MAN OF THE HOUR
Owens ‘60 Mins’ head
CBS has named insider Bill Owens as executive producer of “60 Minutes,” replacing longtime chief Jeff Fager who was ousted in September amid sexual-misconduct claims.
Owens (inset), a 30-year CBS vet who has lately served as interim executive producer at the iconic news show, was the right hand of Fager, who had held the job since 2004.
Owens’ promotion, confirmed by CBS in a Wednesday press release, makes him only the third executive to serve in the role since the show was founded in 1968 by its first executive producer, Don Hewitt.
CBS said Owens, 52, is taking the job immediately and will report to Susan Zirinsky, the former senior executive producer of “48 Hours” who last month replaced David Rhodes as president of CBS News.
“Bill Owens is steeped in the storytelling style audiences have come to expect from ‘60 Minutes,’ ” Zirinsky said. “We are fortunate to be able to put such a talented veteran in charge of this iconic program.”
As reported by The Post, Zirinsky last fall had been a front-runner to replace Fager at the helm of “60 Minutes.” At the time, insiders said “60 Minutes” staffers had pushed back against Zirinsky, threatening to quit if she became their boss.
Part of the beef, according to sources, was that “60 Minutes” reporters and producers had looked down on “48 Hours,” whose segments can veer toward the sensational. But insiders said there also were fears about a shake-up under Zirinsky as CBS sought to recover from allegations of sexual misconduct against some of its biggest names, including ex-Chief Executive Les Moonves and host Charlie Rose. Indeed, the Owens promotion irked some observers at CBS who saw the producer as Fager’s “yes man” and, ultimately, part of the old guard that tolerated a “boys club” culture at the network.
Others view Owens as a steady hand at “60 Minutes,” someone who knows “how to run the show” and is wellliked by the old guard.
CBS also is searching for a permanent CEO and the company is entertaining various merger and acquisition options, including recombining with its sister firm Viacom.
Last fall, CBS launched a probe into misconduct accusations, and a report was leaked to the New York Times in December. Among its findings, the report said Fager had “engaged in some type of sexually inappropriate conduct” toward a female CBS employee who alleged in 2009 he had groped her.