CBS names new ‘60 Minutes’ head as criticism of Paramount grows

CBS News named a new executive producer of “60 Minutes” amid questions about the program’s editorial independence after parent company Paramount paid $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump. With federal approval pending for its sale to Skydance Media, Paramount decided not to contest Trump’s claims that “60 Minutes” deceptively edited an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Tanya Simon, a 25-year veteran of “60 Minutes,” will become the fourth executive producer to lead “60 Minutes” since its debut 57 years ago, Tom Cibrowski, president and executive editor of CBS News, announced Thursday. Simon, the daughter of the late “60 Minutes” correspondent Bob Simon, has been interim executive producer since her predecessor, Bill Owens, resigned in April.

Owens departed after alleging corporate interference left him unable to run the program independently. He said in a note shared with staff that he stepped down so “60 Minutes” could grow, CBS News reported. The program had aired several investigative pieces about the effects of Trump’s efforts to revamp the federal government after taking office for his second term.

Simon said in the announcement that she’ll uphold the “60 Minutes” legacy of producing thought-provoking journalism for more than 50 years. Paramount said Simon has covered the 9/11 terrorist attacks, bicyclist Lance Armstrong’s use of performance-enhancing drugs and now-retired pilot Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger’s plane landing in the Hudson River in New York.

Sharp criticism for Paramount

She took over the program as journalists across the country, including many within Paramount, sharply criticized the company for its settlement with the president. 

Trump sued CBS News in October 2024 after the network aired different clips from the same interview with Harris on its “60 Minutes” and “Face the Nation” shows. Trump’s lawyers claimed he suffered mental anguish, and he initially sought $20 billion in damages. 

The lawsuit ended in early July when Paramount announced the settlement, drawing sharp criticism from CBS employees, including “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert. He criticized the settlement as a “big fat bribe” during a July 14 taping, suggesting it was a ploy to get approval for the Paramount-Skydance deal. Three days later, Paramount announced it was canceling “The Late Show” when its season ends in May 2026. 

“I’m not being replaced,” Colbert told a studio audience. “This is all just going away.”

Paramount blamed the cancellation on poor financial performance. The Writers Guild of America, the union representing journalists and other employees across different departments at CBS, including “The Late Show,” criticized Paramount, saying the cancellation sacrifices “free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration” for its merger deal.