In the months ahead, Dan Rather is going to get to throw down with former CBS News president Andrew Heyward, current CBS head Les Moonves, and maybe even CBS grand poobah Sumner Redstone. The first two are scheduled to give depositions in Rather’s wrongful termination suit against CBS, where he’s claiming the network so tarnished his reputation in the aftermath of Memogate that he was unable to get hired at NBC, ABC, or CNN. Rather, of course, has since found work in the nether regions of the cable dial on HDNet, where he receives less exposure than his court filings.
It was easy to gloss over most of the material in today’s New Yorker profile of Keith Olbermann. Namely, the revelation this his name was on the short list of candidates when, in 2005, Les Moonves and then-CBS News president Andrew Heyward (later replaced by Sean McManus) wanted to shake up the newscast following Dan Rather’s exit, they reached out to Olbermann. Meeting at his Manhattan apartment, as the Countdown host was nearing the end of his MSNBC contract, he told the duo that he didn’t imagine himself completely revamping the broadcast right away, but would do so gradually. And also: He argued networks waste far too much cash on anchors, who so often hand off to correspondents. (For what it’s worth, CBS pays Katie Couric an estimated $15 million per year; Olbermann was looking for $4 million per year when he renegotiated with MSNBC.) As you probably surmised from the way history played out, Mr. Olbermann was not offered the job. CONTINUED »
Sumner Redstone, who continues to play grandpa to both CBS and Viacom even after the companies went their separate ways, has a few remarks for one of his offspring. Actually, just one remark: You fucked up.
Okay. “Made a mistake” was what Redstone actually said about Les Moonves, the smiling operator behind CBS, who bought the rights to broadcast an event from Elite XC, the mixed martial arts sport that promises to be violent. That bloodsport is normally shielded from broadcast and aired only on cable, but Moonves is after cheap ratings for the tiffany network. — though that doesn’t mean Redstone, who has as much at stake in seeing CBS succeed, is happy about it. CONTINUED »
The media has oversimplified the decision by Paramount to stop selling its shows to Showtime! You see, Paramount is Viacom’s movie studio, while Showtime is CBS’s premium channel, and the two were getting along so well ever since Viacom and CBS went their separate ways, but now Paramount is teaming with MGM and Lionsgate to create a new premium channel.
Les Moonves, who heads CBS, played nice in press reports with Viacom chief Philippe Dauman. Moonves’ deputy, Showtime chief Matthew Blank, told the Times, “We wish them well.” Dauman not-so-blandly opined, “It’s our responsibility at Viacom to drive our strategy to benefit our shareholders.”
But now one newspaper is fueling rumors all this backroom dealing is a move to try to oust Moonves! CAN YOU BELIEVE?
Corporate daddy Sumner Redstone, who chairs both Viacom and CBS, is said to be unhappy with CBS’s crappy stock performance. Or at least those are the rumors Dauman’s been able to plant, as he eyes the throne of octogenarian Redstone, who, despite his misgivings, must leave this earth, and his companies, at some point.
Will CBS be the one to snap up the Zagat restaurant guide? Tim and Nina Zagat delayed a trip to China to meet with Les Moonves in what CBS rep will only describe as “a very nice lunch.” [NYMag]
When CBS chief Les Moonves made a surprise visit to a CBS Evening News staff meeting today – with Katie Couric, Sean McManus, and exec producer Rick Kaplan all in attendance – he spent about 10 minutes restating his support for his $15 million gal, while Katie thanked her team for dealing with all the speculation about their leader. We also hear Les, on his way out, told one staffer that today’s Keith Kelly report, about Katie writing a tell-all book, is “all lies.” Which is probably true, but as if Katie would fill him in on it.
The possibility of Kate Couric leaving the CBS Evening News after the November election or January inauguration wasn’t yet supposed to be considered a real option, but that’s what information leaked from a “wide-ranging discussion” about her future surmised. A Feb. 28 meeting between Couric, CAA agent Alan Berger, CBS News president Sean McManus, and CBS chairman Les Moonves was only supposed to put a list of options on the table; an early exit from her five-year contract was one of them, but certainly not the only possible outcome. But now the media gossips got wind of the story and, supposedly, may have already forced her into lame duck status, assuring her early exit.
As if it was that simple. Let’s make sure CBS takes plenty of responsibility for the direction of the chattering class’ conversation: They confirmed rumors that CBS was discussing the possibility of replacing Couric. And even if there were other options on the table, that’s a typical “throw ‘em under the bus” move from the tiffany network. If anything, it’s CBS’ own fault for framing the conversation that way. And don’t think for a minute it was accidental.
“The Hudson Hotel bar should have a permanent booth for Early Show going away parties,” says a CBS veteran, who reports another two staffers on the network’s morning show quit this week, and there are more exits on the way.
It turns out Shelley Ross’ departure hasn’t been the panacea that brass tried convincing everyone, including the press, it would be. Even with interim executive producer Rick Kaplan at the A.M. helm, we’re told “things aren’t any better [there]. No former staffers have returned to CBS despite the media plants to the contrary.”
So how come problems remain? Because of Ross’ “mean girl” confidants are still on the inside, even though, we’re told, they’re the ones responsible for brandishing the largest, most serrated knives when it came to stabbing her in the back.
