CBS News Takes a Risk With New ‘60 Minutes' Executive Producer
60 Minutes has a new executive producer as of Thursday, with tech journalist and documentarian Nick Bilton taking the reins. The decision is just one of many sweeping changes editor-in-chief Bari Weiss is responsible for at CBS News.
By far one of the most revered programs on CBS, 60 Minutes is now in the hands of a newcomer, Bilton, who has never worked in broadcast news. He is replacing Tanya Simon, the first woman to serve as the show's executive producer. Simon was fired Thursday, ahead of Bilton's appointment being announced.
Bilton's experience includes work with The New York Times, Vanity Fair, as well as directing documentaries for major streaming platforms. Weiss explained in a statement that Bilton's storytelling and tech expertise are key for CBS News' future, despite his lack of broadcast news background.
Weiss herself had no television experience prior to her hiring. David Ellison, CEO of Skydance Media and son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, named Weiss the leader of CBS News last year. Since then, Weiss has found herself in more drama despite 60 Minutes retaining the top spot on Sunday nights according to Nielsen data.
After grossly mismanaging a story about a Salvadoran prison, Weiss found herself in hot water. The story gained online attention and later ran, but with added comments from the Trump administration. Sharyn Alfonsi, who was the correspondent on the story, clashed with Weiss, criticizing her decision. She told the New York Times, "There's a feeling that the wall has come down between editorial independence and corporate interests." Alfonsi was officially fired Thursday, along with Simon and chief White House correspondent Cecilia Vega. Anderson Cooper left earlier this month.
Paramount, CBS News' parent company, settled a $16 million lawsuit with President Donald Trump in the summer of 2025. The suit alleged that a 60 Minutes segment featuring Vice President Kamala Harris was edited to influence the election. The settlement coincided with the FCC's approval of the Skydance-Paramount merger, as well as The Late Show With Stephen Colbert's cancellation.Bill Owens, the 60 Minutes executive producer at the time, stepped down, leading to Simon's interim role prior to Weiss's arrival.
Weiss is now looking for a win and an ally. Although he is an unconventional choice, Bilton claims he is ready. When discussing 60 Minutes, he said, "Look at Don Hewitt and how he came up with the idea for this. He loved documentaries, but he did not have the patience to watch two-hour-long versions of them. So he came up with ‘60 Minutes,' which was a series of short documentaries." Bilton believes that his experience as a documentary filmmaker will fit in with 60 Minutes.
Bilton will be relocating to New York from Los Angeles, but has not released any specific plans for how 60 Minutes will look under his leadership. However, he clarified, "I'm not saying that we're going to change the show completely and drastically…60 will still have its independence."
Next: Stephen Colbert Made CBS Pay in ‘The Late Show' Finale
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 4:22 PM.