Bill Owens, the longtime executive producer of CBS News' "60 Minutes," is stepping down over concerns about editorial independence, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters on April 22.
Owens' departure follows a monthslong legal battle with President Donald Trump, who sued CBS in October 2024 over a "60 Minutes" interview with his Democratic rival for the White House, former Vice President Kamala Harris. Earlier this month, the case entered mediation.
"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 wrote in a note to the "60 Minutes" staff. After defending the show "from every angle, over time with everything I could," he has elected to step aside.