Les Moonves
Leslie Roy Moonves (/ˈmuːnvɛz/; born October 6, 1949)[1] is an American media executive who was the chairman and CEO of CBS Corporation[2][3] from 2003 until his resignation in September 2018 following numerous allegations of sexual harassment and abuse.[4] He has been married to TV personality Julie Chen since 2004.
Les Moonves | |
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Moonves at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival | |
Born | Leslie Roy Moonves October 6, 1949 New York City, US |
Alma mater | Bucknell University |
Net worth | US$800 million (2018) |
Spouse(s) |
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Children | 4 |
He had held a series of executive positions at CBS from July 1995 to September 2018.[2] He has been on the board of directors at ZeniMax Media since 1999.[2] Later, he was co-president and co-chief operating officer (COO) of the original Viacom, Inc., the legal predecessor to CBS Corporation, from 2004 until the company split in December 2005. He became chairman of CBS in February 2016.[5][6][7] In September 2018, Moonves stepped down as chairman of CBS after multiple women brought forth sexual misconduct allegations against him. Moonves allegedly destroyed evidence of his sexual misconduct.[8]
According to various media reports, Moonves has amassed a net worth of over US$800 million as a result of extremely generous compensation packages from CBS, with Moonves earning $68.4 million in 2017, combined with stock options of the media company, worth over $100 million. It was reported that Moonves was entitled to a severance package of over $240 million from CBS; however, this has been suspended pending the outcome of several sexual abuse allegations against him.
Early life
Leslie Roy Moonves[9] was born in Brooklyn, New York City,[1] to a Jewish family[10][11] in New York City, the son of Josephine (Schleifer) and Herman Moonves,[12][13] and grew up in Valley Stream, New York. His mother was a nurse.[14] He has one sister, Melissa Moonves Colon, and two brothers, including entertainment attorney Jonathan Moonves.[14] He attended Valley Stream Central High School and went to Bucknell University, graduating in 1971.[15] In his sophomore year he decided that his science courses were unfulfilling and switched his major from pre-medical to Spanish (a subject he found vastly more enjoyable) and acted in a few plays; following graduation in 1971 he moved to Manhattan to pursue an acting career where he eventually graduated from the Neighborhood Playhouse. He landed a few parts, playing tough guys on Cannon and The Six Million Dollar Man,[16] which he described as "forgettable" TV roles, before deciding on the career change.[17] He also worked as one of casting director Caro Jones' first office assistants early in her career.[18]
Business career
Moonves was in charge of first-run syndication and pay/cable programming at 20th Century Fox Television. Also at 20th Century Fox Television, he was vice president of movies and mini-series. Other positions included vice president of development at Saul Ilson Productions (in association with Columbia Pictures Television) and development executive for Catalina Productions.[19]
Lorimar Television and Warner Bros. Television (1985–1995)
Moonves joined Lorimar Television in 1985 as executive in charge of its movies and mini-series, and in 1988, became head of creative affairs. From 1990 to 1993, he was president at Lorimar.[20] In July 1993, he became president/CEO of Warner Bros. Television, when Warner Bros. and Lorimar Television combined operations. In this phase of his career, he green-lighted the shows Friends and ER, among many others.[17]
CBS (1995–2018)
He joined CBS in July 1995 as President of CBS Entertainment.[21] From April 1998 until 2003, he was president and chief executive officer at CBS Television, then was promoted to chairman and CEO of CBS in 2003. In 2003, CBS had six of the ten most-watched primetime shows in the final quarter of 2005: CSI, Without a Trace, CSI: Miami, Survivor: Guatemala, NCIS, and Cold Case.[17]
In February 2005, Moonves was identified as the executive directly responsible for ordering the cancellation of UPN's Star Trek: Enterprise and the ending of the 18-year revival of the Star Trek television franchise.[22] In January 2006, Moonves helped make the deal that brought together the CBS-owned United Paramount Network (UPN) with The WB Television Network to form The CW Television Network that fall.
