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CBS ousted the executives of its O&O stations in Los Angeles and Chicago after concluding a six-month investigation into allegations of misconduct at CBS Television Stations.
Jay Howell is absent as general manager of KCBS-TV and KCAL-TV Los Angeles, as is Derek Dalton at WBBM-TV Chicago. The layoffs were disclosed in memos Thursday on the conclusion of the investigation triggered by a Los Angeles Times article into hostile working conditions for women and people of color at a number of CBS O&O.
In April, former CBS chairman Peter Dunn and senior vice-president of news David Friend were kicked out amid allegations they made racist comments about presenters and broadcasters. journalists and blocked efforts to detain and promote black journalists, among other charges.
Howell and Dalton’s departures were confirmed in memos sent Thursday by CBS chief executive officer George Cheeks and newly appointed president and co-head of CBS News and Stations Wendy McMahon. (The management of CBS News and CBS TV stations were combined after Dunn’s ouster.)
“The investigation cited painful revelations of experiences we cannot tolerate today or in the future,” Cheeks wrote in the note to employees. “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 that we need to address in the future: our standards of diversity, equity and inclusion must be a top priority for leadership in all areas of our Stations business; our corporate culture must improve in a measurable way; and, your confidence must be restored with your CBS leaders.
McMahon, the Disney veteran who was named in April with Neeraj Khemlani, acknowledged the “range of emotions” staff members expressed after a lengthy investigation into disturbing allegations of racial insensitivity and a culture of bullying .
“George, Neeraj and I are committed to leading with transparency, respect and inclusion… cultivating a spirit of collaboration and innovation… doing the right thing for our organization and united teams as we reimagine our brands and businesses during a time of enormous change McMahon wrote.
Cheeks highlighted CBS ‘decision to bring new leadership to the top and in key markets. The awareness generated by the internal probe will also be reflected in each station’s priorities for news and lifestyle coverage.
“We have refocused our local priorities on content, culture and community connections, paying particular attention to the reflection and representation of our local audiences,” Cheeks wrote.
Howell had worked for KCBS / KCAL since June 2019. He also ran stations for CBS in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Sacramento, California. Dalton joined WBBM in 2018 after working for Hubbard Broadcasting and Tribune Broadcasting.
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