Former ’60 Minutes’ executive producer Bill Owens has revealed he faced internal pressure to apologize for the network’s coverage of former Vice President Kamala Harris, which became central to Donald Trump’s lawsuit against CBS. Owens, who resigned from his position in April 2025 due to a perceived lack of independence, recounted being asked to apologize for the program’s interview with Harris, which was at the heart of Trump’s legal case against the network. Owens, speaking at Colby College in Maine, stated that he refused to apologize, asserting that the network had not committed any wrongdoing. He emphasized that while ’60 Minutes’ isn’t perfect and has made mistakes in the past, they have always acknowledged and corrected those errors.
During his remarks, Owens also highlighted the political sensitivities surrounding the network’s coverage. He noted that the Trump-related stories were a particular point of contention within the organization, with internal discussions about how often the former president’s name should appear in reports. Owens recounted an instance where he received a phone call from an intermediary suggesting that they needed to reduce the frequency of mentioning Trump in their coverage. Furthermore, Owens criticized the handling of the Gaza conflict, stating that coverage of the war was seen as politically sensitive, with concerns over the perceived bias in the reporting.
Owens also mentioned that former Paramount shareholder Shari Redstone was displeased with the network’s approach to the Gaza conflict. She was reportedly upset by a segment that featured former Biden officials who had left their positions over the administration’s handling of the war. Owens noted that while Redstone’s dissatisfaction was evident, she never directly communicated with him. These internal pressures reflect the broader challenges faced by CBS as it navigates conflicting interests and corporate oversight, as highlighted by the ongoing legal and political tensions surrounding the network’s coverage and its corporate parent, Paramount Global.