Bari Weiss calls 60 Minutes viewership secondary to show's quality
The CBS News leader told industry executives that chasing specific audience numbers is not the primary goal during her first year in the role.
By Alina Carter ·
Bari Weiss stated on Wednesday that the precise number of viewers for the Sunday news program 60 Minutes is not her top priority. Speaking at an industry conference hosted by the tech publication the Information, the CBS News editor-in-chief addressed the show's recent performance issues for the first time since taking the job a year ago.
Weiss argued that a focus on exact figures for specific segments would hinder her ability to build the brand. "I could never build anything if I were focused on the precise number of people that happen to tune in to the second feature on 60 Minutes on a given Sunday," she said. She characterized the show's general performance as "tremendously well" despite the statistical challenges.
The comments come after Weiss executed a major overhaul of 60 Minutes in late May. She removed the show's executive producer and parted ways with three senior correspondents, including Scott Pelley. Since those changes, the program has failed to match the previous season's average of 9.1 million viewers per episode.
Recent data indicates a sharp decline in viewership. The most recent episode attracted 5.64 million viewers, a figure Variety described as one of the smallest audiences for the program in years. This result made it the lowest-rated sixth episode of the weekly show this century, a distinction also held by the fourth episode of the season.
Viewership for 60 Minutes fluctuates based on the preceding NFL football broadcast. Ratings have remained low despite a strong lineup of guests and high-profile segments. The October 4 edition was an exception, drawing an average of more than 10 million total viewers.
Weiss also addressed questions about the merger between parent company Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery. Although rumors suggested she might take the helm of CNN, chief executive David Ellison decided to keep CNN chief executive Mark Thompson in his current position. Weiss said she wants to focus on CBS News, noting that it is a large enough challenge for her team.
She described her approach to managing criticism from both inside and outside the network by putting on blinders and tuning out the noise. "I'm not doing anything I'm doing for popularity's sake," she added, signaling that her strategy will remain focused on internal execution rather than external reception.
