On Sunday night, Anderson Cooper bid farewell to “60 Minutes,” after nearly two decades of serving as a correspondent on the iconic CBS News program. Cooper sat in front of images of himself throughout the years reporting for the newsmagazine, during an emotional Overtime segment marking his departure, where he reflected not only on his own tenure, but on the values that have long defined “60 Minutes,” including independence, patience, and the resources required to produce high-caliber journalism.

“I hope ‘60 Minutes’ remains ‘60 Minutes,’” Cooper said. “There’s very few things that have been around for as long as ‘60 Minutes’ has and maintained the quality that it has.”

Cooper went on to say that “things can always evolve and change,” but that he hopes “the core of what ‘60 Minutes’ is always remains.” Then, in what seemed to be a not-so-subtle message to new CBS boss Bari Weiss’ meddling in the show, Cooper said, “I think the independence of ‘60 Minutes’ has been critical.” He added: “I think the trust it has with viewers is critical to the success of ‘60 Minutes.’”

Cooper explained that strong “60 Minutes” stories require “time,” “patience,” and “money.” But he also said—again, in what seemed directed at new management—that it “requires an appreciation of the history and the sacrifices and the hard work of the people here.”

The remarks landed at an especially anxious moment inside the storied newsmagazine, as the season comes to a close amid mounting uncertainty about the future of the franchise under Weiss’ leadership. Between Cooper’s departure and the widespread expectation that more changes are imminent, many inside—and outside—CBS News are quietly wondering whether Sunday night marked the end of an era, and the last glimpse of “60 Minutes” as viewers have known it.

A network spokesperson did not comment for this story.

As Status previously reported, Cooper’s exit was tied not only to family considerations as he balanced his duties at CNN and CBS, but also to growing discomfort with the direction Weiss has taken CBS News since being installed by Paramount chief David Ellison. In recent months, Weiss has increasingly inserted herself into the editorial direction and booking process at “60 Minutes” in ways that have rattled veteran staffers protective of the show’s famously independent culture.

Historically, “60 Minutes” has operated with a rare degree of independence inside CBS News, largely shielded from the sort of top-down network meddling in which Weiss has engaged. When the network or ownership dared to intervene, it came with the taint of scandal, such as when corporate lawyers notoriously objected to Mike Wallace’s interview with tobacco-industry whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand, which inspired the movie “The Insider.”

That autonomy has long been viewed as central to the show’s success and credibility, which is why some staffers have struggled to understand why Weiss appears so determined to remake one of the few remaining programs that consistently delivers both prestige and ratings for the network. The concern is not simply editorial interference, but the possibility that aggressively reshaping the program could alienate the loyal audience that has kept “60 Minutes” dominant for decades, while forcing key talent to look for the nearest exit.

Most recently, Weiss stirred frustration after meddling in an interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, assigning the high-profile segment to Chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett, who notably does not have a formal role on “60 Minutes.” As Status first reported, longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl had been trying to land an interview with Netanyahu when Weiss booked the prime minister herself. The decision was widely viewed inside the broadcast as emblematic of Weiss’ willingness to sidestep longstanding “60 Minutes” operating procedures, while demonstrating her lack of respect for the show’s veteran journalists. Meanwhile, Stahl’s contract is on a year-to-year basis, expiring with the end of the current season, as the 84-year-old correspondent considers whether to return.

Elsewhere, Sharyn Alfonsi is not expected to have her contract renewed after clashing with Weiss and publicly criticizing the decision to hold her “Inside CECOT” story. Weiss has not communicated with Alfonsi about her future or offered her a new contract, a person familiar with the matter told Status earlier this week.

Meanwhile, there are questions about whether “60 Minutes” executive producer Tanya Simon could be ousted after a year in the role, having filled the void left when Bill Owens resigned. Simon struck a multiyear deal with brass for the EP role last year, but as Status has previously reported, tucked into her contract is a clause giving CBS News the option to choose not to continue with her in the top role after one year—meaning Weiss could, if she so desired, tap someone else as EP and reassign Simon.

While it remains unclear exactly how Weiss intends to overhaul the newsmagazine, the risk for its news division is obvious. “60 Minutes” is not merely another network television program, but one of the last remaining successful news brands built almost entirely on institutional trust. Viewers tune in not simply because of the stories, but because of the credibility of the correspondents delivering them. If that continues to erode, whether through talent departures, editorial controversies, or the perception that the program is being reshaped to fit a new ideological vision, it is difficult to imagine the franchise’s ratings and image remaining unscathed.

That, in many ways, is what made Cooper’s farewell, with his emphasis on preserving the “core” of “60 Minutes” and protecting its independence, sound so loaded.

“I hope ‘60 Minutes’ is around for when my kids grow up and have kids of their own, and they can watch it with their kids,” Cooper said. “That's my hope.”

The latest episode of Power Lines just dropped.

In this week’s episode: We discuss Bari Weiss’ terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week in which a series of fiascos embarrassed “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil and highlighted her television news inexperience—all while we broke news about how she undermined legendary “60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl.

Plus, we break down the controversy at The NYT after the newspaper’s opinion section published the Nicholas Kristof column that made shocking allegations about the rape of Palestinians. And we delve into our reporting about how Axel Springer boss Mathias Döpfner has been quietly trying to court Donald Trump.

You can watch on YouTube—or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Data via Box Office Mojo]