8 hours ago
3
"Tick, tick, tick" is the sound "60 Minutes" viewers hear every Sunday evening on CBS. It's also the sound that journalists both inside and outside of CBS News continue to hear as the network's parent company Paramount Global mulls settling a multibillion-dollar lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump.
Both Trump and Paramount have entered mediation, which could conclude at any time.
Last October, Trump sued CBS News and Paramount for $10 billion over allegations of election interference involving the "60 Minutes" interview of then-Vice President Kamala Harris that aired weeks before the presidential election (the amount has since jumped to $20 billion).
There have been reports that a settlement between $30-50 million could be reached, something Paramount hopes would clear the pathway towards its planned merger with Skydance Media, which seeks approval from Trump's FCC. Also fueling settlement rumors was Monday's abrupt resignation of CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon.
CBS NEWS STAFFERS RATTLED BY CEO'S ABRUPT EXIT AS TRUMP LAWSUIT LOOMS OVER NETWORK
One veteran "60 Minutes" producer called President Trump's lawsuit "complete bulls---." (Screenshot/CBS News)
"The unanimous view at ‘60 Minutes’ is that there should be no settlement, and no money paid, because the lawsuit is complete bulls---," one veteran "60 Minutes" producer told Fox News Digital.
The CBS lawsuit stems from the "60 Minutes" primetime election special that aired last October featuring an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, specifically an exchange Harris had with "60 Minutes" correspondent Bill Whitaker, who asked her why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn't "listening" to the Biden administration.
Harris was widely mocked for the "word salad" answer that aired in a preview clip of the interview on "Face the Nation." But when the same question aired during the primetime special, Harris had a different, more concise response. Critics at the time accused CBS News of editing Harris' "word salad" answer to shield the then-vice president from further backlash leading up to Election Day.
The raw transcript and footage released earlier this year by the FCC showed that both sets of Harris' comments came from the same response, but CBS News had aired only the first half of her response in the "Face the Nation" preview clip and aired the second half during the primetime special.
However, Trump has repeatedly asserted that CBS News took comments from a completely separate Harris response and inserted them in the exchange about Netanyahu.
President Donald Trump is suing CBS News and its parent company Paramount Global for $20 billion over election interference allegations. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The veteran "60 Minutes" producer said scrutiny is always welcomed towards their work but called Trump's allegations against the program "absolute nonsense" and that there's "zero chance" his lawsuit would prevail in court.
"What he repeats over and over and the basis of his lawsuit is based on a falsehood," they said. "He keeps repeating it. But that doesn't make it true."
"This is not being done in good faith. This is being done because people saw an opportunity to attack ‘60 Minutes’ and to attack CBS News," they added.
The prospects of an announced settlement in the coming days isn't out of reach. "60 Minutes" aired its final episode of the season this past Sunday and won't be airing new episodes until the fall, preventing someone like Scott Pelley from sounding off to viewers on the network drama like he did last month after the abrupt exit of "60 Minutes" executive producer Bill Owens, who left over increased interference by Paramount's controlling shareholder Shari Redstone, who reportedly favors settling the lawsuit.
"The act of his departure was a huge sacrifice," the veteran producer said of Owens. "I mean, this guy had the best job in television… He chose to leave a great job because he sincerely wanted to save ‘60 Minutes.’"
Bill Owens, Wendy McMahon, Cecilia Vega and Scott Pelley at the CBS fall schedule celebration held at Paramount Studios on May 2, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. Owens and McMahon both resigned from CBS News this year. (Getty Images)
According to reports, Redstone wanted to "keep tabs" on upcoming "60 Minutes" segments involving Trump and urged CBS execs to delay any sensitive reporting on Trump until after the Skydance merger deal closed.
A second "60 Minutes" producer told Fox News Digital that Redstone should "go read the history books."
"Understand why a free and fair press is so key to this country and the way we run things and our democracy and our- everything. Go get a history lesson and quit looking at corporate mergers as what's the most important thing in the country," the second producer said. "Sometimes I feel like people are just so caught up in their silos, and she's so, you know, entrenched in this merger and getting the financial boom from a merger with Skydance that people forget why this is important."
"Go talk to some journalists, go think about the times in history where a free press matters and made a difference… Protect ‘60 Minutes.’ That's what she should be doing," they urged Redstone.
Meanwhile, the first producer had a simple message for Redstone: "Don't settle. Don't appease the schoolyard bully."
TRUMP, CBS PARENT COMPANY SET FOR MEDIATION IN $20 BILLION ‘60 MINUTES’ LAWSUIT
Paramount Global controlling shareholder Shari Redstone reportedly wants to settle the Trump lawsuit in order to pave the way for its merger with Skydance Media, which seeks FCC approval. (Left: (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images), Right: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
CBS News staff were rattled by the ousting of McMahon, who cited disagreements with the company in a memo to staff.
"It has been one of the most meaningful chapters in my career. Leading this extraordinary organization has been the honor of a lifetime because I got to work alongside all of you," McMahon wrote. "At the same time, the past few months have been challenging. It’s become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward. It’s time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership."
Paramount continues to face mounting pressure from critics in the media and Democratic lawmakers to CBS stars like Pelley and late-night host Stephen Colbert, who called out their parent company on the network's own airwaves.
Representatives for CBS News, Paramount and Redstone did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment. President Trump's attorney also did not respond for comment.
Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @JosephWulfsohn.
