BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (Reuters) - The president of CBS Entertainment said on Sunday that the broadcast network is committed to a safe workplace following a “tough week” clouded by allegations of sexual misconduct against Chief Executive Leslie Moonves.
The CBS broadcasting logo is seen outside their headquarters in Manhattan, New York, U.S., July 30, 2018. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
CBS Corp (CBS.N) executive Kelly Kahl was hit with several questions about the accusations against Moonves and the overall culture at CBS Entertainment, the unit that oversees programming for the broadcast unit, during a 25-minute session at a Television Critics Association event where networks promote upcoming shows.
“Obviously, this has been a tough week at CBS,” Kahl said, adding that he struggled with how to express his response to a report in The New Yorker magazine on July 27 that detailed claims by six women who said Moonves sexually harassed them in incidents between 1985 and 2006.
“Leslie been an excellent boss and a mentor for a long time. He put me in this job,” Kahl said. “At the same time we must respect the voices that come forward. All allegations need to be and are being taken seriously.”
Moonves has said that he “may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances” decades ago, which he called mistakes that he regretted immensely, but that he understood “‘no’ means ‘no’” and had never used his position to harm anyone’s career.
CBS hired two law firms and appointed former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Mary Jo White to lead a probe into the allegations and the broader culture at CBS. It also set up a special board committee, recusing Moonves from the investigation but leaving him in his job as CBS chief.
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