The “60 Minutes” clock is ticking like a time bomb.
Lesley Stahl, now the most senior and tenured of the show’s correspondents, isn’t fooling around.
Stahl is bringing out the big guns. She’s reportedly hired Bryan Lourd of Creative Artists Agency to represent her in the CBS debacle.
Matt Belloni reports this in his Puck newsletter over night.
In the last two weeks, Stahl — who’s 84 and has no plans to retire — has seen four of her colleagues leave the show. Anderson Cooper went on his own. But dislikes CBS News chief fired Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega. Then new Executive Producer Nick Bilton fired Scott Pelley.
Also gone are Executive Producer Tanya Simon and senior production staff.
Weiss and Bilton are no match for Lourd or CAA, believe me. Weiss may not care, but Bilton will want some kind of career after this blows up in his face. Lourd knows that.
Losing Lesley Stahl would be ‘game over’ for the new regime. She’s the last link to the classic “60 Minutes” of Mike Wallace, Morley Safer, Harry Reasoner, and Ed Bradley. Her skills and connections drive the show’s authority and public trust. As it is, Pelley’s exit is devastating. His political pieces are incisive and on the money. That piece on the Vietnam caves will win awards.
As for Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim: they better take a page from Stahl’s book if they want to stick around.
And new correspondents? Now that CNN and CBS will be corporate cousins, watch for self-aggrandizing Jake Tapper to try to get a foot in the door.
PS The Joe Rogan rumor has been put to bed. Rogan’s appearance on “60 Minutes” would be the end of CBS News completely.
