CBS News' 60 Minutes. Courtest of CBS News By Mark Mwachiro --> Top of the Ticker : Two 60 Minutes stories helmed by former correspondents Scott Pelley and Anderson Cooper , respectively, were the recipients of the Radio Television Digital News Association’s (RTDNA) 2026 Edward R. Murrow Awards. Pelley’s story, titled “The Bus on Route 60,” won an award for Excellence in Writing, while Cooper’s story on “The Empty Rooms” won a Feature Reporting award in the Network TV Category. Both pieces initially aired on Nov. 23, 2025.
Pelley was ousted from 60 Minutes in June following a confrontation with new 60 Minutes executive producer Nick Bilton , while Cooper stepped down from his role in May . CBS News received four awards this year, with the now-defunct CBS News Radio winning the Overall Excellence Award in the Network Radio category.
Meanwhile, ABC News received the most awards this year with seven. CNN and NBC had two, and CNBC and MS NOW earned one apiece. The winners will be celebrated at the Edwards R. Murrow Awards Gala in New York on Oct. 12.
The merger and the restless : In what could qualify as a daytime soap opera on CBS, the stalled merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery continues to produce new twists and turns. This week, a report from The Wall Street Journal said that Paramount, in an effort to placate those concerned about its takeover of CNN, discussed creating an editorial board to oversee the network. The board would ensure CNN’s editorial independence and safeguard against other issues that may interfere with its operations.
Meanwhile, in what could signal escalating tensions between Paramount and the State Attorneys General who have temporarily blocked its merger with WBD, a report has emerged that the media conglomerate could be exploring moving CBS News’ operations out of New York City. One likely relocation site, according to the report, is Atlanta, CNN’s home.
Screen clutter : As it looks to keep viewers engaged with its on-air product, CNN has been experimenting with live text chains appearing on-screen beside its video. The Arena with Kasie Hunt was the first show to deploy this formula, with the text chains also appearing during the network’s coverage of the Supreme Court rulings in June. Speaking to Variety , Hunt says she thinks the addition of the text chains holds viewers, adding, “You can hear from people who are professional journalists and experts, as opposed to the free-for-all people often get when they turn to X, Threads or their own text conversations.”
Global views : BBC’s news website has earned the distinct honor of being the most visited news site in the world, accumulating one billion visits in July, according to Similarweb data . This is the first time the BBC has reached one billion visits in 18 months, and it was the most-visted news website in the world in any language. CNN was the fourth most-visted website, with Fox News landing in eighth place for the month of July.
Evening venture : CBS News’ CBS Sunday Morning is entering the live event space, partnering with New York’s 92nd Street Y to present a new series of conversations featuring newsmakers in the arts, politics, and more. These events will be held in front of a live audience, with the first taking place on Monday, Sept. 28, at 6 p.m. ET, featuring correspondent Tracy Smith and actor Sylvester Stallone . Tickets are on sale at www.92ny.org .
. @CBSSunday is expanding its reach. This fal…