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Good for Scott Pelley

Playing off the 1976 Bicentennial heritage branding, WETA is rolling out new IDs and on-air graphics packaging for a summer of American storytelling content around the 250th celebration. Custom music from composer Chris Majka that brings the '76 sound back to life. WETA America 250.mp4

Kudos to Scott Pelley, a wonderful news reporter with impeccable integrity. Getting fired from the festering, anti-journalist and pro-fascism cesspool that CBS has become — and going down in such a blaze of glory — is a badge of honor. Onward and upward.

I'll say what I said on Discord about this: it's important to look at this as a digital product being simulcast on TV, instead of "they changed the news to look like this." The traditional newscast was, in essence, canceled, and the time filled with a streaming show. "But this looks bad! It won't get good ratings!" you may say... That's kind of the point? If people want "traditional" news, they can switch over to KSNF and watch most of the same content presented differently. This does not exist to get #1 ratings on TV. It exists to sell OTT targeted advertising to people who, at this point, are used to seeing this format, however "cheap" it looks. I would not be surprised to see this roll out to more Nexstar duopoly markets.

For the NBA Finals, WABC milking it to the fullest they're showing the Knicks, having "Knicks Win" graphic in their news opens at 11 last night & this morning as well.

Scott Pelley’s statement in full: There has never been anything in America like 60 Minutes. The Sunday tradition is the most successful program of any kind in history. For more than a decade, its innovative growth on every major online platform has extended its reach to countless millions around the world. This spring, at the end of our 58th season, 60 Minutes grew rapidly with an unheard-of 9% jump in viewers on CBS. “60” has been the number-one program in America for decades because our beloved audience finds integrity, quality, and humanity in our stories. When stewardship of the program passed to my colleagues and me, our responsibility was to expand energetically into a new age of media technology while preserving the values our audience expects. Now, the new owner of our network is casting this legend aside, apparently to curry a moment of favor with the Trump administration. The waste is heartbreaking. Last month, 60 Minutes lost its DNA when our entire senior leadership and two of our best on-air correspondents were cruelly fired without cause. Good people were silenced because they stood up for our audience. They stood for fairness against the forces of political bias; they stood for professionalism against chaos. For my part, new management has instructed me to inject falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story. I’ve been told to include assertions that are unverified. To date, in every case, I have managed to ignore these instructions or refuse them. Recently, politicians have been invited to choose correspondents for interviews on the broadcast. Giving politicians control over 60 Minutes interviews is not how this is done. Finally, incompetence and unprofessionalism in the new management have wreaked havoc. In a case involving one of my stories, the entire program came within 19 minutes of not getting on the air at all. At 60 Minutes, we have fought harder than anyone knows to save the program that became an American icon. We owed that to our millions of viewers. I am deeply moved by the thousands of wishes we have received to “keep up the good fight.” Most of the men and women of CBS News are still in that fight. But now the collapse of values at the top has become untenable. The leadership of 60 Minutes is no longer recognizable. The principles I hold dear are gone, and so I must leave as well. I depart after 37 years at CBS with one emotion—a heart brimming with gratitude for the men and women of CBS News who encouraged and enriched my work, very often at the risk of their own lives. I pray for a day when those people and their ideals are honored again—a day when sanity, competence, and courage return. Scott Pelley

His reports will surely be infrequent, his will be a unique perspective, said reports will be scripted with as many takes as needed to record, and if he does appear at the desk for a de-brief, everyone involved, including the viewer, will be aware of the circumstances and be understanding. I really don't get the hate. So what if it's only a year or two? I'm not sure I'd be putting money on many local news staples to be viable beyond that timeline, so why should the expectations for this to be any different? As for the reading of notes, that's being mature and proactive. He knows he's not 100%, so he's doing something that helps him retain info better. Hell, many healthy newscasters that are half his age should be taking more notes, these days. Similarly, folks are within their right to express the opinion that you're coming off as more than a little callous, especially as someone who is almost completely unaffected by this. None of us outside of market #1 are regular WABC viewers, so Bill going on local TV and trying something unique like this isn't going to ruin or make our day. If he, his bosses, co-workers, family, and (die-hard) viewers don't have a problem with this, then it is kind of a you problem.

Sorry I couldn’t give an exact date last week - but the day has come. We all saw Bill fading - and we knew about the struggle - and those of us around long enough saw the similarities to Bill Beutel. Just as his predecessor - he is a journalistic giant. Ritter may not be from the same era as the storied NY anchors - but he has earned the respect of his colleagues at WABC and the network. The truth is that he kept viewers watching when the opportunity was there for them to stray - and he has steered what is the channel 7 ship for 25 years.

