CBS CEO Les Moonves to be investigated for sexual misconduct

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https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ne...expose-1130268

The New Yorker is reportedly releasing an exposé today on the longtime CBS boss that accuses him of unwanted kissing and touching, including sexual misconduct that occurred more than 20 years ago and more recently. "Sources with knowledge of the article say it delves into the broader culture at CBS and will publish later today on the magazine’s website," according to The Hollywood Reporter. CBS released a statement ahead of the article's publication saying: “All allegations of personal misconduct are to be taken seriously. The Independent Directors of CBS have committed to investigating claims that violate the Company’s clear policies in that regard. Upon the conclusion of that investigation, which involves recently reported allegations that go back several decades, the Board will promptly review the findings and take appropriate action. The timing of this report comes in the midst of the Company’s very public legal dispute. While that litigation process continues, the CBS management team has the full support of the independent board members. Along with that team, we will continue to focus on creating value for our shareowners.” News of the impending story caused CBS stock to nosedive within minutes.

Six women accuse CBS' Les Moonves of sexual harassment in New Yorker exposé

“What happened to me was a sexual assault, and then I was fired for not participating,” said actress Illeana Douglas, one of six women to come forward accusing Moonves of sexual misconduct, including four on the record, to Pulitzer-winning writer Ronan Farrow. As Farrow pointed out, Moonves called the #MeToo movement a "watershed moment" last November. "I think it’s important that a company’s culture will not allow for this," he said. "And that’s the thing that’s far-reaching. There’s a lot we’re learning. There’s a lot we didn’t know.” But, writes Farrow, "Moonves’s private actions belie his public statements. Six women who had professional dealings with him told me that, between the nineteen-eighties and the late aughts, Moonves sexually harassed them. Four described forcible touching or kissing during business meetings, in what they said appeared to be a practiced routine. Two told me that Moonves physically intimidated them or threatened to derail their careers. All said that he became cold or hostile after they rejected his advances, and that they believed their careers suffered as a result." Aside from Douglas, the women who've spoken on the record with Farrow include writer Janet Jones, who alleges that Moonves tried to forcibly kiss her; producer Christine Peters, who alleges that Moonves put his hand up her skirt during a meeting; and Emmy-winning The Tracey Ullman Show writer Dinah Kingo, who says a potential deal fell through after she rejected a date with a then-married Moonves. In a statement to The New Yorker, Moonves said: “I recognize that there were times decades ago when I may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances. Those were mistakes, and I regret them immensely. But I always understood and respected—and abided by the principle—that ‘no’ means ‘no,’ and I have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyone’s career. This is a time when we all are appropriately focused on how we help improve our society, and we at CBS are committed to being part of the solution.”

ALSO:

• Ronan Farrow's Moonves bombshell also tackled sexual misconduct accusations at CBS News and 60 Minutes: "19 current and former employees told @RonanFarrow that Jeff Fager, the former chairman of CBS News and the current executive producer of 60 Minutes, allowed harassment in the division."
  "Men at CBS News who were accused of sexual misconduct were promoted, even as the company paid settlements to women with complaints," Farrow writes, based on interviews with 30 current and former CBS employees.
  Julie Chen tweeted a statement in support of her husband: "I have known my husband, Leslie Moonves, since the late ’90s, and I have been married to him for almost 14 years. Leslie is a good man and a loving father, devoted husband and inspiring corporate leader. He has always been a kind, decent and moral human being. I fully support my husband and stand behind him and his statement.”

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Why Stephen Colbert's response to the Les Moonves' sexual harassment accusations was "something of a shock"
What The Late Show host did on last night's show was "put the story into the larger context of #MeToo coming up on its first anniversary, what it means to actually support it, and how the deluge of allegations that has made some people suspicious is a natural response to so many years of silence," says Caroline Framke. "He pointed out that the CBS board decided not to suspend Moonves amidst an outside investigation, then cracked jokes about CBS possibly turning the lights off on the show during the commercial break. And maybe most crucially, Colbert made the point that someone like Moonves can be supportive to one person (like him) and potentially abusive to another (like one of the accusers)." She adds: "Colbert’s viewpoint certainly might change as the story itself evolves, as is his right. But for now, acknowledging the story as publicly and bluntly as he did meant acknowledging its significance for him, his workplace, and beyond. For a self-professed company man, that’s no small feat."

