Nick Bilton has been brought in to help steer ‘60 Minutes’ through one of its most chaotic stretches in years. The problem, critics say, is that he has never worked in TV news.
Bilton, 49, was named executive producer of the long-running CBS newsmagazine last week by Bari Weiss, CBS News’ editor in chief. His reported salary is already drawing attention: roughly $2.5 million a year to run one of the most demanding broadcast news operations on television.
That number would be eye-catching on its own. It becomes even sharper when paired with the central criticism now hanging over his appointment.
Bilton has written about technology, appeared as a TV commentator, directed documentaries for HBO and Netflix, and is reportedly working on a Martin Scorsese script. What he does not have is experience running a major TV news program.
Bilton Takes Over A Costly And Complicated Show
‘60 Minutes’ is not a small operation. The CBS program has been on the air for 57 years and carries heavy editorial, financial, and reputational weight.
According to people familiar with CBS News’ business, top ‘60 Minutes’ correspondents can earn as much as $5 million a year. Senior producers can make between $200,000 and $300,000, while associate producers can earn up to $150,000.
Each story can also cost around $75,000 in travel, research, and production expenses before it ever airs.
Bilton now has to manage all of that while preparing for the show’s 59th season in September. Reports say he has a “notebook full of ideas.” Inside CBS, that may not be enough to calm the room.
Scott Pelley Reportedly Confronted Him
Bilton’s arrival has reportedly gone over badly with some staffers.
Veteran correspondent Scott Pelley, who has been with ‘60 Minutes’ since 2004, reportedly confronted Bilton during a closed-door meeting on Monday morning.
On top of that, Pelley allegedly accused Weiss of “murdering 60 Minutes.” “She does not love this place,” Pelley reportedly said. “She was brought in to kill it and is doing exactly that.”
Other producers reportedly backed him in the room.
The confrontation followed a series of major exits. Correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, along with executive producer Tanya Simon, were reportedly fired in quick succession. Anderson Cooper also left the program after two decades following Weiss’ takeover.
Megyn Kelly Also Weighed In
The internal unrest has drawn outside attention too.
Former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly criticized Weiss on her show and suggested she does not have support inside CBS. “She’s not succeeding by any measure, and on top of that, she’s loathed; she does not have the support of the troops internally,” Kelly said. “So good luck with that.”
Weiss and Bilton now face a difficult assignment. They need to steady one of American television’s most recognizable news programs while convincing a skeptical staff that they are not wrecking it from the inside.
For Bilton, the question is blunt: can a first-time TV news boss justify a reported $2.5 million salary before ‘60 Minutes’ loses more of its old guard?