Moonves was the second-most highly-paid director for 2012 and 2013: he received $58.8 million[23] and $65.4 million.[24] He is considered the second-highest paid CEO, having been paid $68.4 million in 2017.[25]
In 2013, Moonves was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.[26] He became chairman of CBS in February 2016.[5][6][7]
Of the tone of the 2016 Republican presidential campaign, and the advertising dollars it delivered, Moonves said, "It may not be good for America, but it's damn good for CBS ... Man, who would have expected the ride we're all having right now? ... The money's rolling in and this is fun ... I've never seen anything like this, and this [is] going to be a very good year for us. Sorry. It's a terrible thing to say. But, bring it on, Donald. Keep going.”[27] He added, "Donald's place in this election is a good thing."[28]
Moonves was also open to acquiring smaller film production companies to expand his company's CBS Films division.[29]
In September 2018, following allegations of sexual assault against him, it was reported that CBS was negotiating a $100-million exit package for Moonves and that CBS Chief Operating Officer Joe Ianniello would serve as his interim replacement.[30] On September 9, 2018, CBS Corporation announced he had resigned and Joe Iannello would become interim CEO.[31] Moonves and CBS will donate $20 million to the #MeToo movement, money that will be deducted from any severance benefits Moonves may be owed, the company said. The donation to charities promoting women’s equality in the workplace will come upon the conclusion of an independent investigation into the allegations, according to the statement.[32]
Howard Stern litigation
In February 2006, Moonves led CBS to file a $500-million lawsuit against Howard Stern for allegedly breaching his contract by failing to disclose the details of his deal with Sirius Satellite Radio while still employed by Infinity Broadcasting. Stern vowed to fight the suit, and said on his radio program that Moonves and CBS were trying to "bully" him and his agent, Don Buchwald. Stern later appeared on CBS' own Late Show with David Letterman, wearing a shirt mocking Moonves and his wife. In June 2006, Stern announced that the lawsuit had been settled. As part of the settlement, Sirius acquired the exclusive rights to all of the WXRK tapes (over two decades' worth of shows) for $2 million.
ZeniMax Media
Moonves has been on the board of ZeniMax Media since its foundation in 1999, alongside his friend and ZeniMax president Ernest Del.[33] Moonves's personal investment[34] in the company has been noted, as well as his appearances at several launch parties, including for Bethesda Softworks' Fallout 3, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Rage.[35]
Sexual misconduct allegations
Moonves voiced support for the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment in the workplace,[36][37] even describing it as a "watershed moment" during a November 2017 press conference,[38] and was a founding member of the "Commission on Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace", formed in late 2017 to "tackle the broad culture of abuse and power disparity".[39][40] In January 2018, CBS Cares released public service announcements concerning how to combat sexual harassment.[41][42][43]
In July 2018, The New Yorker published an article by Ronan Farrow saying that six women accused Moonves of harassment and intimidation, and dozens have described abuse at CBS.[44] Moonves was subsequently placed under investigation by the CBS board.[45]
In August 2018, Bucknell University removed references to Moonves on its website, and University of Southern California suspended Moonves' name from its Media Center.[46]
In September 2018, The New Yorker reported that six more women (in addition to the six original women reported in July) had raised accusations against Moonves, going back to the 1980s.[47] Shortly after resigning as CEO of CBS, Moonves released a statement denying all of the sexual misconduct allegations.[48]
In November 2018, The New York Times published an article in which actress Bobbie Phillips alleges that Moonves sexually assaulted her during the mid-1990s, and was attempting to bury the allegations.[49] The next month, it was revealed Moonves had been involved in paying a $9.5 million settlement to actress Eliza Dushku, who claimed she was written out of her starring role on CBS drama Bull as retaliation for reporting sexual harassment by co-star Michael Weatherly; actress Cybill Shepherd alleged in a radio interview that Moonves cancelled her sitcom, Cybill, after she rejected his advances.[50][51]