And look no farther than former Good Morning America colleague and Early Show EP hopeful Ben Sherwood and CBS VP of talent/development Barbara Fedida, who were both, reportedly, on great terms with Ross to her face, but not when she left the room. (Fedida worked in talent at ABC before CBS poached her.)
Fedida and CBS News chief Sean McManus, meanwhile, are taking heat from staffers for “hand pick[ing] one executive disaster after the next” without repercussion.
And that’s easy to do when Les Moonves is asleep at the wheel.
Bob and Lee Woodruff know how to throw a party. Or at least a pre-party. At the private reception (for mega-donors) upstairs from Good Morning America’s studio at last night’s Stand Up For Heroes event, guests were ushered up to the second floor on a freight elevator that had its own bar. We’ve already put a call in to our building manager to see about the possibility of duplicating The Best Party Idea Ever here at Jossip HQ.
At the very least, the elevator bar might explain why the CBS honcho Les Moonves was semi-willing to engage us in conversation a little while later, if only to report his company was “making progress” with the WGA strike. And though GMA anchor Robin Roberts – looking flawless and joined that evening by her “chemo buddy” – isn’t directly affected, she had “so many friends” who were complaining about their TV shows going dark. Namely, the soap operas. Their pain? We felt. CONTINUED »
Comedy Central has John Stewart for the 2010 election, but maybe not much longer. The network renewed Stewart’s contract for two years, but wasn’t able to extend him for Indecision 2012.
Broadcasting & Cable reports:
The length of the extension coincides with the 2010 expiration of David Letterman’s deal at CBS, which will fuel the speculation that the Daily Show host and Comedy franchise player could be in line to take over at CBS if Letterman decides to step away after his current deal is up.
Why use the passive voice? Broadcast & Cable is speculating that CBS will close in on Stewart after Letterman retires.
As for Comedy Central, they always Steve Colbert. Of course, that’s assuming that his run for president isn’t a thinly veiled publicity campaign for his new book and he’s still available.
Remember how Dan Rather was riding CBS and Katie Couric all these months like Lou Dobbs’ Harvard-educated daughter at an equestrian competition, almost as though he had a giant “This is what happens when you’re forced to resign in disgrace” stick up his ass?
Well, it turns out there was a method to his madness after all, or at least a reason for all that residual anger. It seems that as a result of Rather’s network mandated, reputation-ruining exit fifteen months back, he’s been suffering. So much so, in fact, that he’s gone ahead and accused the network of making him the scapegoat for the “biased” and incomplete investigation of the infamous Guard broadcast.
Fortunately, however, Rather’s found the perfect way to make everything right again: suing all the top CBS execs and asking for $70 million in damages.
If CBS were as proud of Kid Nation as the network would have us believe, then why were such pains taken to shoot in secrecy, and do it in a state that did not protect children on show-biz sets, and in such a way that guild rules didn’t apply?
Moonves should lift the gag orders on the 40 children and their parents who signed a 22-page agreement in which a strict confidentiality clause prohibits disclosure of information about the show and contact with the media over the next three years. If violated, a $5 million penalty is levied. I say, if CBS has nothing to hide, then let everyone involved talk freely.
–Nikki Finke, commending the New York Times for going after CBS and calling for Les Moonves to pull the plug on Kid Nation
Remember that cheesy CNN Money article we made fun of told you about last week? The one that was over-the-top effusive, and this-close to saying “I am madly in love with Les Moonves and want to have, like, 10,000 of his babies” and, um, conservatively titled “Everybody Loves Les?”
Well, we just found another person who really loves Les! It’s mogul (and consummate family man) Sumner Redstone, an otherwise grumpy old miser who was nonetheless dancing on the ceiling during the conference call announcing CBS’ second-quarter results.
A giddy Sumner Redstone, CBS’s chairman, gushed about the performance of CBS and raved about the company’s CEO Leslie Moonves. Redstone called Moonves “the best executive in the media industry” and raved about the “smart strategic moves” that CBS made to “position itself in the digital landscape,” referring to several notable acquisitions as well as the establishment of an online network to syndicate CBS content.
Redstone then celebrated CBS’ incredible second-quarter gains by toasting to Moonves’ performance, raising a glass for continued success, and trying to get his daughter (and presumed successor) forcibly evicted from the boards of both CBS and Viacom because he’s a crazy, megalomaniacal control freak.
Have you read CNN Money today?
Don’t!
At least, not unless you want to sit through “Everybody Loves Les,” a veritable ode to CBS’ avant-garde chieftain that praises Moonves for his innovative new media ventures [Ed: While simultaneously referencing the most prototypical old-person show EVER in the title] and ultimately leaves us with the not-that-interesting question: “Can Les keep wowing the Street?”
Dan Rather has made quite a mess for himself lately, what with his recent comments about the degeneration of CBS’ primetime network news broadcast, the awkward potshots directed at Les Moonves, and the highly controversial remarks that may or may not have been targeted at third-place news anchor, Katie Couric.
Fortunately, despite taking on the network bigshots, Rather still has his supporters. Like, for instance, former CBS News reporter Terry Smith, who appeared on CNN’s Reliable Source this Sunday to defend Rather’s use of the phrase “tarting it up.”
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