to open a new chapter.”
“I want to be unequivocally clear about one thing: it has been an immense privilege to lead this show, and I couldn’t be more proud of what we have built, fought for and achieved together over the past year,” Simon added.
“60 Minutes” has faced heavy criticism from President Donald Trump, who sued CBS ahead of the 2024 election over an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris that he said was misleadingly edited.
CBS has categorically denied this claim. Paramount ultimately settled the lawsuit for $16 million.
Bilton’s reporting has appeared in The Times and Vanity Fair. He has also directed and produced documentaries on the worlds of business and technology for Netflix and HBO, including a film about disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes.
Weiss has overseen a wave of sweeping changes at CBS News since his hiring in October, including bringing in “CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil as anchor of “CBS Evening News.”
Weiss is a former Times opinion writer and editor who launched The Free Press website in 2021. Paramount Skydance, which owns CBS, acquired The Free Press when it hired Weiss.
