Bari Weiss is reported to be preparing a sweeping overhaul of 60 Minutes after the current season ends in May, and that could include removing executive producer Tanya Simon. The move would target the top of CBS News' most famous weekly program just months after Weiss took over as editor-in-chief last October.
Staffers at CBS News told Status that pushing Simon out could spark a revolt inside the show. One staffer said it would be an “earthquake-like event,” while another warned, “If Tanya goes, you can expect others to leave.” A third staffer said the challenge of running a weekly investigative news program that consistently makes money, finds an audience, and breaks meaningful news is already difficult, and becomes close to impossible under an unsupportive corporate owner and near-constant leaks about the show’s future. That same staffer said what Simon and her team produce each week is “truly remarkable.”
Simon’s year-long contract is expected to be up soon, giving Weiss a natural opening if she wants to force a change. A source familiar with the situation said Weiss is ready to “blow it up as soon as the season is over.” Another source told The New York Post that Weiss wants to make the show harder, and that putting her stamp on 60 Minutes would likely require removing either the top producer or the top correspondent. A CBS insider told the Post that Simon has “fallen in line” with Weiss’ vision.
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The reported shakeup lands after Weiss pulled a 60 Minutes report in December about the El Salvador mega-prison CECOT, a story that was unfavorable to President Donald Trump. The segment, originally scheduled for December 21, did not air until January 18. Then in February, Anderson Cooper said he would leave the show to spend more time with his family, adding another sign that the lineup around 60 Minutes is already shifting.
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If Weiss follows through after May, the answer to the question hanging over the program is blunt: she is not making a minor edit. She appears ready to remake 60 Minutes from the top down, even if that means risking the departures staffers say could follow.