On December 18, 2018, CBS announced that the board would deny Moonves his $120 million severance pay, as their investigation had found Moonves violated his contract. According to investigators, claims made by the women were credible, and led to more claims that were found to be credible during the course of the investigation. In addition, it was claimed that Moonves attempted to interfere with the investigation. Allegations of examples include Moonves refusing to cooperate with investigators, acting "evasive and untruthful" towards investigators, deleting hundreds of messages, and passing off his son's iPad as his own to investigators.[50][52][53][54][55]
On June 21, 2019, advice columnist E. Jean Carroll wrote in a first-person essay in New York that Moonves sexually assaulted her in an elevator in the mid-1990s after she interviewed him for a story. Moonves denied the allegation.[56]
Moon Rise Unlimited
On February 8, 2019, The New York Times reported that Moonves had founded his own company in West Hollywood, California named Moon Rise Unlimited after being fired from CBS.[57]
Public appearances
On April 7, 2003, Moonves portrayed himself in an episode of The Practice. From early 2004 until its end in May 2015, Moonves made regular appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman. One of these came when Letterman declared outrage that CBS featured his late-night competitor Jay Leno in an ad for CBS's telecast of the People's Choice Awards. Letterman jokingly warned the "CBS stooge in the control room" to call his buddies "before things turn ugly"; Moonves obliged. Later appearances took the same format, with Letterman discussing current events and the CBS network with the company's CEO.
On the March 23, 2015, premiere episode of The Late Late Show with James Corden, Moonves portrayed himself as the head of CBS who sends out a golden ticket granting whoever finds it a chance to host The Late Late Show, in an homage to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Moonves also appeared on the September 8, 2015, premiere of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, operating a large switch he could use to switch back to reruns of The Mentalist if he was unhappy with the new program.[58]
Personal life
Moonves is a great-nephew of Paula Ben-Gurion, born Paula Munweis, wife of David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel.[59][60] He practices Transcendental Meditation, and has said, "It puts me in a calm state, which I'm not always in."[61]
In 1978, Moonves married Nancy Wiesenfeld, with whom he has three children[62][63][64][65] including W magazine editor in chief Sara Moonves.[66] In April 2003, Nancy Moonves filed for divorce in Los Angeles Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences. Nancy and Les Moonves were already living apart.[67]
In 2004, although his divorce from Nancy was not yet finalized, Moonves began dating Julie Chen, CBS' The Early Show reporter and host of the reality series Big Brother.[68] On December 10, 2004, Moonves got a court to grant an early divorce,[69] on a motion citing a "desire to return to the status of being single". Thirteen days later in Mexico, he married Chen.[68] In 2009, Chen gave birth to a son.[70]
Moonves resides in Beverly Hills, California, in a house he bought from Andy Heyward.[71] He also owns residences in Malibu and New York City.[72]
Philanthropy
In 2015, Moonves and Chen made a major donation to University of Southern California, resulting in a media center being named the "Julie Chen/Leslie Moonves and CBS Media Center." Moonves was already a USC School of Cinematic Arts' board of councilors member.[73] Previously Moonves was a University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism board member.[74]
In August 2018, Moonves was "suspended" from the USC School of Cinematic Arts' board of councilors in the wake of sex abuse allegations.[75]
In September 2018, at the same time Moonves resigned, CBS announced that Moonves and the network would be donating $20 million to #MeToo-related organizations.[76][77]
See also
- Sumner Redstone, former executive chairman of CBS and member of Redstone family which owns the majority share of CBS
- Shari Redstone, vice-chairwoman of CBS and member of Redstone family which owns the majority share of CBS
- Jim Lanzone, President and CEO of CBS Interactive
- Martha Minow, law professor and CBS board member
- David R. Andelman, lawyer and CBS board member
References
- "Les Moonves: Business Leader (1949–)". Biography.com. A&E Networks. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
- "Biography from CBS Corporation website". Archived from the original on May 16, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- "Leslie Moonves Interview". "Archive of American Television".
