Scott Pelley is out as the anchor of the CBS Evening News and will move full time to the network’s Sunday night news magazine 60 Minutes, CBS confirmed Wednesday.

Anthony Mason, CBS News senior national correspondent, will replace Pelley on the anchor desk until the network identifies a permanent replacement.

Pelley has been anchor of the CBS Evening News since he replaced Katie Couric in 2011, and has co-hosted 60 Minutes since 2003. He’s been with CBS News since 1989, and was chief White House correspondent from 1997-99.

The CBS Evening News routinely ranks last in the ratings behind NBC Nightly News and ABC World News Tonight, and that could have been a factor in Pelley’s removal.

In the five-day period ending May 26, Nightly News won an average of nearly 7.8 million viewers, compared to more than 7.5 million for World News and around 6.2 million for CBS Evening News, reports Variety. Among the key news demographic of adults 25-54, NBC captured an average of 1.78 million, compared with ABC’s 1.58 million and CBS’ 1.3 million.

According to the New York Post’s Page Six, which broke the story late Tuesday, Pelley’s tenure with the weeknight broadcast ended after he got into a final fight with CBS News President David Rhodes, with whom he often did not see eye to eye.

Still, everyone was cordial in remarks issued Wednesday:

“Scott brought the best values of 60 Minutes to the CBS Evening News and we thank him for his commitment to the journalism of this broadcast every night these past six years,” said Rhodes in a statement. “The milestone 50th season of 60 Minutes requires Scott’s full contribution, and we look forward to important reporting from him for many years to come.”

“Scott’s work over many years at 60 Minutes has been extraordinary. So has his dedication to consequential reporting,” said Jeff Fager, executive producer of 60 Minutes. “It is exciting for all of us, and good for our viewers, that he will be focusing all of his efforts on 60 Minutes.”

For his part, Pelley thanked his colleagues for six years with the broadcast: “I find my heart filled with gratitude for the opportunity to know you, humility, in light of your sacrifices, and hope for the future of journalism because of the standards you live by … CBS has been great to me for nearly 30 years. I’m glad to accept this assignment with continuing gratitude.”

Pelley will return to the CBS Evening News on Monday once he is back from assignment in Syria, says Page Six, but it’s unclear how long he’ll remain in that seat.

READ MORE: Page Six, Deadline, Variety

[Image courtesy of Variety]

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