NEW YORK – The coronavirus has tested “60 Minutes” both on and off the air in ways that the Sunday night newsmagazine has never seen in the 51 years of its existence.
The CBS program's longest-serving correspondent, Lesley Stahl, was hospitalized but recovered, others on the staff tested positive and — like many businesses — it has operated remotely for two months.
At the same time, “60 Minutes” has dove into a breaking news story in ways that it seldom has before. “I can't remember a time when we have done relentlessly, week after week, stories on something with this sort of scope,” said Bill Owens, the show's executive producer.