The Aporia · Bari Weiss’ overhaul of 60 Minutes sees season premiere hit 25-year ratings low

Brendan Rascius

93 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

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Also by Brendan Rascius

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Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

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60 Minutes opened its 59th season Sunday with its smallest premiere audience in at least a quarter-century following CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss’ overhaul of the flagship program. asserted

Minutes → open → program

About 7.9 million viewers watched the season premiere, down from roughly 10 million for last year’s opener, according to Nielsen data cited by The New York Times. uncertain

viewers → watch → Times

The decline was sharp among adults aged 25-54, a key advertising demographic. asserted

decline → age → adults

Preliminary Nielsen ratings, cited by Mediaite, showed viewership in that group fell 33 percent. asserted

viewership → cite → group

The episode — featuring an interview with an Air Force colonel shot down over Iran, a report on President Donald Trump’s pardons and a profile of a football coach — was the program’s least-watched season premiere since at least 2000. asserted

episode → feature → 2000

The lackluster ratings come after months of upheaval at 60 Minutes and CBS News more broadly, following billionaire David Ellison’s acquisition of Paramount — CBS News’ parent company — and his appointment of Weiss as editor-in-chief last October. asserted

ratings → come → chief

Upon taking her leadership position, Weiss ousted several 60 Minutes veteran correspondents and staffers. asserted

Weiss → take → correspondents

She has also been accused by critics of steering coverage in ways favorable to the Trump administration and Israel, claims she has emphatically denied. uncertain

she → accuse → administration

“What’s being called ‘editorial interference’ is in reality the job description of an editor in chief,” Weiss told The Wall Street Journal in June. asserted

Weiss → call → June

Longtime correspondent Scott Pelley was fired in June after reportedly accusing Weiss of “murdering” the flagship news program. uncertain

Pelley → fire → program

A month earlier, correspondent Sharon Alfonsi was dismissed after publicly clashing with Weiss over the decision to pull a segment on a brutal Latin American prison. asserted

Alfonsi → dismiss → prison

Anderson Cooper also departed the program in May, citing the importance of editorial “independence” in his final address. uncertain

Cooper → depart → address

In July, CBS News announced a slate of new hires to fill the vacancies created by those departures. asserted

News → announce → departures

“An exceptional lineup of journalists will be joining 60 Minutes, carrying on its tradition of fearless, independent and impartial reporting,” Nick Bilton, the show’s new executive producer, wrote in a July 28 memo shared on X. “I can't wait for them to get started.” asserted

them → join → X.

Bilton said five journalists would join the weekly broadcast for its 59th season. asserted

journalists → say → season

They include Ross Douthat, a conservative New York Times opinion columnist and podcaster, and Norah O’Donnell, a CBS News senior correspondent. asserted

They → include → Douthat

Ahead of Sunday’s season premiere, Weiss was given a “blank check” to promote the revamped program, according to Puck News. uncertain

Weiss → give → News

“Sources familiar with the plans say that CBS will blanket the airwaves and major markets with a multipronged, cross-platform campaign to emphasize the show’s new look and feel and commitment to its 60-year legacy,” the outlet reported in August. asserted

outlet → say → August

The Times cautioned that television ratings are influenced by myriad factors. asserted

ratings → caution → factors

60 Minutes typically follows NFL games, and both CBS and Fox aired games Sunday. asserted

CBS → follow → games

Last year, by comparison, CBS had the Sunday NFL lineup to itself. asserted

CBS → have → itself

60 Minutes still remains the most popular news show on television. asserted

Minutes → remain → television

Last year, it garnered about 9.1 million viewers per episode, marking a 9 percent increase from the previous year. asserted

it → garner → increase

The Independent has contacted CBS News for comment. asserted

Independent → contact → comment

Bari Weiss’ overhaul of 60 Minutes sees season premiere hit 25-year ratings low

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