CBS News insiders fear 'something monumental' coming as Bari Weiss targets top program

A cloud of dread has descended upon CBS News as controversial editor-in-chief Bari Weiss prepares to overhaul "60 Minutes" when the show returns next season — with network insiders warning changes are coming that will upend the venerable Sunday night institution.

According to the Guardian, the current season concludes on Sunday, after which the iconoclastic Weiss is expected to impose her ideological imprint on a program that has operated with editorial autonomy for decades.

The 59th season will be the first fully under Weiss' purview following Skydance Media's acquisition of CBS parent Paramount Global in August 2025. Amid persistent rumors that next season will look dramatically different, network insiders are bracing for significant disruption.

Speaking with the Guardian, one longtime network insider warned of "massive changes" after the current season ends, though the network reportedly has no plans to completely overhaul the format or abandon the show's award-winning investigative mission. However, layoffs are widely anticipated.

"People [at 60 Minutes] are afraid and they're waiting for something monumental to happen here," said another network insider.

A CBS News staffer, speaking without authorization, expressed alarm that Weiss would implement changes that damage the show "just like she has done with everything else at CBS News."

A third insider urged caution, cautioning: "They don't want to turn it upside down."

Even outside CBS, prominent journalists have voiced concerns about the show's future. CNN's chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour last week expressed alarm about Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison — and his father, billionaire Trump ally Larry Ellison — taking control of the network, the report notes.

Amanpour pointed to an "ideological realignment" of CBS News and "the destruction, potentially, of 60 Minutes." She emphasized the show's unmatched status: "Nobody can match 60 Minutes for a brilliant television magazine show that's been doing hard news and cultural news for decades and decades – top-rated, top money-maker for the network."

The Guardian is reporting that two longtime "60 Minutes" correspondents — 84-year-old Lesley Stahl and 68-year-old Scott Pelley — are expected to remain with the show. Pelley has been targeted by conservatives for critical comments about the Trump administration.

Stahl recently lost out to CBS News journalist Major Garrett for an interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that aired on last Sunday's broadcast — a decision that raised questions about Weiss' editorial authority and correspondent hierarchy.