- McCarthy, Tyler (9 September 2018). "CBS chief Les Moonves steps down amid sexual misconduct allegations". Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- Brian Steinberg. "Leslie Moonves Named CBS Chairman, Replacing Sumner Redstone". Variety. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
- "Sumner Redstone resigns as CBS executive chairman, replaced by Leslie Moonves". Los Angeles Times. February 3, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
- "Sumner Redstone Steps Down as CBS Chairman, Replaced by Leslie Moonves". The New York Times. February 4, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
- "Les Moonves: New allegation follows report saying ex-CBS boss destroyed evidence". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
- "CBS CEO Les Moonves Walks Out After A Settlement Agreement". Valuewalk.com. September 12, 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- CNN Money: "Leslie Moonves's Role of a Lifetime. The former actor excels at spotting talent and picking shows. Now he has to sell Wall Street on CBS stock" By Devin Leonard April 10, 2006 |"Moonves joked afterward. "You know, this is my tenth time playing Carnegie Hall. I believe that is a new record for a Jew without an instrument."
- Financial Post: "Lawrence Solomon: The Jewish press and Israel" by Lawrence Solomon November 30, 2012
- "Biography". Scribd.
- Brook, Vincent. From Shtetl to Stardom: Jews and Hollywood: Chapter 1: Still an Empire of Their Own: How Jews Remain Atop a Reinvented Hollywood. Purdue University Press. p. 15.
- Barnes, Mike. Hollywood Reporter: "Josephine Moonves, Mother of CBS' Leslie Moonves, Dies at 92", The Hollywood Reporter, July 18, 2016.
- Leslie Moonves '71 to Receive Honorary Degree at Commencement from the Bucknell University website
- Les Moonves on IMDb
- Leslie Moonves's Role of a Lifetime Money via CNN.com. Retrieved April 10, 2006.
- Barnes, Mike (September 10, 2009). "Casting director Caro Jones dies". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 18, 2009. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- "Biography from CBS Corporation website". Archived from the original on February 26, 2008.
- John Lippman (October 11, 1990). "Moonves Takes Over Helm of Lorimar". Los Angeles Times.
- Bill Carter (August 18, 1998). "CBS Fills President's Post At Entertainment Division". The New York Times. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
CBS named Nancy Tellem president of the network's entertainment division yesterday, the position vacated in April by her longtime associate, Leslie Moonves, who is now the chief executive of CBS Television.
- "UPN Cancels 'Star Trek: Enterprise'". Trektoday.com. February 2, 2005. Retrieved November 21, 2007.
- Prisma Media (May 16, 2013). "Les grands patrons de mieux en mieux payés aux Etats-Unis". Capital.fr.
- "CEO Compensation Histogram Chart — Business Insider". Business Insider. May 28, 2014.
- "CBS investigating sexual misconduct claims against CEO Les Moonves". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The Associated Press. July 27, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
Moonves was the No. 2 highest paid CEO of a major public company in 2017, according to an analysis by The Associated Press and Equilar, an executive data firm. He made $68.4 million US last year
- "Television Hall of Fame Honorees: Complete List".
- Collins, Eliza (February 29, 2016). "Les Moonves: Trump's run is 'damn good for CBS'". Politico. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- Bond, Paul (February 29, 2016). "Leslie Moonves on Donald Trump: "It May Not Be Good for America, but It's Damn Good for CBS"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
he likes the ad money Trump and his competitors are bringing to the network. "It may not be good for America, but it's damn good for CBS," he said of the presidential race.
- https://www.mesalliance.org/2016/09/16/cbs-ceo-companys-open-to-acquiring-small-film-production-companies-mesa/
- Faber, David. "CBS board offering CEO Moonves $100 million in stock as exit package: Sources". CNBC. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
- "Leslie Moonves departs as chief of CBS, financial package to be withheld pending investigation". CBS News. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- "Les Moonves Leaves CBS, Will Make $20 Million Donation To Me Too Movement". 9 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- Sterngold, James (September 24, 1998). "Kick-Starting (Kapow!) a TV Series; CBS Broke All the Rules to Fling an Action Show at Young Men". The New York Times.
