Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr is taking a major swipe at Scott Pelley, saying the fired "60 Minutes" correspondent is totally detached from reality.
Carr ripped Scott in a social media post, calling him out for criticizing the new CBS leadership and his dismissal from the popular newsmagazine show.
One of the reasons why trust in media is so low is because many legacy journalists are completely out of touch.
You could not get away with that behavior at any run of the mill job. It is revealing to see how blind some are to that.
@BrendanCarrFCC
After CBS showed him the door after 37 years with the network, Scott told The New York Times he didn't think for a moment he would be fired ... even though things got really heated between him and new CBS brass.
In his X post, the FCC bigwig references the NYT interview, branding Scott's statements as "completely out of touch." He says Scott's behavior would not be tolerated at any run of the mill job.
Scott Pelley is opening up about his dramatic exit from CBS News ... and he’s not holding back on the emotion, comparing his firing from "60 Minutes" to his spouse being murdered.
In a new interview with The New York Times, the longtime news veteran became visibly emotional while discussing how he is feeling after being axed from the network last week -- saying at an emotional level, "it's like your spouse was murdered."
The news of Pelley's termination followed a sweep of lay-offs, which he refers to the internal shake-up as a "Black Thursday" moment ... saying the sudden departures of longtime colleagues -- many of whom he’s worked alongside for decades -- left him devastated.
Nate Burleson is predicting big things for Russell Wilson as a talking head ... and he tells TMZ Sports he actually recruited his new teammate to join their crew!!
We caught up with the athlete-turned-TV star out in NYC, fresh off the news of Mr. Unlimited's retirement and move to CBS Sports ... and he's confident Wilson will THRIVE in his new gig -- 'cause he's already seen what he can do.
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Burleson said Wilson's so talented on camera, he could have gone to any network ... so that's why he had to put the full-court press on the former Seahawk when he visited the set last year.
Tensions escalated this week during a staff meeting, when newly appointed executive producer Nick Bilton was introduced to the newsroom ... and Pelley openly criticized the decision -- however a letter was sent to Pelley the following day, saying CBS News was terminating him immediately.
Pelley reportedly openly criticized the direction of the longstanding newsmagazine and took aim at CBS News chief Bari Weiss, accusing her of dismantling the culture that made "60 Minutes" a television institution.
During the clash, Pelley reportedly questioned why Bilton would even accept the role given the resistance he was facing from longtime staffers.
Pelley joined CBS News in 1989 and went on to become one of its most recognizable faces, serving as anchor of the "CBS Evening News" and spending more than two decades as a correspondent for "60 Minutes."
His firing is the latest chapter in the ongoing turmoil surrounding the legendary news program. Staff members have reportedly been divided over major editorial and management changes since Paramount's merger with Skydance, led by media executive David Ellison.
Byron Allen says late nights on CBS are going to look A LOT different when Stephen Colbert steps aside after Thursday's show ... and he says the key to replacing Colbert will be a comedy show that's light on politics and heavy on timeless, inclusive humor.
The billionaire comedian and media mogul joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and told us about his vision for filling Colbert's vacated time slot with a couple new shows.
When Colbert goes dark after his final episode, his weeknight hour on CBS will be replaced by "Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen" and another show Byron produces, "Funny You Should Ask."
Jeff Probst definitely wants to bury his head in the sand on some far-away island ... because he made a major mistake during last night's live "Survivor 50" finale.
Spoilers ahead!!!
The longtime host totally blew it in a critical moment of the game ... accidentally revealing the loser of the fire-making challenge ... thereby making them the last castaway to take part in the jury.
Rizo Velovic was the castaway in question ... and Probst let the cat out of the bag just as they were about to cut to a commercial -- everyone stunned by the flub.
"Survivor" host Jeff Probst lost a family member ... his brother, Scott Probst, is dead.
Scott's death was announced Monday by their brother, Brent ... in a social media post, he says ... "Some sad news, our brother Scott is no longer with us. He was a great brother, son and friend. I will miss him so much ❤️ I’m so sad he is gone."
The cause and manner of death is unclear.
Jeff hosted "Survivor" since 2000 and Scott has credits on a handful of episodes ... as a camera assistant and an art assistant.
It's the second death in Jeff's immediate family in less than two years ... his mother, Barb Probst, died back in November 2024 and the reality survival competition show honored her with a tribute card in a season 47 episode.
1:15 PM PST -- CBS has released the full interview that Spencer Pratt had called into question. They additionally flagged that neither Karen Bass or Nithya Raman had any part in editing the piece.
Here’s the full interview @adamyamaguchi did with Spencer Pratt on Thursday.
