As Moonves leaves CBS, attention turns to the best performers – Variety

With the departure of CEO Leslie Moonves, which is expected to be finalized in the next 24 hours, the sector's attention will quickly turn to the future of a company that until recently was widely seen as a model of stability .

Moonves – which was the subject of a New Yorker article Sunday detailing the new allegations of sexual assault and harassment against him – has largely defined the company's culture. Virtually all of the company's senior executives were hired by Moonves, who joined the group in 1995 as president of the entertainment industry and has been the company's top executive since splitting with Viacom in 2004.

Joseph Ianniello, chief operating officer of CBS, is expected to head the Moonves exit. Long regarded as the successor chosen by Moonves to take over the company when he retired, Ianniello should have the opportunity to run for the position of Director General permanently. However, given the seriousness of the new allegations, hiring a CEO as close to Moonves as Ianniello may not be enough. Even before the publication of the new allegations on Sunday, the members of the CBS board of directors and the parent company National Amusements, with whom Moonves had been engaged in a legal battle for control of CBS, had been in a hurry to take action decisive for the future of Moonves. allegations of past misconduct. The entertainment industry group Time's Up released a statement last week in which it insisted that the Wolves do not receive a "golden parachute".

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The retention and tenure of other Moonves' lieutenants will largely depend on what happens after the transition to the CEO level – and whether NAI will ultimately attempt to merge CBS with Viacom, Some executives, such as the director of communications, Gil Schwartz and Sales Manager Jo Ann Ross are approaching retirement age. An earlier than later issue for some long-time executives may be the most judicious result. Ross was an early supporter of Moonves when, in July, the New Yorker published allegations of sexual misconduct against Moonves. "Leslie has always been a lawyer and mentor to me, showing me the utmost respect at all times," Ross said. Variety at the time. "It has never been threatening or abusive. In fact, Leslie has been my "contact" through all the challenges. There has never been a problem that I have discussed with him where I felt at risk of being treated differently than a male executive. Leslie made me a better executive and I learned to lead with him.

On the programming side, no major changes are expected in the immediate future, although some long-term changes are probably inevitable. CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl and CBS Television Studios Director David Stapf are both long-time members of Moonves who have accompanied Warner Bros.'s executive to CBS. In recent years, the studio has found success by creating critical hits such as "Jane the Virgin" and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" for the CW; revive the "Star Trek" franchise and develop a programming list for CBS All Access; and sell original projects to streaming services such as Netflix, for which "American Vandal" was a surprising buzz generator. Kahl, longtime head of the CBS television channel, was promoted to president last year. Working with former programmer Thom Sherman – a rare outsider in the ranks of the CBS executive, transferred from the CW last year to hold the position of executive vice president – Kahl has developed a list for 2018-19. longstanding diversity issues. Kahl also received positive reviews for his appearance this summer during the Television Critics Association's press tour, where he posed questions to journalists about allegations against Moonves and CBS culture.

Jim Lanzone, CEO of CBS Interactive, who joined the company in 2011, is a Silicon Valley transplant whose CBS mandate is not as lengthy as his colleagues. Lanzone oversees a growing portfolio of consumer direct-to-consumer products, including All Access Subscription Service, CBS News and CBS Sports Network, and a digital Entertainment Tonight service. .

CBS News has also been criticized, with reports describing a culture permissive to abusive behavior. These reports focus on the 60-minute producer, Jeff Fager, but the President of the Information, David Rhodes, and he will likely be subject to more scrutiny during the transition process. . And with the wolves leaving, questions about the future of Moonves' wife, Julie Chen, are likely to intensify. Chen, who is one of CBS's top screen talents, hosts the "Big Brother" franchise and co-hosts "The Talk". That Chen, who publicly defended Moonves, can remain a viable presence on CBS. The departure of her husband under the charges of assault remains to be seen.