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In a radical upheaval, CBS ousted two senior executives responsible for its television stations in Los Angeles and Chicago.
Jay Howell, Managing Director of KCBS-TV Channel 2 and KCAL-TV Channel 9 in Los Angeles; and Derek Dalton, the director of WBBM-TV Channel 2 in Chicago, were ousted Thursday after a six-month investigation into alleged wrongdoing within the CBS group of stations.
The measures extend a dramatic makeover to the leadership of CBS News and the network’s stations division following a Los Angeles Times investigation that uncovered allegations of misconduct, racism and misogyny in a handful of stations owned by CBS.
In April, CBS ousted its flagship New York station chief Peter Dunn, who had also led the CBS-owned 28-channel group for more than a decade. The company also terminated the employment of one of Dunn’s main lieutenants, David Friend, who was in charge of the channel’s information operations. Both men denied any wrongdoing.
On Thursday, CBS did not disclose the reasons for Howell and Dalton’s departures, but acknowledged the measures were linked to an ongoing external investigation since the Times report in late January.
“The investigation cited painful revelations of experiences we cannot tolerate today or in the future,” CBS chief executive George Cheeks wrote in an email to staff members on Thursday, announcing completion of the review and leadership changes in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. .
The Times series shed a harsh light on an often overlooked corner of the business that lacks the prestige of the CBS television network but remains a vital source of local news for millions of Americans.
CBS stations in Los Angeles have been plagued with revenue for years. Current and former employees have long complained about the harsh workplace culture, which they say is plagued by sexual harassment, favoritism, pay discrimination and ageism.
Over the past five years, KCBS has been led by two CEOs and three CIOs. Last year, Howell roamed the stations through at least two rounds of company-mandated staff cuts, leading to the departure of top anchors Jeff Michael and Sandra Mitchell and meteorologist Garth Kemp.
Complaints in the workplace have been on the rise for years. In 2018, CBS paid former KCAL presenter Leyna Nguyen a settlement after complaining to KCBS management about inappropriate comments and unwanted touching from a male colleague, according to several people familiar with the matter.
In another high-profile incident, described in a 2019 Times article, popular sports presenter Jill Arrington was denied a pay raise after learning she was making $ 60,000 less a year than her male predecessor .
Then station manager Steve Mauldin reportedly told Arrington in 2018 to “put on a tennis dress … we’ll put you on tape and you can make some extra money.” Mauldin denied making the remark.
Mauldin retired in 2019 and Howell was appointed general manager of LA after running the CBS station in Pittsburgh. He is responsible for modernizing the station.
Howell could not immediately be reached for comment.
CBS jointly manages KCBS and KCAL, and station audiences lag behind market leaders KABC-TV Channel 7; KMEX-TV channel 34; and KNBC-TV Channel 4 and KVEA-TV Channel 52 in Spanish language.
Despite its rating issues, KCBS and KCAL have been a significant source of revenue for the company, especially in last year’s election, according to internal documents shared with The Times.
Thursday’s moves complete CBS’s executive makeover.
In April, the company amalgamated CBS News and the group of TV channels into a single division jointly headed by former Hearst Newspaper and Cable Director Neeraj Khemlani and Wendy McMahon, former head of the TV channels group of ABC.
This month, CBS installed reporter Johnny Green Jr. to run WCBS-TV Channel 2 in New York City.
CBS has also named veteran local television and news executive Adrienne Roark as incoming chair of the CBS group of stations, effective August 2.
“This is just the start – our first steps,” Cheeks said in his note.
Dalton had served as Chicago’s general manager since 2018.
Unrelated to the misconduct investigation, general managers in Dallas and Denver retired this year.
The Times reported in January that Dunn and Friend were keeping a tight grip on the operations of the remote station group, cultivating an environment that included intimidating female executives and blocking efforts to hire and retain black journalists.
The articles focused on conditions at CBS station in Philadelphia. Former KYW-TV Channel 3 executives alleged that Dunn made racist comments about Ukee Washington, the station’s beloved black presenter, calling him “just a jive guy”.
Colleagues and community members rallied around the popular presenter, who is a distant cousin of actor Denzel Washington. Philadelphia City Council passed a resolution commending Washington for its “professionalism” and “outstanding work and service to the community.”
The series also raised questions about the $ 55 million purchase of a television station on New York’s Long Island – the only station acquisition in Dunn’s 11-year tenure as the head of the station group. from CBS. The 2011 deal included privileges for Dunn and other senior CBS executives at an ultra-exclusive Hamptons golf club, where they spoke to billionaires, including Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.
Reporters in New York City alleged that Friend and other managers made media coverage decisions that overlooked communities of color. WCBS’s flagship station in New York – one of the most diverse cities in the country – lacked a full-time black reporter until March 2020, the same month that Cheeks, who is mixed race, took the reins of CBS.
After the Times reports, CBS hired attorney Keisha-Ann Gray from law firm Proskauer Rose to conduct a widespread investigation into alleged workplace abuse within the station’s group. Gray and his associates have spoken with dozens of current and former CBS employees, according to knowledgeable people.
“While the investigation largely focused on the events of the past and the problems revealed were more pronounced in some areas and at specific stations than others, there are clear themes we need to address moving forward. “Cheeks wrote.
“Diversity, equity and inclusion” must be top priorities “for leadership in all areas of our Stations business,” wrote Cheeks. “Our corporate culture must improve in a measurable way; and your confidence must be restored with your CBS leaders.
McMahon, in a separate email to staff, wrote: “We will immediately begin our search for new leaders in Los Angeles and Chicago. ”
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