Bill Owens Steps Down as ‘60 Minutes’ Chief, Citing Loss of Editorial Independence

He says the editorial constraints he now faced made it impossible for him to lead the program as before.

Bill Owens takes part in a panel discussion at the Showtime Winter TCA Tour at the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 12, 2013. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Bill Owens, the longtime executive producer of the CBS program “60 Minutes,” announced on April 22 that he is stepping down, saying it has become clear he can no longer run the show with full editorial independence.

“The fact is that ‘60 Minutes’ has been my life,” Owens wrote in a farewell note to staff obtained by The Epoch Times. “Over the past months, it has also become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it—to make independent decisions based on what was right for ’60 Minutes,' right for the audience.”

Owens, who has been with CBS News for 37 years—including 24 at “60 Minutes”—said he was stepping aside so the show “can move forward.” His departure comes amid growing political and legal scrutiny of the program, including a $20 billion lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over CBS’s editing of an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign.

Trump’s amended complaint, filed on Feb. 7 in a Texas court, accuses CBS and its parent company, Paramount Global, of news distortion and election interference. The lawsuit claims the network deceptively edited Harris’s responses to portray her more favorably, while simultaneously harming Trump’s media company, Truth Social, by diverting viewership and ad revenue.

The complaint also cites the network’s decision to air different portions of the interview on “Face the Nation” and “60 Minutes,” allegedly misleading the public about Harris’s full remarks, particularly her comments on the Israel–Hamas conflict.

CBS has rejected the allegations.

“We are posting the same transcripts and videos of our interview with Vice President Kamala Harris that we provided to the FCC,” the network said in a February statement. “They show—consistent with 60 Minutes’ repeated assurances to the public—that the broadcast was not doctored or deceitful.”

Owens did not directly reference the lawsuit in his resignation message. He said the editorial constraints he now faced made it impossible for him to lead the program as before.

“Having defended this show—and what we stand for—from every angle, over time and with everything I could, I am stepping aside so the show can move forward,” he wrote.

In an internal CBS memo confirming the resignation and shared with The Epoch Times, CBS News President and CEO Wendy McMahon praised Owens for leading the show “with unwavering integrity, curiosity, and a deep commitment to the truth.”

She added that she and CBS co-president Neeraj Khemlani remain committed to “60 Minutes” and that conversations with staff about the show’s direction would continue in the coming weeks.

The lawsuit is not the only pressure CBS is facing. In February, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reopened a news distortion complaint against the network, citing concerns about how the Harris interview was edited and presented. FCC Chair Brendan Carr said the matter warranted further review to determine whether standard journalistic practices were followed or whether the editing served other purposes.

Despite the challenges, Owens expressed confidence in the show’s future: “‘60 Minutes’ will continue to cover the new administration, as we will report on future administrations. We will report from war zones, investigate injustices, and educate our audience. In short, ’60 Minutes’ will do what it has done for 57 years.”

Owens, who will remain at CBS for several weeks during the transition, concluded his note by thanking his colleagues and urging them to “remain focused on the moment.”