Scott Pelley signed with CAA after '60 Minutes' firing
Scott Pelley signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in late June 2026, just weeks after CBS News terminated his 60 Minutes contract following a confrontational staff meeting with new executive producer Nick Bilton. The move gives the Emmy-winning journalist major representation as he charts a career beyond CBS, where he worked for 37 years.
Key Takeaways
- Scott Pelley signed with CAA on June 25, 2026, after CBS fired him from 60 Minutes on June 2.
- His termination followed a June 1 meeting where he clashed with executive producer Nick Bilton and criticized editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.
- CAA will represent Pelley in all areas; he joins former colleague Lesley Stahl at the agency.
- Pelley, a 51-time Emmy winner, was fired for cause with no severance or benefits.
- Several other ousted 60 Minutes veterans, including Anderson Cooper, are also CAA clients.
The signing marks the first major business move for Pelley since his dramatic departure from America's top-rated newsmagazine. The 68-year-old correspondent spent more than two decades on 60 Minutes and anchored the CBS Evening News from 2011 to 2017. His firing became one of the biggest stories in broadcast journalism this year, drawing coverage across celebrity breaking news outlets nationwide.
Why did CBS fire Scott Pelley from 60 Minutes?
Pelley was fired on June 2, 2026, one day after a tense all-staff meeting where Bilton introduced himself as the show's new executive producer. According to multiple reports, Pelley told Bilton that CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss was "murdering 60 Minutes" and questioned Bilton's qualifications for the role.
In a termination letter, Bilton said Pelley "hijacked my first meeting with staff" in a "performative display of hostility." CBS terminated Pelley's employment for cause effective immediately, leaving him without severance or other benefits, USA Today reported.
What does Scott Pelley's CAA deal involve?
Creative Artists Agency confirmed Thursday, June 25, that Pelley had signed for representation in all areas. The agency highlighted his credentials in a public statement, noting his 51 national Emmy Awards, three Peabody Awards, and the 2025 Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Deadline reported that the deal came just weeks after Pelley's ouster. Pelley now has one of Hollywood's most powerful talent agencies negotiating his next steps, whether that involves another broadcast platform, publishing, or speaking work.
Who else from 60 Minutes is represented by CAA?
Pelley joins a growing roster of CBS veterans at CAA. His longtime colleague Lesley Stahl is already a client. The agency also represents former 60 Minutes correspondents Bill Owens and Cecilia Vega, as well as former executive producer Tanya Simon — all of whom left the show within the past year.
Anderson Cooper, who stepped away from 60 Minutes at the end of the most recent season, is also represented by CAA. By contrast, many current and former 60 Minutes correspondents are represented by rival agency UTA.
What has Scott Pelley said since leaving CBS News?
In his first interview since the firing, Pelley told The New York Times that CBS News leadership "don't know what they're doing." He described a "subtle political bias" at the network he had never seen in his 37-year career.
In a farewell note to staff, Pelley wrote that 60 Minutes had been America's number-one program because audiences found "integrity, quality, and humanity" in its stories. He suggested the network's new owner was casting the show aside to curry favor with the Trump administration. Bilton said he welcomed respectful debate but called Pelley's outburst something else entirely.