Stephen Colbert on Les Moonves sexual harassment allegations: "Accountability is for everybody"

In separate segments on his show Monday night, The Late Show host addressed the allegations of sexual misconduct against his boss, which "stood in sharp relief" from the way his wife and CBS host Julie Chen reacted to the news, said Matt Wilstein. Colbert joked in his monologue that he didn't know why CBS was hiring outside investigators to probe the allegations against Moonves. "They could just use the cast of the new CBS procedural, CSI: CEO,” thie host quipped. After his first commercial break, Colbert's comments turned serious. "I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I do believe in accountability, and not just for politicians you disagree with,” Colbert said. “Everybody believes in accountability until it’s their guy, and, make no mistake, Les Moonves is my guy. He hired me to sit in this chair,” he added. “He stood behind this show while we were finding our voice. He gave us the time and the resources to succeed. He has stood by us when people were mad at me, and I like working for him. But accountability is meaningless unless it’s for everybody, whether it’s for the leader of a network or the leader of the free world.”

Les Moonves promoted a "zero tolerance policy" at CBS towards sexual harassment just last year
According to a company-wide memo obtained by Deadline that the CBS CEO sent on March 9, 2017 -- seven months before the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke -- Moonves said the company is committed to providing every employee with a professional work environment that’s free of discrimination and harassment. “Simply put,” Moonves wrote, “CBS has a zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination or sexual harassment in our company or related businesses. At every level of the organization, we are all responsible for treating each other in a fair, objective manner and for supporting the Company’s Affirmative Action and EEO policies and practices. And I hold all our managers accountable in this regard.” As Deadline put it, "Moonves’ own conduct will now be measured against that standard."

ALSO:

• CBS board of directors' average age is 73, with three women among 14 board members
  Moonves isn't hiding amid his scandal: He dined Sunday night with Julie Chen at hotspot Nobu Malibu
  How Ronan Farrow keeps landing bombshell stories: Illeana Douglas called him the day after his Harvey Weinstein story broke

CBS board declines to take immediate action against CEO Les Moonves
The CBS board of directors only announced today that it will select outside counsel to investigate allegations that Moonves sexually harassed six women. As The New York Times points out, "the lack of immediate consequences for Mr. Moonves was striking at a time when some media companies have taken swift action against prominent employees who have been accused of misconduct. CBS fired the anchor Charlie Rose a day after allegations were made against him, and NBC acted quickly to fire Matt Lauer of Today after he, too, was accused of inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment." Meanwhile, Moonves' alma mater Bucknell University removed all references to the CBS CEO from its website. ALSO: Here are potential Les Moonves replacements.

Les Moonves sexual harassment allegations look like further proof that abusive power players shape the stories that are told
Moonves is a one of the most influential gatekeepers in what stories are told and how they are told, and his impact extends all the way through CBS' many subsidiaries, from CBS News to CBS All Access to The CW and Simon & Schuster. So it should be concerning that somebody accused of sexual harassment has overseen a CBS Corp. that has been brimming with sexual misconduct allegations, from 60 Minutes to Charlie Rose to former NCIS producer Brad Kern and CW Arrowverse producer Andrew Kreisberg. "The point is simply this: People accused of sexual harassment and assault have formed the backbone of police procedurals, teen superhero dramas and some of the country’s (previously) most trusted news programming," says Caroline Framke. "How did these men shape the stories they were telling to millions? Which stories haven’t been told at all? Whose voices were silenced or dismissed as unimportant? Who was elevated, and who became collateral damage? What, exactly, have we lost because of powerful egos throwing their weight around?"

ALSO:

• Why Moonves' female supporters are flawed in their defense: An abuser won't abuse everybody
  Moonves could lose up to $315 million if he's fired