Nick Bilton, the new '60 Minutes' boss, is reportedly using job interviews to vent about office politics, scaring off top producers as the show struggles to staff up before September.
CBS News is struggling to hire senior producers for "60 Minutes" as the show's new boss, Nick Bilton, turns job interviews into venting sessions, sources told The Post.
Multiple insiders said Bilton has been using meetings with prospective candidates to complain about office politics rather than sell them on the role. One candidate described the sessions as "therapy." Another said the executive was "defensive" and "dismissive" when staff trust was raised.
Bilton, a former New York Times technology columnist, was brought in by CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss to overhaul the network's flagship newsmagazine. But his lack of TV experience has become a sore point internally. Three people who interviewed with him said he struggles to articulate a clear vision, relying on jargon one called "inscrutable."
A network source said Bilton was intentionally vague to prevent leaks, and that he is expected to lay out his strategy in the coming months.
The turmoil comes after a wave of departures. In May, Weiss fired executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega. Senior producers Draggan Mihailovich and Guy Campanile were also let go. Veteran producer Michael Gavshon and star correspondent Anderson Cooper resigned.
Bilton fired correspondent Scott Pelley in early June after a heated meeting where Pelley told him he had "slender qualifications" and that Weiss was "murdering '60 Minutes.'" Bilton later accused Pelley of having "no interest in contributing to the future success of the show" in a leaked letter.
Despite announcing four new faces this week – Ross Douthat, Sebastian Junger, Gianna Toboni and Trevor Phillips – Bilton has yet to hire any senior producers. Talks with former "60 Minutes" producers Ira Rosen and Joel Bach, as well as ABC News executive Muriel Pearson, have hit dead ends, sources said. There has been talk of moving Jay Kernis from "CBS Sunday Morning" to the role.
The show's first episode of the new season is slated for September. Some insiders believe Bilton is being careful; others say the bad press surrounding Weiss's reign is scaring off talent.
"I can't imagine anyone with a profile and existing perch wants to be part of the Bari-Bilton s–t show," one insider said.
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