The dark side of the job for the head of the SCB – Variety

For years, America's most-watched network, the secret weapon of CBS has always been recognized in the industry as the stability of basic management under the direction of Leslie Moonves.

The loyalty of Team Moonves, populated by many leaders who accompanied it since the Lorimar Days in the 1980s and early 1990s, was the envy of CBS's big rivals. ABC, NBC and Fox have had executive revolving doors in the last 24 years where Moonves directed CBS.

But another image of Moonves – who rose from entertainment president in 1995 to corporate CEO in 2006 – is emerging now that he has been forced into a scandal and a cascade of sexual assault and misconduct. Company insiders, past and present, describe an atmosphere of fear in which leaders were often around Moonves. Sources say that the link between the core team came in part from joining forces to develop strategies on how best to manage the Moonves: a former leader described it as sometimes serving as a Common enemy.

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The company was known for its family environment, especially between 1998 and 2015, when Nancy Tellem and Nina Tassler were head of the Los Angeles-based entertainment division. Tellem and Tassler declined to comment on this story.

But while everyone at CBS was aware of its volatility, the details on sexual assaults in the New Yorker are published on July 27 and September 9 by investigative journalist Ronan Farrow. The violent behavior alleged by some of the women who spoke to Farrow was alarming and difficult to reconcile with the charismatic leader, so fast he knew. A source familiar with the situation said that Moonves had strongly denied the allegation of former TV chief Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb, reported in Farrow's story of 9 September, that he had thrown a wall.

Legal representatives and public relations of Moonves have not responded to several requests for comment on this story. On Sept. 9, Moonves issued a statement in which he said, "Deceptive claims dating back several decades are now made against me and are not compatible with who I am." He also stated that he was "deeply saddened "to leave CBS and the team assembled. "The best part of this trip was working alongside the dedicated and talented people in this company," he said.

Farrow's reports have prompted questioning among current and former leaders. There has been a lot of communication between current and past CBS employees as the Moonves scandal turned into nuclear over the weekend, leading to its ousting on September 9, hours after the release of the second report of Farrow. Current and former employees sadly compare their notes and wonder if there are any warning signs that should have triggered alarms. There is also a growing anger that reports on Moonves' behavior have cast a dark cloud over the entire CBS. "It's infuriating to think that people think that's what the CBS culture is," said a LA-based senior executive. "It's not .This is not happening behind every door here It's just that no.

Moonves' main team collaborated on the tremendous work of running the network, as well as on the best ways to manage a whimsical boss. Senior executives climbed and the more they worked with him, the more the staff members were exposed to the dark side of his powerful personality. Her eruptions sometimes became so strong and intense that they scared the recipient, according to several sources. "Shout scary", the one described. His mood swings made the already complex atmosphere of managing a television network even more difficult. "You would just be scared of what kind of Les you would get," said another veteran of CBS.

His most severe critics do not denigrate his programming instinct or his keen business sense. "He has incredible instincts about shows and offers," said a long-time Moonves colleague. But it was often frustrating that Moonves received so much of the credit for CBS's success in both programming and business. Insiders attribute the company's high profile on Wall Street to the heavy job of former finance director and chief operating officer Joe Ianniello, who was appointed acting CEO after the forced resignation of Moonves on Sept. 9. .

Moonves has given cross executives great opportunities to advance their careers. But he would "torture" them at the same time, as a former student of the SCB said. Executives in programming and marketing-related jobs had to be used to ceaseless micro-management, second thought, dismissal threats and ultimatums on the failure of a program or broadcast. A company for the career of a company. .

It's a corporate hazing that has hardened the skin of every leader in Moonves' direct orbit. He has also created a sort of Stockholm Syndrome environment for senior executives. Many sources have described the decision process of resigning as difficult and the one that needed to be carefully managed with the Wolves, lest he become a snobby. He was known to be vindictive to those he thought he had crossed.

As hard as it was, Moonves could be generous with his time and rewards for those who delivered for CBS. He was a wise mentor to many who aspired to be part of the programming service. He was at his best in times of stress and crisis. He was adept at ensuring that everyone "rowed in the same direction" during peak periods, such as preparing for the annual spring presentation or during the upheavals after the September 11 terrorist attacks. He has also responded well to leaders who have expressed a passionate conviction on a particular topic, be it the potential of a promising actor or the merits of a script. "He was listening to you and if you persuaded him, he would say" OK but your ass is at stake if it does not work, "said a CBS veteran.

In the early 2000s, as Moonves rose through the ranks of the company, his reputation as a womanizer was well established. It was known that he had at least one consensual relationship with a subordinate executive of the SCB during the period when he was separated from his first wife, Nancy Moonves. But the accusations of violence and attempts to force women to attack still shock many of those who have been working with him for years. Although Canadian veterans are disturbed by these allegations, many of those who participated in this story said they were still concerned about Moonves' well-being in the midst of the turmoil. Some also described the reports as overestimated.

Many sources said that Moonves had assured senior CBS executives that he was not vulnerable when the first wave of sexual exploitation began to surface last fall with reports on Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and other personalities.

Moonves Last week, he admitted attempting to kiss a UCLA doctor, Anne Peters, in 1999, at a meeting, while denying Peters' assertion in a medical journal (without naming Moonves). "The appalling allegations about my behavior towards a female doctor twenty or so years ago are false. What is true and what I deeply regret, is that I tried to kiss the doctor. Nothing has happened, "said Moonves in a statement to Vanity Fair, who first reported the incident.

In CBS, the fact that allegations about Moonves' actions have at least temporarily altered the legacy of the entire team is causing growing anger. "Betrayal" was a word used by several sources. There is also the resentment that Moonves has held over the last few weeks without retiring to avoid the embarrassment of Sunday's rushed departure in the wake of Farrow's exhibition. The impact that the stock price of CBS has had is an at least temporary hit for executives with stock options and grants.

In recent years, Moonves 'hold on CBS' day-to-day operations has decreased slightly. It was clear to his loved ones that he was thinking of his next chapter and a wise grace. It appeared that about two years ago, there had been discussions about the Moonves taking over from Roger Goodell as NFL commissioner when he left his CBS position. The move was reportedly supported by Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and friend of Moonves, but the opening of the league never materialized.

Those familiar with Moonves say that the former actor loved nothing more than playing the role of Leslie Moonves, CBS leader. In recent years, he had become attentive to his considerable legacy as a programmer, seeking industry recognition for his highly successful, almost unprecedented performance for a single network leader. He loved being compared to CBS founder William S. Paley, whose office at CBS headquarters in New York, occupied Moonves until 9 September.

As the initial shock begins to subside, some CBS insiders express cautious optimism about the prospect of gaining more autonomy in their daily working lives. And some are motivated to move the company forward after the massive reshuffle that has involved six new board members, and a new permanent CEO has yet to be named. "People are eager to live or die by their own decisions," said a CBS veteran.

Disclosure: Cynthia Littleton co-authored a book with Nina Tassler, "What I said to my daughter: Lessons Learned from Promoting the Next Generation of Empowered Women," published in 2016 by CBS-owned Simon & Schuster .