After 37 years at CBS, veteran journalist Scott Pelley was abruptly fired from "60 Minutes" amid network turmoil. The ouster followed CBS's sale to David Ellison and the appointment of Bari Weiss, a former New York Times staffer with no television news experience, to lead CBS News. Pelley's dismissal came after Weiss removed several senior "60 Minutes" correspondents.

Pelley described the firings as a "Black Thursday massacre" that eliminated the entire senior staff despite the program's recent success. "60 Minutes" had grown its audience by 9% and online presence by 190%, reaching 2.5 billion views. The veteran correspondent accused Weiss of editorial interference and criticized Bilton for his lack of experience.

During a staff meeting, Pelley confronted Bilton for reading a statement off his phone to heartbroken employees and for a condescending email suggesting the program was stuck in 1968. CBS leadership denied interference claims while Pelley maintained he stood up for colleagues who go to war zones when they are pregnant.