Former 60 Minutes Team Plans New Investigative News Program: Challenges and Opportunities Ahead
A new rival news program is in the works, spearheaded by former 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens and potentially featuring ousted reporter Scott Pelley. Owens is seeking to raise $50 million to fund two years of content, including in-depth investigative news segments. The funding would cover staffing, production, marketing, and legal expenses, with former 60 Minutes journalists possibly needing to accept lower salaries to join the project.
Owens is reportedly keen on bringing Pelley on board, who was fired in June after a confrontation with new 60 Minutes exec producer Nick Bilton. The project may also involve other fired 60 Minutes staffers, such as Tanya Simon, Draggan Mihailovich, Cecilia Vega, Sharyn Alfonsi, Guy Campanile, and Matthew Polevoy. Despite Owens declining to comment and a source close to him denying the plans, sources indicate that a business plan and pitch deck have been prepared by the fired 60 Minutes staffers for a documentary-style program aimed at streaming and digital platforms.
The proposed program aims to deliver deeply reported content akin to 60 Minutes, rather than a talk show format. However, securing funding and a platform has proven challenging, with limited interest from streamers or broadcast networks. The project faces hurdles in finding financial backing and a suitable distribution platform, despite the potential involvement of experienced journalists and producers from the former 60 Minutes team.