Story perspectives

CBS Adds NYT Columnist Ross Douthat to 60 Minutes

7/29/2026

Summary

Douthat Joins 60

CBS News announced New York Times columnist Ross Douthat will join “60 Minutes” as a correspondent.
Nick Bilton, hired by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, praised Douthat as a leading public intellectual.
The hire follows the dismissal of Scott Pelley, Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega and Tanya Simon after Weiss’s editorial changes.
CBS’s 59th season of “60 Minutes” begins Sept. 13 after a 9% ratings rise, featuring Sebastian Junger, Gianna Toboni and Trevor Phillips.

Summary

Trump Settlement

U.S. President Donald Trump reached a $16 million settlement over a 2024 Harris interview, aligning with Paramount’s sale to Skydance.
Advertising revenue for 60 Minutes stayed at $67-$69 million in 2024-25, placing the show 11th among CBS programs.
Rinvoq, Clairtin, Skyrizi and Vabysmo were the show’s biggest 2026 advertisers.
Morale fell after the move from West 57th Street to a nearby office, prompting producers to self-censor.

History

Historical Context

Since CBS moved 60 Minutes to Sunday prime time on December 7 1975 and hired Dan Rather, the show became a ratings powerhouse—advertising rates rose from $17,000 in 1975 to $175,000 by 1982. That legacy of high-profile talent shifts underpins today’s $16 million 2025 settlement with Donald Trump and the appointment of New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, reshaping the program’s revenue and editorial direction.

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Douthat Joins 60

CBS News announced New York Times columnist Ross Douthat will join “60 Minutes” as a correspondent.
Nick Bilton, hired by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, praised Douthat as a leading public intellectual.
The hire follows the dismissal of Scott Pelley, Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega and Tanya Simon after Weiss’s editorial changes.
CBS’s 59th season of “60 Minutes” begins Sept. 13 after a 9% ratings rise, featuring Sebastian Junger, Gianna Toboni and Trevor Phillips.

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