- "ZeniMax Media raises $9.9 million from some big names — VentureBeat — Deals — by Dean Takahashi". venturebeat.com.
- "Leslie Moonves Pictures — "Rage" Video Game Launch — Zimbio". Zimbio.
- Jayme Deerwester; Andrea Mandell (July 27, 2018). "Leslie Moonves accused of sexually harassing six women in New Yorker piece". USA Today. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
A public proponent of the #MeToo movement, Moonves
- Eric Lutz (July 28, 2018). "CBS exec Les Moonves accused of sexual misconduct in latest Ronan Farrow bombshell". Mic. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
Moonves has also been a vocal supporter of the #MeToo movement
- "Les Moonves and CBS Face Allegations of Sexual Misconduct". Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- Wattles, Jackie (December 16, 2017). "Hollywood execs name Anita Hill to lead anti-harassment effort". CNNMoney. Cable News Network. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
Among the list of the commission's members are:... -- Les Moonves, chairman/CEO of CBS Corp
- Cara Buckley (December 15, 2017). "Anita Hill to Lead Hollywood Commission on Sexual Harassment". The New York Times. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
- "Watch CBS Cares: #ThatsHarassment: The Boss - Full show on CBS All Access". CBS. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- "CBS Cares - Recognizing Sexual Harassment". www.msn.com. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- "Watch CBS Cares: #ThatsHarassment: The Coworker - Full show on CBS All Access". CBS. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- Farrow, Ronan (August 6, 2018). "Les Moonves and CBS Face Allegations of Sexual Misconduct". The New Yorker. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
- Flint, Joe; Hagey, Keach (July 28, 2018). "CBS to Investigate Allegations of Sexual Harassment Against CEO Moonves". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
- "USC Annenberg suspends use of Les Moonves' name on media center". CBS News. The Associated Press. August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
Moonves' alma mater, Bucknell University, has also removed some references to him from its website.
- Ronan Farrow. "As Leslie Moonves Negotiates His Exit from CBS, Women Raise New Assault and Harassment Claims". The New Yorker. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
Six additional women are now accusing Moonves of sexual harassment or assault in incidents that took place between the nineteen-eighties and the early aughts. They include claims that Moonves forced them to perform oral sex on him, that he exposed himself to them without their consent, and that he used physical violence and intimidation against them. A number of the women also said that Moonves retaliated after they rebuffed him, damaging their careers.
- "The Latest: CBS' Leslie Moonves denies wrongdoing". Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- "'If Bobbie Talks, I'm Finished': How Les Moonves Tried to Silence an Accuser". Retrieved 2018-11-28.
- Zinski, Dan (December 18, 2018). "CBS CEO Les Moonves Fired 'For Cause', Won't Get $120 Million Severance". Screen Rant. Valnet, Inc. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
Later, it was revealed that Moonves was also involved in paying a settlement to actress Eliza Dushku after she made accusations of sexual misconduct while working on the CBS series Bull.
- Burke, Minyvonne (December 13, 2018). "Cybill Shepherd says Les Moonves had her CBS show canceled after she rebuffed his advances". NBCNews.com. NBCUniversal. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- Izadi, Elahe; Andrews, Travis M. (December 17, 2018). "Former CBS chairman Les Moonves fired for cause, will not receive severance in wake of sexual misconduct allegations". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- Punete, Maria (December 17, 2018). "CBS: Ex-CEO Les Moonves will be denied $120 million severance package". USA Today. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- Lee, Edmund; Abrams, Rachel (December 17, 2018). "CBS Says Les Moonves Will Not Receive $120 Million Severance". The New York Times. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- Stelter, Brian (December 17, 2018). "Ex-CBS chief Les Moonves will not get $120 million severance". CNN Business. CNN. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- Carroll, E. Jean (2019-06-21). "Donald Trump Assaulted Me, But He's Not Alone on My List of Hideous Men". The Cut. Retrieved 2019-06-22.
