CBS News’ “60 Minutes” is off to a rocky start on the viewership front under its new leadership.
Ratings for the “60 Minutes” season premiere on Sunday night plunged more than 20% from last year, according to data from Nielsen.
About 7.9 million people watched the episode, orchestrated by new lead producer Nick Bilton, who was selected by top CBS News editor Bari Weiss in May. Last fall, just over 10 million people tuned in to the launch of “60 Minutes.”
Key context: The NFL game lead-in to “60 Minutes” was much weaker than last year, when Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens faced Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
The premiere was “a big moment for 60 Minutes and CBS,” according to a memo that Bilton, Weiss, and network president Tom Cibrowski sent to CBS News staffers on Sunday.
CBS News touted the online viewership of “60 Minutes,” saying the news program roughly tripled its social media reach.
Highlights of the episode included an interview with the US Air Force pilot who survived after being shot down in Iran and a profile on Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay as the NFL season kicked off. The episode also had interviews with so-called “pardon brokers” who sell wealthy clients on their supposed ability to influence presidential pardons.
Bilton and Weiss spent the summer revamping “60 Minutes” after a choppy stretch in which correspondents Scott Pelley, Cecilia Vega, Sharyn Alfonsi, and Anderson Cooper left the storied news program.
Pelley was fired by Bilton after publicly questioning his new boss’ qualifications, pressing him on why Vega and Alfonsi were let go, and accusing Weiss of “murdering” the “60 Minutes” telecast.
Longtime correspondents Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim decided to stay at “60 Minutes” after Bilton pledged to uphold high journalistic standards, telling their colleagues that they “don’t want to see 60 Minutes die.”
Bilton has put his touch on “60 Minutes” by modernizing its graphics and bringing on contributors like correspondent Ross Douthat, who came over from The New York Times in July.
Weiss has ruffled some feathers since David Ellison, the CEO of CBS parent Paramount Skydance, put her in charge of CBS News last fall. The former New York Times opinion editor, who’s known for her anti-woke views, has faced accusations of political bias and editorial interference that she has denied.
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