Veteran “60 Minutes” Steven Kroft will retire from the show where he has been a fixture since joining in 1989.
“Steve Kroft’s reporting for ’60 Minutes’ has been as important as any correspondent’s in the history of this broadcast,” executive producer Bill Owens said in a statement on Friday. “Steve, with his sharp eye for detail, rich writing and demanding journalism, has set the bar at ’60 Minutes’ for three decades.”
Kroft’s last show will be May 19 but the program will plan a special broadcast in September to celebrate his 50-year career in journalism.
Kroft, who first joined CBS in 1980, is one of the network’s most celebrated reporters, and has amassed a trove of journalism awards including Peabodys and Polks during his years at the network. When he first signed on with “60 Minutes,” he joined what the network called a “Murderers’ Row” of correspondents including Mike Wallace, Morley Safer, Harry Reasoner and Ed Bradley. During his two decades on set, he became primarily known for his investigative coverage, which could often drives news cycles for days.
The departure of Kroft comes as the show plans to welcome its newest correspondent, John Dickerson. Formerly host of the network’s Sunday morning program “Face the Nation,” Dickerson moved to “CBS This Morning” in January 2018. Earlier this month, he was formally moved off the show to “60 Minutes” as part of a broader shakeup by network boss Susan Zirinsky intended to juice CBS News’ moribund rantings
Among other changes, Norah O’Donnell will replace Jeff Glor as anchor and managing editor of “CBS Evening News,” and Gayle King will be joined on “CBS This Morning” by longtime channel stalwarts Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil. It is unclear what future role Glor may have or even whether he will remain at CBS.