Bari Weiss’ overhaul of 60 Minutes sees season premiere hit 25-year ratings low
The Independent • • entertainment
Key Points:
- The 59th season premiere of 60 Minutes attracted about 7.9 million viewers, marking its smallest audience in at least 25 years and a significant drop from last year's roughly 10 million viewers.
- Viewership among adults aged 25-54 fell sharply by 33%, a key demographic for advertisers, making it the least-watched season premiere since at least 2000.
- The decline follows major changes at CBS News and 60 Minutes under new Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, who has made staffing changes and faced criticism for alleged editorial bias, which she denies.
- Several veteran correspondents, including Scott Pelley and Anderson Cooper, left the program amid disputes over editorial independence, with new hires brought in to revamp the show.
- Despite the ratings drop, CBS highlighted that 60 Minutes remained the top non-sports primetime program among adults and achieved significant social media engagement, while also noting factors like competing NFL broadcasts may have influenced viewership.
