Former '60 Minutes' Boss Bill Owens Plotting Rival Show With Scott Pelley and Other Ousted CBS Staffers: Report

Former 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens plans to launch a streaming news magazine series as a direct rival to the iconic CBS program, according to an exclusive report from the New York Post.

Reports indicate that Owens wants to build a new investigative series by bringing together high-profile journalists and production staff who have recently left or been ousted from CBS, including veteran correspondent Scott Pelley, the veteran correspondent who was fired after clashing with the network's new management.

Owens is also looking to recruit on-air talent such as Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, both of whom were dismissed by CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss in late May. Weiss has moved to reshape the legendary news magazine since being appointed to her position by Paramount CEO David Ellison.

Along with Pelley, Alfonsi and Vega, CBS also fired executive producer Tanya Simon and senior producers Guy Campanile, Draggan Mihailovich and Matthew Polevoy, all of whom Owens is reportedly looking to hire for his new series.

The proposed show is being pitched to major digital and streaming platforms as a home for long-form journalism without the traditional corporate oversight of a broadcast network.

This move follows a period of significant turmoil at CBS News and Paramount.

Owens resigned in April 2025 amid concerns over corporate interference and a loss of editorial independence. Longtime correspondent Anderson Cooper also later departed, saying at the time that he was resigning to spend more time with his family. However, insiders have claimed that Weiss’ influence played a role in the decision to shelve his 60 Minutes investigation into El Salvador.

Following his departure, Weiss instituted a sweeping shakeup after the show's 58th season, firing much of its senior leadership and replacing them with tech journalist and filmmaker Nick Bilton, who had no prior experience in news magazine television.

Pelley openly pushed back against the changes, reportedly confronting Bilton in staff meetings and accusing corporate leaders of "murdering 60 Minutes.”

Owens strongly condemned CBS News' "Black Thursday" firings during a speech, stating that the staff was "fired by people who don't even know what we do, who don't actually care."

The TV exec further asserted that "CBS News and 60 Minutes are institutions, not places where partisans and ideologues should be employed," while praising Pelley for standing up to new management.

While multiple industry sources have confirmed that the rival show is being pitched, Owens himself has declined to comment publicly. A source close to him, meanwhile, denied that any concrete plans for the project are currently underway.

The speculation surrounding Owens comes as Bilton has hired Ross Douthat as a new 60 Minutes correspondent.

The prominent conservative and Catholic opinion columnist for The New York Times, whom The Daily Beast has described as a “right-wing religious zealot,” was named one of the program’s new correspondents. His hiring has become a focal point for critics who argue that the show is taking a rightward turn.

Douthat joins Norah O’Donnell, the former anchor of CBS Evening News, who has transitioned to a full-time 60 Minutes correspondent, as well as contributors including author Sebastian Junger, British broadcaster Trevor Phillips, and former Vice News filmmaker Gianna Toboni.