Former “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens is reportedly writing a tell-all memoir detailing his 37 years at CBS News, in which he sharply criticizes Paramount's leadership and business decisions.
Owens resigned last year, citing increasing corporate interference in editorial matters. In a memoir proposal obtained by Breaker Media, he alleges that Paramount's decision to settle President Trump’s lawsuit over the editing of a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris was an act of “corporate cowardice” and possibly “the worst legal strategy ever employed by the worst-run media company in the history of America.” Owens stated that he opposed the settlement, believing the case lacked merit and fearing it would set a precedent for candidates to demand access to all interview materials.
Criticism of Paramount Leadership
According to Breaker, Owens also targets Paramount CEO David Ellison and Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss. He claims Ellison promised to depoliticize CBS News before hiring Weiss, whom Owens describes as an opinion writer focused on her own views. Owens recounts Weiss asking journalists to report on their work in a manner he likened to a "summer break" assignment.
Accusations of Internal Surveillance
Owens further alleges in the proposal that Paramount established an internal system for monitoring newsroom activities, stating the company had “set up an internal spy ring that the Vichy government would have admired.” He claims scripts and story plans were regularly shared with senior corporate leadership.
Critique of Shari Redstone's Decisions
The memoir proposal also includes harsh criticism of former Paramount controlling shareholder Shari Redstone. Owens faults her decision to merge CBS and Viacom, which he states was advised against by nearly all advisors. He characterized the merger as “more like a rape, with Viacom consuming CBS,” leaving behind a weakened entity named Paramount.
The memoir comes amid a period of significant upheaval at CBS News and “60 Minutes.” Following Owens' resignation, the program saw further staff dismissals, including correspondents and senior producers, after Weiss assumed leadership of the news division under Paramount Skydance. Veteran correspondent Scott Pelley was reportedly fired after confronting new executive producer Nick Bilton and accusing Weiss of damaging “60 Minutes.”
A spokesperson for Paramount television chief George Cheeks disputed aspects of Owens' account, telling Breaker Media that Cheeks did not support apologizing to Trump as part of the settlement and did not review “60 Minutes” scripts before they aired.