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Less than 24 hours after Leslie Moonves was ousted as CEO of CBS Corp. In the midst of sexual harassment and assault claims, CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl held a working meeting to discuss the transition.
Kahl, who runs all the entertainment programs for the CBS television network, told executives on Monday that he would meet that day to discuss Moonves' departure. According to a network insider, Kahl sought to reassure staff members. At the meeting on Monday, he said, "We will be fine. The sun has risen today and the sun will rise tomorrow, "he added. He has already spoken with the new interim CEO, Joseph R. Ianniello.
CBS's work culture has come under scrutiny as allegations of sexual harassment against Leslie Moonves have been published in two recent New Yorker articles, and Kahl told members of the group: Marketing – "If you see something, say something. "He encouraged anyone with workplace concerns to share it with human resources or senior management. When the floor was open to questions, only one was asked.
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Thom Sherman, who joined the network in 2017 as director of programming under Kahl, also took the floor. "It's really difficult," said Sherman, noting that he had worked with Moonves for several years in the role of Sherman as development manager at CW, a joint venture of CBS and Warner Bros.
Kahl held a second meeting to discuss Moonves' transition on Tuesday, using an ongoing programming meeting as a forum to include employees who had left the office on Monday for the Rosh Hashanah holiday. CBS Television Studios president David Stapf, who was out of the office Monday for the party, held a similar meeting with his team on Tuesday. The two leaders, according to sources close to them, sought to reassure their staff in the midst of the fallout from New Yorker articles and insisted on a message focused on the future.
The attitude of senior managers at these meetings was described by one participant as being "broken". At none of the meetings did a leader speak and no one from HR attended the meeting with the network staff. There was no discussion at staff meetings about workplace harassment policy changes, nor about communication with human resources.
Several CBS insiders addressing Variety has described an atmosphere in the business in recent days ranging from business as usual to resignation. "This is not as usual," said one insider, noting that leaders have insisted at meetings on the need to stay focused at a critical time of the year – the launch of the season in-depth discussion of workplace culture.
Another source quoted Kahl, who ran down the halls to speak with staff members after the publication of the New Yorker's first article in August, to provide visible leadership on the network amidst the uncertainties surrounding Moonves. During the Television Critics Association's press tour last month, Kahl garnered positive reviews for asking questions just days after the first allegations against Moonves were made. In the weeks following the publication of the New Yorker's first article, Moonves did not attempt to engage employees regarding the allegations against it or the controversy they sparked, prompting many internal critics.
Another CBS insider noted that the second New Yorker article – which contained even more severe allegations than the first – was a shocking surprise, but that staff members were reading rumors about Moonves leaving the week last, anticipated that the end was near for the long-time CEO. The person added, "At least it gives him some resolution."
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