With one poster calling out WABC and saying that Bill should've retired into the sunset, and I bet haven't considered: the cost of health insurance. Yes, Bill could be on Medicare, but what you pay on Medicare is dependent on what you earn. I wouldn't be surprised that Disney/ABC accommodated Bill with this special correspondent position so he can continue with Disney's health insurance and Medicare/Medicare Advantage if he has one. Let's not forget that we aren't a country with universal health insurance for everyone and as Bill pointed out, treatment for Alzheimer/Dementia is very, very expensive.

that’s great that you’re expressing your opinion. So was I, though, I didn’t feel the need to write a paragraph explaining how expressing opinions works. Back to Bill — he’s not “that bad already”. Watch last week’s newscasts leading up to the announcement. Watch his interview on Good Morning America. Not knowing there’s a health issue, he just comes off at times a guy in his 70s who’s likely nearing retirement and, like anyone in their 70s, not as sharp as they were 10, 20, 30 years ago. “Gracefully gone into the sunset” - think of the message that sends to millions of Americans and their families dealing with this disease. Diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer’s and still feeling great and able to work — doesn’t matter. Just go off into the sunset and give up doing what you love. It’s a great thing Bill is doing and it’s great that ABC is supporting him, in my opinion.

Why should they do anything but what he, his employer, his family, and his doctors agree is best for all involved?

Awww not Bill. I’m not from New York but remember him as a reporter and anchor at KTTV right here in his hometown of Los Angeles back in the 90s, a great reporter back then. Bill was unique in that he was an Angeleno working in New York. Oftentimes, it’s New Yorkers who move to LA, but Bill anchoring the news in New York, you wouldn’t think he was a guy from the laid back aura of Southern California. He demonstrated poise, compassion, and grit, requirements to succeed in the intense environment of New York City. Alzheimer’s is such an insidious disease, and for him to share this painful news and continue to work to report on it is a testament to his poise, compassion, and grit. I am hopeful his coverage gets national and global attention as he works persistently to raise awareness, empower people with this disease, their families, loved ones, caregivers, and communities working to find a better way. We have not seen the last of Bill.

Taking a cue from Sen. Susan Collins, Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim are very concerned.

In a world of Bari Weisses, be a Scott Pelley or a Sharyn Alfonsi.

Monday will be the first 6:00pm newscast on WABC-TV without a Bill sitting at the anchor desk permanently in nearly 56 years.

WOW! that b***h is murdering 60 minutes! I hope that those who can walk out! WALK OUT!

Lots of opportunities for someone to put together a program called "The Hour" on Sunday evenings with a rag-tag group of newly free agent journalists.

This is absurd. There will come a point he cannot do even that reporting and when it comes, it will end. But having lost multiple family members to the ravages of dementia, I can say with painful first-hand experience that were there someone of a comparable familiarity to Mr. Ritter to those relatives, it might have eased the early pain and fear momentarily. Understanding what's happening and realizing the diagnosis itself is not an immediate sentence to be banished from the world they knew. The immediate isolation while they retain the memories and the ability to communicate is devastating. Reports on Alzheimer's will be hard to watch for many. Hell, I've been through it and they'd be hard for me, triggering painful memories. But it's important that we understand that there is still so much value someone with a disease like that can bring even if their decline is inevitable. While I'm sure ABC, or any network, would love complete overlap between shows, the reality is, especially over weekends, that people are not tuning in to each broadcast and paying the kind of attention folks on board like this do.

This is one of those times that explains why live television was invented for... WCBS ready to close out their 11pm news when the Knicks win at the last second in Game 4. KJ, Lonnie, and Allen Devlin react to it all before they go off air.

A major change last night prior to the season premiere of AGT, the network changes its curtain raiser again for the first time in 3 years.

At this point, I really hope 60 Minutes ends because nobody will want to do a show under Bari Weiss's control. Let CBS burn if they are willing to go through all of this to appease dear leader.

I was about to post about that. It's as heated as you'd expect:

Pelley ain't happy.

