60 Minutes crew should quit en masse and go to NBC or ABC.

[tableturner]

The entire staff at 60 Minutes (producers, writers, on-air personalities, and everyone else) should all quit and go to either NBC or ABC, where the network should air it directly opposite the upcoming new “60 Minutes”, maybe naming it 59 or 61 Minutes. Yes…the entire staff that brought in such great ratings this year should do this, and if this were to happen, its ratings would more than double that of the upcoming CBS offering.

Hit them where it hurts!

[Dave Bowman]

1. Great idea! Eventually they would have to hire Kid Rock since nobody else would want to work for them.

[jmbar2]

2. Start a YouTube Channel

65 Minutes+

[awesomerwb1]

3. They should get with Colbert and start a new digital network

Comedy driven news network would be awesome.

they could call it CNN. Oh wait.

[tableturner]

8. Cut down the reports by 2 minutes each, then give Colbert a 10 minute humor segment.

Or maybe do a new one hour Colbert show after 59 or 61 Minutes airs.

[justaprogressive]

4. Excellent idea!

I hope it occurs to them en masse!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. Surely they have non-compete contracts. NT

[ret5hd]

6. except then there's no competition.

(i know that’s not how it works)

[tableturner]

7. Doubtful, TV news people change networks all the time with no trouble.

[krawhitham]

13. Most have a six month non-compete clause, Joe's FTC banned them but trump changed the rule back

Here is an article on how bad non-compete contracts are for even low level journalists ($15 per hour), and how it will be better under Joe rule change
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/03/business/economy/noncompete-clauses-broadcast-news.html


Here is an article on trump undoing it
https://www.npr.org/2025/09/05/nx-s1-5528937/ftc-noncompete-ban-trump

[SocialDemocrat61]

17. You're thinking of on air talent and

maybe senior producers. The actual crew are ordinary middle class workers trying to make a living. They can't just quit their jobs.

[tableturner]

20. They can go to NBC or ABC to make a living.

[SocialDemocrat61]

23. Are there jobs at ABC and NBC?

Will they be able to carry over their benefits and pensions? The situation is not as simple as you think it is.

[tableturner]

26. There will be jobs IF NBC or ABC decides to do their version of 60 Minutes.

I know it is not simple, but you are making it much too complicated. If the entire staff, including the stars, stick together, they can negotiate benefits and pensions. Don't you think that a network would gladly do that to steal this highly rated legacy TV treasure? They would surely be happy to do that to secure such a ratings blockbuster, which, after this mess, would probably be an even BIGGER ratings blockbuster.

[SocialDemocrat61]

27. If??

That’s a big if. Plus they have their own prime time news shows, Dateline NBC and 20/20. And 60 minutes is owned and produced by CBS News. The crew of 60 Minutes works for CBS News, it’s not like an entertainment show that is purchased from a production company and can be moved whole to another network. So ABC and NBC can’t steal anything. Even if they could, there is no guarantee it would succeed. And both networks have their own existing production staffs. They wouldn’t need to hire the entire staff as there are redundancies that wouldn’t need duplicate staffing. The whole idea IS much more complicated than you think it is. Why should a cameraman or production assistant or lightning technician or video editor or copy editor who has been working for CBS News for 20 years quit their job to make a point for you?

[tableturner]

29. Yes, a big if. My post was PREDICATED on that "if" becoming reality!

So yes, if neither of those networks pick up the show and staff, then what I wrote in my OP will not happen, but that possibility is assumed right from the start (which is why I wrote "IF'), so your bringing up the possibility of its not happening is not pertinent. I SIMPLY WROTE THAT IT WOULD BE GREAT IF IT DID HAPPEN!

No, NBC and ABC cannot "steal" the show...that was only used as a figure of speech, which should be evident. And you are correct that there is no guarantee that it would succeed, but a bit of logic and thought would indicate to most people that if a network hired the entire staff of 60 Minutes after CBS ruined it and fired much of the talent, and after such a cause celebre had occurred, and given its decades of popularity, it's not much of a jump in logic to conclude that a reconstituted 60 Minutes show would do very well.

You asked why a camera man or production assistant or a lighting technician should move to a new network when they have worked for CBS for many years? They SHOULDN'T necessarily move to the other network. So what? They COULD move to another network if they wanted to. And they wouldn't be doing it for me. If they did it, they'd be doing it for themselves.

IN SPITE OF YOUR NEGATIVISM, I STILL THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THE ENTIRE STAFF, OR MORE PRECISELY, THOSE THAT WANT TO, MOVED TO ANOTHER NETWORK TO REVIVE THE ORIGINAL 60 MINUTES, AND PUT IT OPPOSITE CBS'S UPCOMING SCREWY VERSION OF 60 MINUTES LITE AND OBLITERATE CBS'S NEW VERSION OF THE SHOW!

[SocialDemocrat61]

31. Not negativism but reality

of how things work in television news industry. Your op said the whole crew should quit. I commented that there is no guarantee that they would be hired by another network. And no one has the right to tell anyone else what they should do.

[maxsolomon]

9. Who's left to quit?

I'm sure Bari Weiss would be quite happy if she could hire a new cast of Fox cast-offs.

[SocialDemocrat61]

10. Are there job openings at NBC and ABC

Will they be able to carry over their pensions, seniority and other benefits?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

11. Scott Pelley just issued a statement on Bari's remarks this morning:

Link to tweet

[RockRaven]

12. I think you will find that most of them aren't brave idealists, they are in it for a paycheck.

[SocialDemocrat61]

18. The crew are middle class workers

just trying to make a living to support their families.

[tableturner]

21. They can get a paycheck from NBC or ABC with the rest of the crew.

[SocialDemocrat61]

25. No guarantee they'll be hired

NBC and ABC have their own production personnel. They may not need to hire anyone new. You're asking a bunch of middle class workers to walk out of their jobs. These people have families to support and can't just give up their jobs so easily.

[RockRaven]

28. There are a finite number of jobs. They have a bird in the hand at the moment. You are

suggesting that they ought to take a significant risk in the face of a looming/already-begun economic downturn. That is a hell of a lot easier to say to others than it is to do oneself.

[tableturner]

30. I'm NOT suggesting that!

I'm suggesting that IF a deal could be arranged, then they COULD do that, and under my scenario, that would not be a risk since it would be predicted on having worked out the arrangement BEFORE any move would be made.

[JCMach1]

14. Bring a new show to MSNOW: One Hour

[mitch96]

15. Great idea and I bet there are a bunch over there that can't afford to quit....nt

[tableturner]

16. Yes, they could save their jobs while saving the great heritage of 60 Minutes!

[Rebl2]

19. I agree

I am surprised Jane Pauley hasn’t quit.

[SocialDemocrat61]

24. Jane Pauley doesn't work on 60 Minutes

and she’s on air talent, not the crew.

[Xavier Breath]

22. They should call the new show...

That Show With the Annoying Stopwatch That Reminds You of When You Were a Kid and It Sounded Like the Last Precious Few Seconds of Your Weekend Were Draining Away show.

Damn, that stopwatch was triggering.

[Trueblue1968]

32. I agree

[Emile]

33. That would boost their integrity.

[bagimin]

34. This may be the codeine talking....

Anybody else think Scott Pelley would make an extremely articulate presidential candidate?
I'm all for the entire cast and crew migrating to NBC for "60 Minutes Classic". Needless to say I'm totally ignorant of any negatives or roadblocks to to such a plan, but an old fart can dream.