Anderson Cooper’s recent decision not to renew his contract with “60 Minutes” came at the last minute and left execs at the struggling network flat-footed, a source with knowledge of the matter told The Post on Thursday.
The journo had been poised to become the face of “60 Minutes” under CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss and president Tom Cibrowski, who privately lauded him as an important player at the struggling news network.
But Cooper’s decision to pull out came as the deal was in its final tages, the source said.
“They must be pissed,” the person said of Weiss and Cibrowski, who’d seen the CNN anchor as a prominent face of “60 Minutes.”
“They wanted to build the show around him,” the source added.
Both CBS News and a rep for Cooper declined to comment.
Cooper on Monday confirmed a scoop from Breaker Media that he was departing “60 Minutes,” saying he was exiting in part due to his hectic schedule of juggling his jobs at CNN and CBS with spending time with his two young sons.
But sources said a series of recent decisions by Weiss were what prompted Cooper to end his nearly 20-year run at “60 Minutes.”
Those include her revamp of “60 Minutes,” which will likely include pushing out veteran correspondents like Scott Pelley and Sharyn Alfonsi, as previously reported by The Post.
Sources also pointed to Weiss’ unwillingness to fire wellness contributor Peter Attia over his chummy, eyebrow-raising emails with late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Recently surfaced emails showed Attia telling Epstein the “biggest problem [about] becoming friends” with him was having to keep quiet about his “outrageous lifestyle” — in an exchange with the chilling subject line, “Got a fresh shipment.”
Sources also pointed to Weiss’ involvement in the journalism and management of “60 Minutes,” which long operated in a silo under its executive producer.
“He doesn’t like that she has inserted herself,” a CBS source said of Cooper, pointing to Weiss’ recent editorial scrutiny of his “60 Minutes” piece on the Trump administration’s decision to accept refugees from South Africa.
That report currently has no air date.
“He doesn’t want the hassle,” the source said, adding that none of the “60 Minutes” correspondents want to deal with Weiss’ meddling in their work. “This is the first time any of them had a boss they have to answer to.”
Weiss’ most public hands-on moment came in December when she abruptly pulled Alfonsi’s segment on El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison, saying the pieced required more reporting.
The episode exposed tensions inside CBS, including Alfonsi’s pushback over taking directions from Weiss and her deputy, Adam Rubenstein, two journalists with little to no prior television experience. A month later, CBS aired the disputed segment with a few changes, including comments from the US Department of Homeland Security.
A second source pointed out Cooper already has a high-paying day job, earning a reported $18 million per year at CNN.
“If you don’t need the money, why would you put yourself in that situation?” the person said.
Still, “this is a big blow to Bari,” said a CBS insider who also saw Cooper’s departure from the network as connected to her leadership.
With Cooper gone, the network may have to rethink which of their staffers can help carry the brand.
Apart from “60 Minutes” contributor Norah O’Donnell and “CBS Mornings” anchor Gayle King, who is mulling her future at the network as top brass look to slash her big salary, the network doesn’t have many big names.
Since Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison brought on Weiss in October, she has been pushing to revamp CBS News’ programming and expand its digital and live events business.
The editor in chief recently laid out her vision for the network, which includes investing in more “revelatory journalism” and emphasizing “investigative scoops” that will take advantage of both online and traditional platforms.
“We have to look honestly at ourselves. We are not producing a product that enough people want,” Weiss said during a January town hall meeting with staff, adding that she hopes to “earn” the trust of her own employees along the way.
One of her biggest efforts to reinvigorate the network has included replacing “Evening News” anchors John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois with Tony Dokoupil.
She is expected to kick off a steep round of layoffs as early as next month, The Post previously reported.
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