Moonves remains in charge during investigation
NEW YORK — CBS will keep CEO Les Moonves in place during an investigation of sexual misconduct charges against him, the company said. It will hire an outside counsel to conduct the probe.
On Friday a New Yorker article quoted six women who accused Moonves of sexual misconduct over a span of three decades. The alleged behavior included forced kissing, unwanted sexual advances and career retaliation against women who rebuffed him. CBS issued a statement even before the article was published saying it took the allegations seriously and would begin an investigation.
In a statement, Moonves said that “there were times decades ago when I may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances,” but he denied misusing his position to hurt anyone’s career.
If its CEO is suspended or departs altogether, CBS would lose its chief amid rapid change in the entertainment industry and a corporate battle with media mogul Shari Redstone, who Six women have accused CBS CEO Les Moonves of sexual misconduct over a span of three decades. controls both CBS and its corporate sibling Viacom.
The two are fighting in court over control of the company, particularly regarding a plan from Redstone to combine Viacom and CBS, which Moonves opposes unless he is given control of both companies.
The CBS board, which counts t hree women among its more than a dozen members, has been largely loyal to Moonves in his fight with Redstone, as she has attempted in recent months to add new members to negate that loyalty.
Moonves joined CBS in 1995 as president of CBS Entertainment and quickly climbed the ranks, becoming CEO of CBS Television in 1998 and CEO of the newly created CBS Corp. in 2006 after it split from Viacom. He revived the company, which operates the CBS network, Show- time and other entities, with hit shows such as “NCIS” and “The Big Bang Theory.”
More recently, Moonves i ntroduced separate streaming services as more people “cut the cord” and watch TV online. The network consistently tops its rivals in prime-time ratings.
“He’s done a terrific job in focusing the company on important franchises and pushing them to the future” with streaming services, said Moody’s analyst Neil Begley.
A likely successor, at least on an interim basis, is Chief Operating Officer Joseph Ianniello, analysts said. Ianniello, who has held his current position since 2003, has steered top projects such as CBS All Access and Showtime streaming services.
Moonves’ wife, Julie Chen, is staying mum about the sexual harassment allegations against her husband.
On Monday’s episode of her daytime CBS chat show, “The Talk,” she said she will not discuss the issue on the air. Chen said she has already made one statement on the matter and she will “stand by that statement today, tomorrow, forever.”
On Friday, she tweeted that she “fully supported” Moonves, calling him a “kind, decent and moral human being.”
Chen and Moonves have been married for almost 14 years and are the parents of a son, Charlie. She is a former CBS news anchor who also hosts the “Big Brother” reality show.
The CBS board on Monday also voted to postpone the shareholder meeting that had been scheduled for Aug. 10. Shares were up a penny in aftermarket trading after closing down 5 percent at $51.28.