EXCLUSIVE: Bari Weiss and CBS News leadership were said to be in an emergency meeting on Tuesday to decide how to move forward on 60 Minutes following an extraordinary clash between Scott Pelley and the show’s new executive producer, Nick Bilton at an all staff meeting this week.

Pelley has earned praise from 60 Minutes veterans and others at the network for challenging a series of firings from the top rated broadcast, amid concerns that it future direction is being influenced by corporate concerns.An insider source described the situation as “unsustainable,” with management believing that Pelley had created a “hostile workplace environment.”

On Monday, Pelley challenged Bilton as he introduced himself to staff, telling the former tech writer that his boss, CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss, was “murdering” the show. Weiss had set her sights on an overhaul of 60 Minutes, firing not just correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega but executive producer Tanya Simon and other top producers.

“There is a lot of love for Scott here, a lot of respect for what he has done over the years. But what happened this week is unacceptable,” a management insider said. As of now, the feeling is that “everything is up for discussion.”

Like Alfonsi, Deadline has learned that Pelley has had conversations with Bryan Freedman, a well-known litigator who has represented other news media personalities, about representation.

RELATED: ‘60 Minutes’ Executive Producer Replaced In Shakeup Of CBS News’ Top Show; Nick Bilton To Lead Broadcast, Cecilia Vega Exiting

Puck reported earlier on Tuesday that Pelley met with CBS News leadership but that the two sides did not find common ground.

If Pelley were to exit, it would mark the end of a 37-year career at the network, with stints as chief White House correspondent and as anchor of the CBS Evening News.

At the Monday meeting, as Bilton tried to dismiss some rumors about his plans, Pelley said of Weiss, “She is murdering 60 Minutes. She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it, and she’s been doing exactly that.”

RELATED: Cecilia Vega Blasts CBS After Firing From ‘60 Minutes,’ Calls Out “Censorship, Both Imposed And Self-Driven”

Pelley added, “She has no qualifications for her job; you have slender qualifications for this job. The changes that she’s made at the Evening News have been catastrophic, so why should we expect that any of this is going to be any better?”

Pelley’s remarks received praise from the show’s former executive producer, Bill Owens, who said at an event at the New York Press Club on Monday night that he “couldn’t be prouder of him.” He said that Pelley “can smell a fraud a mile away.”

If Pelley were to leave, his departure would leave Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker and L. Jon Wertheim as full time correspondents for the show, with Norah O’Donnell as contributing correspondent.

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