Let’s take a little trip down the Channel 7 memory lane because 15 years ago today, EYEWITNESS NEWS FIRST @ 4PM debuted. As many of us know, this newscast replaced The Oprah Winfrey Show, which ended the day before (May 25, 2011) and ran for 25 years and seasons respectively. Today on FIRST @ 4PM, Liz Cho, David Novarro, and chief meteorologist Lee Goldberg celebrated the milestone. FIRST @ 4PM DEBUT VIDEO FROM 15 YEARS AGO (MAY 26, 2011) https://youtube.com/watch?v=cvUPsa63Lrs&si=Y7E4vqbzhYWtVXGA FIRST @ 4PM 15TH ANNIVERSARY VIDEO FROM TODAY (MAY 26, 2026) https://youtube.com/watch?v=eqv9tjVhvcc&si=7EGkYWMWXdklVAzY

Waiting for them to put Teresa Priolo back in Bianca's slots for just long enough so you think it's permanent before hiring a replacement.

And this morning‘s talent open with the NBA champions graphics. ScreenRecording_06-14-2026 11-46-47_1.mov

I just have to say its a bit heartbreaking and bittersweet to witness this moment. That moment when Bill Ritter decidedly left his post which such honor and dignity. Its a testament to who he is. He seems to be quite a remarkable human outside of the broadcasting space. He is well respected as we saw other outlets like WCBS, and others taking the time to mention this just is a testament to the amazing human he is. Bill has had some tough shoes to fill when his namesake, Bill Beutel left the job to him 27 years ago. He did just that to the best of his ability. He did what he set out to do 27 years ago and now it is time for him to pass this baton along to the new generation as we were eluding to. He gave it his all. Bill is a very special person for New Yorkers. His voice and his personality really was compelling. His reassurance with his warmth and personality, humility and dignity is not something we come across often in this industry and he had no shame in displaying that over the years. It made us feel like everything was going to be okay in the end with his delivery of the story. He is really pure and as wholesome as one can be and had such gravitas which I don't think anyone else has quite just yet its something that takes time to build and he certainly did that during his tenure at WABC. He truly upheld the high standard that his predecessor Bill Beutel (may he continue to rest in peace) passed on to Bill Ritter who he too now is passing on to the next. He's shown his vulnerability to us and is now seated with the other legends that we all knew and love. But for Bill its a little heartbreaking for me to see this because it kinda feels like he departed a little too soon. He certainly had a lot more to give and thats where it feels a bit sad for me. Over the years as a child and to this day as a near middle aged adult. Channel 7 was always on in the background, my parents would turn the channel it was a definitive part of my early life, and to this day I've always been a loyal viewer, the voices of these legends are etched in my memory and will always be forever. I've always knew that I was lucky to witness the professionalism this station continues to uphold the diversity and the professionalism of the individuals that work there it is a snapshot of what New York is at its best the diversity and the melting pot of different backgrounds coming together to deliver a product so profound which is why they continue to be the most watched station in the nation. WABC created a standard that help shaped the rest of this country and possibly the world. It brought me to these forums to have these compelling discussions about how these stations work behind the scenes and I really truly mean that. Bill got us through some of our darkest times the unforgettable 9/11 attacks that changed our world today, the Blackout of 2003, Hurricane Sandy, COVID, these are the stories that shaped our city he delivered them with such grace. It is truly an end of an era as we know it with his departure, sure we will see other anchors and other personalities mold in the coming years but we will never quite see anyone like him again, he will be extraordinarily missed. Im glad he's going to remain with us while he shares his journey with us and hopefully he gets some more years to spend with his family and his beloved people in his life. Thank You Bill!

The announcement was cut off on the stream. Here it is in it's entirety:

Chicago's Morning News almost sounds like the newscast WGN titled back in the day.

This is something only WRAL-TV CAN do. I'll be watching it once its available. WRAL looks as the increasing deserts of local news across North Carolina which looks like the rest of the country as well in a new half-hour doc. https://tvnewscheck.com/journalism/article/wral-documentary-examines-north-carolinas-shrinking-local-newsrooms/

He ain't wrong

Scott Pelley talks to the New York Times about what happened. It ain't pretty (gift link): https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/07/magazine/scott-pelley-interview.html?unlocked_article_code=1.oVA.7cWl.-R4RPWwUkbeP&smid=url-share

WTVD followed WABC's lead for tonight's Hurricanes win.

This runs far deeper than lax safeguards or verification. Those are undeniably bad, but we’ve crossed a point of no return. There’s a difference between not properly vetting a package and thus getting burned vs. the bosses ordering someone to willfully, purposefully tell lies. Nothing in Scott Pelley’s history gives me cause to believe he’s not being accurate about what transpired. There is no salvaging an operation that is as deeply damaged as what he lays out.