Spencer is clearly muchhappier since his full story has been posted, tweeting ... "A new era of responsible journalism! Thank you to CBS for posting our full interview so the voters can hear from their next Mayor!"
Spencer Pratt has told CBS to go running for "The Hills" after accusing them of turning his recent interview with them into a hit piece.
The reality TV villain took to X on Saturday to flame CBS for allegedly turning over the footage from his interview at his scorched Pacific Palisades lot to Karen Bass' PR team so they could turn his campaign into a political "sideshow." He also didn't forget to troll Karen for her response to 2025's Pacific Palisades fires.
Spencer has also sworn off CBS for this ... saying they won't hear a peep from him if he serves as L.A.'s mayor for 8 years -- he's just gotta win back-to-back elections first, of course.
Judson Mills -- longtime friend and former costar of Chuck Norris -- is shedding light on the man behind the myths ... revealing the action legend didn't just tolerate the wild stories about him, he actually loved them.
We caught up with Mills, who starred alongside Norris for years on "Walker, Texas Ranger." Reflecting on their time together, Judson described Chuck as a "legend," "icon," and "mythical creature."
According to Mills, all those wild Chuck Norris tales and internet-fueled myths were adored by the late legend and “he was super along for the ride.”
Lizzo isn’t backing down from her legal issues ... in fact, she's leaning all the way in -- saying she's ready to take the stand and let the truth speak for itself.
Watch the clip ... the singer sat down with CBS News host Gayle Kingfor an interview that aired Monday morning, and she made her stance clear -- she's not settling, not hiding, and definitely not scared of what might come out in court.
A group of Lizzo's former dancers claim she created a toxic work environment ... accusing her of sexual harassment, weight-shaming, and putting them in uncomfortable situations on tour. Lizzo says when she first got hit with the lawsuit, her reaction was simple -- "It’s not true." But she didn’t go firing back publicly right away ... explaining she felt a responsibility to keep it measured because of what she represents to fans.
David Del Rio is not giving up after CBS fired him from "Matlock" following an allegation of sexual assault involving costar Leah Lewis ... because now he wants to battle the network in arbitration.
The actor's powerhouse lawyer, Shawn Holley, tells TMZ ... David has initiated arbitration against CBS Studios to address false and misleading allegations that caused substantial professional and reputational harm.
We're told David plans to present text messages and other evidence at arbitration that his lawyer says directly contradict prior public characterizations of the interaction at issue. Holley says the evidence was "not fully considered" before CBS fired David.
Gayle King isn't going anywhere ... she signed a new deal with CBS and will remain with "CBS Mornings" going forward.
The host inked a contract with CBS News, according to the Wall Street Journal, and now Variety reports Gayle will remain on "CBS Mornings" for the foreseeable future.
Gayle's contract was set to expire in a couple months, leading to speculation about her future at the network ... but now it looks like she's staying put on the morning show she's helmed since 2012.
5:57 PM PT -- David’s attorney Shawn Holley tells TMZ … “The book is far from closed.”
Sources familiar tell TMZ … David is pursuing all legal options.
David Del Rio did not come out on top in a reopened CBS investigation into his interactions with his former "Matlock" costar Leah Lewis ... TMZ has learned.
Sources tell TMZ that the network did not change its earlier decision to fire Del Rio ... despite the actor presenting new evidence in an attempt to clear his name ... and the book has now been closed.
As TMZ first reported, David adamantly denied claims against him -- that he allegedly sexually assaulted Lewis on Paramount property in October. He hired powerhouse lawyer Shawn Holley to represent him, and the network reopened the investigation into the actor after he demanded they review additional details.
President Trump seems to be calling the shots at CBS News these days -- at least when it comes to last week's interview with anchor Tony Dokoupil.
Dokoupil -- the new face of the "CBS Evening News" -- landed a 13-minute interview with Trump, which was broadcast Tuesday from a Ford plant in Dearborn, Michigan.
The New York Times reports that after they wrapped their discussion, Trump's chief spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, walked up to Dokoupil and his team and issued a stern warning from the president.
Nikki Glaser came out swinging as the host of the 2026 Golden Globes ... taking down CBS News and its new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss in one fell swoop.
She quipped, "The award for Most Editing goes to CBS News! Yes, CBS News -- America's newest place to see B.S. news."
ICYMI ... Bari stirred up a lot of controversy by killing a "60 Minutes" segment hours before it was scheduled to air. The report focused on the treatment of Venezuelan deportees from the United States to El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison, but Bari told The Hollywood Reporter it "was not ready" to see the light of day.
