The season premiere of "60 Minutes" on September 17 saw its lowest viewership in at least 25 years with about 7.9 million viewers, down from approximately 10 million last year. This decline was particularly sharp among adults aged 25-54, a critical demographic for advertisers, showing a 33% drop according to preliminary Nielsen ratings. The poor performance follows significant changes under new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, including the departure of veteran correspondents and allegations of editorial interference.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-16,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss overhauled 60 Minutes, leading to a significant drop in ratings for its season premiere on September 17, 2023. The episode drew only about 7.9 million viewers, marking the show's lowest premiere audience since at least 25 years ago when it typically attracted around 10 million viewers. Among the key demographic of adults aged 25-54, a critical advertising group, the decline was even more pronounced, with ratings dropping by 33% compared to last year.
The episode featured interviews and reports on an Air Force colonel shot down over Iran, former President Donald Trump’s pardons, and a profile of a football coach. This marks a notable shift following Weiss's appointment in October 2022 after the acquisition of Paramount Global by billionaire David Ellison, who then installed Weiss as editor-in-chief. Her changes included dismissing several veteran correspondents and staffers at 60 Minutes.
Critics have accused Weiss of favoring coverage that aligns with her perceived political views, raising concerns about editorial independence. Meanwhile, another major figure in the program's history, Anderson Cooper, departed earlier this year citing similar worries over journalistic integrity.
Written for “60 Minutes Ratings Drop” on 2026-09-17,
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Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 13549 · logged 2026-09-16
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.
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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.
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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.
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outlet → say → August
The Times cautioned that television ratings are influenced by myriad factors.
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ratings → caution → factors
60 Minutes typically follows NFL games, and both CBS and Fox aired games Sunday.
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CBS → follow → games
Last year, by comparison, CBS had the Sunday NFL lineup to itself.
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CBS → have → itself
60 Minutes still remains the most popular news show on television.
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Minutes → remain → television
Last year, it garnered about 9.1 million viewers per episode, marking a 9 percent increase from the previous year.
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it → garner → increase
The Independent has contacted CBS News for comment.
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Independent → contact → comment
The Aporia
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