Exactly, when I think of generational anchors at WABC, it's Bill Beutel and Roger Grimsby. Part of it is the original Eyewitness News format took off when they were brought in and assumed anchor duties. They changed the game for the station.. They are the Channel 7 (and NY broadcasting) icons.

I feel like Bill never reached that icon status of other news men like Bill Butel, Roger Grimsby, Jim Jensen, and Chuck Scarborough. I think part of it was because by the time Bill took the helm at WABC their anchors were treated as an ensemble with no one team standing out above the rest. Another long time anchor I'd say that about is WNBC's David Ushery.

I thought I'd never see the day. WPSD is kicking off June with a real BANG. 18 years with the old look and all HD references are FINALLY GONE. This comes a couple of months after moving into their brand new building. Welcome to 2026, WPSD.

It's painful to see arguably the best but most struggling network news organization in this country reduced to a heaping pile of of . What is the goal here? I know the rightward turn is to appease the Trump administration, but doesn't it affect their bottom line if their news department loses ratings??? Are are any conservatives actually turning CBS News----are they aware of the editorial change? It doesn't make sense to destroy your base viewership to chase an audience you probably won't get. It's one thing to mess with the long time failure CBS Evening News but it's another to play with their bread and butter---60 Minutes, and (not yet) Sunday Morning.

Animation is cool but really dig the sound.

Well a Wiseman once said it before but we will say it again, Goodnight and good luck mo*********rs

And.....scene for CBS News! That is a wrap! CBS will still have viewers for NFL and other big events. Today's firing of Scott Pelley is the proverbial nail in the coffin. Walter Cronkite himself could come back from the dead and viewers wouldn't watch.

Isn’t NBC News Daily live from noon to 4 Eastern? If so, the 3p hour they’ll be airing should be live instead of a repeat. Repeating a 3-hour-old newscast in the middle of the day seems a bit … risky, especially for an O&O in such a large market.

Locking this thread as it is essentially becoming a list/database thread.

Thought you guys might appreciate these. They actually don't include the studio portion of the building along the back of the building though.

Did he at least pay Dale Hansen royalties for ripping off his sign-off from WFAA? Dale Hansen: "Television has to be more than sitcoms and cop shows. We need to take people out of their bubbles and their safe places, and make them think about the world we live in. It is the only thing I've ever really wanted to do." (2:28) Dustin Nolan: "We as a local news station have to be more than trends or sanitized news, because it makes people feel uncomfortable, that's what the facts matter and that's why we do what we do here. We have to take people out of their bubbles and comfort zones and make them thing about the world we all live in." (1:07) Dale Hansen: "If you don't have a Denny Livingston in your life, I strongly encourage you to find one. He makes dreams come true." (2:37) Dustin Nolan: "If you don't have a Jenna in your life, I suggest you find one. Because she makes dreams come true in every way another human can't." (1:50) Dale Hansen: "There will be no more TV tomorrows for me, so for everyone who has been a part of this one, and all of these 41 years, I'm Dale Hansen, and I really do thank you for watching. Goodnight, and good bye." (3:45) Dustin Nolan: "There will be no more TV tomorrows for me, so for everyone who has allowed me to be a part of their morning, I really do thank you. Good day, and good bye." (2:22) Hansen did it all without crying. Just saying.

If this really was as sudden of a change as we're led to believe, then I'd imagine a successor just isn't an immediate priority. Vacation time and such are weird in the summer, so if they do want to give her a co-anchor, they may just wait until the fall.

Good to hear about her reaction. Hopefully they or another account posts that video soon. Interesting that they didn't show Bill interacting with his colleagues, or reaction from his colleagues, regarding his announcement after he made it on Friday. It would have been nice to see everybody wish him well after 20+ years of working together. But I respect his decision to close out the broadcast with just him and the viewer personally alone. I think it's fair. With so many examples of news employers mistreating their employees, it's nice to see an organization respect their talent so much that they take every effort possible to mention his departure.

Montclair State will take over operations of NJ PBS starting in July https://www.montclair.edu/newscenter/2026/06/03/montclair-state-university-named-new-operator-of-new-jerseys-public-television-stations/

Today is a big day in the WCCO household. 30 years ago, we got introduced to someone new. I think we've heard of her before... Amelia Santaniello. She's become A Minnesota Original (a KTCA phrase) since then and has also given us the longest husband-and-wife anchoring duo as well with Frank Vascellaro (two decades now at the desk).

That's a beautiful sign - I hope they rebuild!