CBS News Names Tanya Simon Executive Producer of ’60 Minutes’
CBS News has named Tanya Simon the new executive producer of its flagship newsmagazine 60 Minutes.
Simon succeeds Bill Owens, who resigned as EP earlier this year, citing corporate interference that meant “I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it,” Owens told staff. Simon was named interim EP following his exit.
Simon is only the fourth executive producer in the show’s 57 year history, and the first woman. She has been a producer on the program for 25 years, and was the preferred choice to lead the show from its correspondents.
The correspondents sent a letter to CBS chief George Cheeks earlier this year asking that she be named the permanent EP. Simon, the daughter of former 60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon, first joined CBS in 1996 as a researcher for 48 Hours.
You Might Also Like
“Tanya Simon understands what makes 60 Minutes tick. She is an innovative leader, an exceptional producer, and someone who knows how to inspire people,” CBS News president Tom Cibrowski said in a statement. “Tanya knows that the success of today’s 60 Minutes depends on delivering a weekly mix of the most informative, impactful and entertaining stories and investigative journalism from around the world. This is the true essence and foundation of 60 Minutes.”
“It is a privilege to lead 60 Minutes and its formidable team of journalists,” Simon added. “‘60’ is in a class of its own, upholding a legacy of extraordinary and thought-provoking journalism for more than half a century. I’m deeply committed to this level of excellence and I look forward to delivering an exciting season of signature 60 stories that cover a wide range of subjects for a broad audience and engage viewers with their world.”
Simon’s appointment was greeted with relief and cheers inside CBS News, a source says.
Paramount Global had previously settled a lawsuit with President Trump over an interview that 60 Minutes conducted with former Vice President Kamala Harris. The suit was seen as baseless by most observers, given norms around editing interviews, and the settlement sparked anger and outrage inside CBS News and 60 Minutes.
