Donald Trump, the former U.S. president, had publicly threatened to shut down CBS’s famous current affairs program “60 Minutes.” In response, the show’s executive producer has announced his resignation, citing a violation of media independence.
According to CBS and the New York Times (NYT), Bill Owens, the executive producer of “60 Minutes,” stated in a memo to staff on the 22nd local time that “over the past few months, it has become clear that I can no longer operate the program in the way I have in the past, nor make independent decisions about what is right for the program and its viewers.”
Owens explained, “This program is critically important for the nation and must continue. I am stepping down to allow the program to move forward.”
Former President Trump had been continuously attacking the program since the last presidential election campaign. He accused the program of deceiving the public in an “unprecedented manner” after it interviewed his Democratic rival, former Vice President Kamala Harris, claiming it constituted election fraud.
At the time, Trump also filed a lawsuit worth 20 billion dollars (about 28 trillion won), alleging that “60 Minutes” had manipulated its content by deleting statements unfavorable to Harris.
Recently, Trump threatened to revoke the program’s broadcast license after it interviewed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and reported critically on Trump’s attempt to acquire Greenland.
Trump specifically urged Brendan Carr, a member of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to impose the maximum fines and penalties for what he termed illegal acts.
Owens appears to have felt pressured to step down after Trump threatened not only his program but the broadcasting company’s very existence.
The NYT analyzed that pressure from Paramount, the parent company of CBS, also played a role. According to the NYT, Paramount, awaiting FCC approval for a merger with Skydance, wished to end the lawsuit with “60 Minutes” through a settlement to avoid displeasing Trump.
The NYT reported that Paramount’s chair, Shari Redstone, expressed dissatisfaction to CBS management about a “60 Minutes” segment covering the war between Israel and Hamas in January, and the next day appointed former president Susan Zirinsky to oversee journalism standards in the news department.
Owens, a veteran producer who began his career as an intern at CBS in 1988, became the executive producer of “60 Minutes” in 2019. In the 57-year history of “60 Minutes,” there have only been three executive producers, including Owens.
Since taking office, Trump had taken various measures to tame mainstream media to his liking, such as restricting the Associated Press’s reporting and threatening budget cuts for public radio NPR and public TV PBS.
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