Ex-‘60 Minutes’ boss Bill Owens needs to launch rival news show with Scott Pelley, other fired staffers: sources

A former boss of “60 Minutes” needs to launch a rival news sequence with Scott Pelley and other correspondents and producers who’ve not too long ago exited the iconic show — however insiders are skeptical about whether or not it may well get off the ground, The Post has discovered. 

Bill Owens – who resigned last year as “60 Minutes” executive producer amid a dustup between CBS and President Trump over how a Kamala Harris interview was edited – is trying to raise round $50 million to fund two years’ price of in-depth and investigative news segments, sources with information said.

The lump sum Owens is in search of would bankroll every part from staffing and manufacturing to advertising and marketing and legal, sources added. Still, for the thought to work, former “60 Minutes” journalists would possible be pressured to take a drastic pay cut.

Former “60 Minutes” govt producer Bill Owens is trying to launch a streaming news journal, sources said. Getty Images for Writers Guild of America East

“I think they’re asking for too much money,” a source familar with the plan said. “They’re looking at the old ’60 Minutes’ model and they’re all used to mega salaries.”

A source close to Owens denied the plans.

Still, some insiders speculated that a “60 Minutes”-style enterprise might doubtlessly capitalize on latest upheaval at the 57-year-old show after CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss cleaned house in latest months.

A second source said Owens is angling to enlist the bombastic Pelley, who was fired in June after he tore into Weiss, claiming she was “murdering ‘60 Minutes” during a employees assembly.

Indeed, there was chatter that Pelley’s scorched-earth exit – through which he also slammed the show’s new executive producer Bilton, telling him he’d “never be welcomed” – was partly a ploy to gin up buzz ahead of an upcoming enterprise.

“60 Minutes’” new govt producer Nick Bilton has been scrambling to rebuild the show before it goes to air in September. Joshua Blanchard

Owens might also faucet other fired “60 Minutes” staffers including ex-correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, former govt producer Tanya Simon and senior producers Guy Campanile and Draggan Mihailovich and Matthew Polevoy, a source with information said.

Owens declined to remark. Other former “60 Minutes” staffers couldn’t be reached for remark.

As The Post reported last week, the show’s new govt producer Nick Bilton has struggled to hire senior producers and has used interviews with prospective candidates as “therapy sessions” to vent about his own work situations.

Last week, Bilton announced four “new faces” coming to “60 Minutes” — Ross Douthat, Sebastian Junger, Gianna Toboni and Trevor Phillips, in addition to longtime CBS News journo Norah O’Donnell. Some of the hires have been met with skepticism over their broadcast TV {qualifications}.

Owens shopped the thought of a rival show earlier this 12 months, however hit some snags — including securing money and a platform, sources close to the state of affairs said.

Fired “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley has been rumored to be working with Owens on the new enterprise. AFP through Getty Images

In latest weeks, however, fired “60 Minutes” staffers have put together a business plan and pitch deck. The outdated gang is hoping to supply a documentary-style program for streaming and doubtlessly digital platforms, according to sources.

“Rather than a chat show, it will be deeply reported, similar to ‘60 Minutes’,” a source said.

Still, Owens and his colleagues face a major drawback — specifically the stiff prices of producing a “60 Minutes”-type program and the challenge of convincing deep-pocketed streamers like Netflix, Apple and YouTube — or even a TV network like NBC — to foot the invoice.

“There isn’t a huge appetite,” from major streaming platforms or broadcast networks, said one TV agent.

Owens will possible faucet fired correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega (heart left and heart proper), in addition to former govt producer Tanya Simon (proper). CBS through Getty Images

Insiders have speculated that a prime goal for the sequence can be Netflix, the prospective archrival to CBS owner Paramount Skydance and its pending, $110 billion merger accomplice Warner Bros Discovery, the proprietor of HBO Max.

“There’s no clamoring on the Netflix side for overall news,” said one former streaming exec. “But for a tightly done show that isn’t too expensive, maybe it could work.”

Pivot podcast co-host Scott Galloway has been vocal on his show about why Netflix ought to rent Pelley and other former “60 Minutes” to create their own version, citing the show’s success.

“If I were [Netflix CEO] Ted Sarandos, I would call Scott Pelley and Anderson Cooper, pay them $10 million each, you hire whoever the f you want, including an executive producer and Netflix will put something out called. ‘The Hour,’” he said not too long ago.

CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss is revamping “60 Minutes” and has been cleansing home as half of that effort. CBS News through AP

If Owens isn’t in a position to ink a hefty deal with a streamer, he’ll need to organize to make his show on a shoestring price range, said one source who works in the digital video space. Building an viewers of subscribers — a notoriously tough prospect — can be also important to success, the individual added. 

On YouTube, a video with 1 million views usually earns round $5,000 in promoting income. One million subscribers can carry in upwards of $1 million a 12 months, and sponsorships can meaningfully increase that quantity relying on the sponsor. 

Owens’ efforts come as Weiss has decimated the show’s employees in a bid to update the program and tackle criticisms that it was marred by left-wing bias.

Pelley had griped that his bosses were trying to interfere with his reports and insert “political bias”. CBS News denied Pelley’s claims and said the edits had been half of the regular journalistic course of between correspondent and editor.

Four of the seven correspondents from last season’s “60 Minutes” exited the program. CBS through Getty Images

Although Owens give up “60 Minutes” last 12 months – before Weiss’ arrival – he too complained about interference from higher ups.

The exec give up the lofty gig last 12 months when the show’s mother or father company Paramount was settling a lawsuit against President Trump over claims of “deceptive editing” of an interview with Harris that aired days before the November 2024 presidential election.

As beforehand reported by The Post, Bilton has been stewing over how he was handled by Pelley and the employees, who applauded the correspondent for standing up to the new boss.

While sources said Owens and other former “60 Minutes” staffers might produce a strong rival to CBS’ marquee show, they had been skeptical they’d get the crucial backing. Christopher Sadowski for NY Post

Sources told The Post that Bilton’s lack of TV experience is a key issue with higher-ups at CBS, who’ve expressed considerations that he has “big ideas” however lacks the “skills to get things done,” which has some worrying about the show’s September debut.

But there’s no guarantee an Owens-led “60 Minutes” knockoff might be a success.

One source pointed to CBS’ try and rival HBO’s acclaimed “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” with “60 Minutes Sports,” which it launched in 2013 with Showtime. The show finally shuttered in 2017, after failing to build a large enough viewers.  

“Real Sports,” the sports activities documentary show ended its 29-year-run in 2023 when Gumbel retired.

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