- David Gelles, Rachel Abrams and Edmund Lee (February 8, 2019). "Les Moonves, Fired by CBS, Sets Up Shop in Hollywood". The New York Times. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
- Worland, Justin (September 9, 2015). "Watch Stephen Colbert Joke With CEO of CBS About Canceling His Show". Time.com. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
- "Throng Thrills to Thomashefsky's Titillating Tales".
- JSpace: "All in the Family: Les Moonves is Grandnephew of Ben Gurion Archived April 11, 2013, at Archive.today October 6, 2011
- Battaglio, Stephen (February 24, 2016). "How Leslie Moonves continues to guide CBS to the top of the TV industry". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
Moonves cools down by practicing Transcendental Meditation several times a week. ... 'I do it right before I go to sleep,' he said. 'It puts me in a calm state, which I'm not always in.'
- "Michael Samuel Moonves, Born February 9, 1988 in California - CaliforniaBirthIndex.org". www.californiabirthindex.org.
- "Sara Anne Moonves, Born November 26, 1984 in California - CaliforniaBirthIndex.org". www.californiabirthindex.org.
- "NY Daily News – Daily Dish – Rush & Molloy: Moonves' marriage may get an airing" from the New York Daily News "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 23, 2003. Retrieved December 5, 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Interfaith Family: "Interfaith Celebrities: The Talk's Hosts and David Schwimmers Bride" By Nate Bloom. October 26, 2010 |"Moonves, who is Jewish, began an affair with Chen while still married to his first (Jewish) wife, who is the mother of his three older children"
- Horgan, Richard (July 20, 2017). "Les Moonves' Daughter Sara Is Headed to W Magazine". AdWeek. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
- "Moonves' Marriage May Get An Airing". Daily News. New York.
- "'Big Brother' host Julie Chen marries CBS president Les Moonves". Realitytvworld.com. December 29, 2004. Retrieved November 21, 2007.
- "Moonves: "I Want To Get On With My Life"". The Smoking Gun.
- "It's a Boy for Julie Chen". CBS News. September 24, 2009.
- "Los Angeles real estate news, data and statistics, home sales and real estate listings — Los Angeles". blockshopper.com.
- Mark David (April 14, 2014). "CBS President Les Moonves Lists Malibu Starter House". Variety.
- BRIAN LOWRY (February 25, 2015). "USC Media Center Named For CBS' Leslie Moonves, Julie Chen". Variety. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
Moonves attended Bucknell University and is a member of the USC School of Cinematic Arts’ Board of Councilors.
- "USC Annenberg Media Center Named for Julie Chen, Leslie Moonves". Philanthropy News Digest. March 2, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
Moonves is a member of the USC School of Cinematic Arts' board and a past member of the USC Annenberg board.
- Bitran, Tara (August 1, 2018). "USC School of Cinematic Arts Suspends Leslie Moonves From Board". variety.com. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
- "Les Moonves resigns from CBS after sexual misconduct allegations". BBC News. September 10, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
CBS said the company and Mr Moonves would donate $20m (£15.4m) to groups supporting the #MeToo movement.
- Tom McCarthy (September 10, 2018). "Les Moonves resigns from CBS after six more women accuse him of sexual harassment". The Guardian. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
Moonves and CBS will donate $20m to one or more organisations that support the #MeToo movement and equality for women in the workplace. This donation will be deducted from any severance benefits that may be due Moonves following the investigation.
External links
- Leslie Moonves biography on the CBS Corporation site
- Les Moonves at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television
- Les Moonves on IMDb
Business positions | ||
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Preceded by Peter Tortorici |
President of CBS 1995–1998 |
Succeeded by Nancy Tellem |