Fate Of CBS In Limbo Following Moonves Sexual Misconduct Allegations

Les Moonves, Chief of CBS Image by Getty Images
With CBS CEO Les Moonves’ career up in the air following numerous allegations of sexual misconduct, corporation vice-chairman Shari Redstone’s plan to recombine CBS and Viacom has a likely chance of coming to fruition, according to Vanity Fair.
If that becomes the case, investors may have something to fear, as CBS’s stocks have already begun falling.
The CBS board of directors decided Monday to keep Moonves in his place as CEO as it conducts an independent investigation into his alleged sexual misconduct, which was revealed Friday in the New Yorker.
Independent of the investigation, Moonves has been battling with Redstone over control of the company. Redstone, the daughter of 95-year-old majority owner Sumner Redstone, has tried twice before to re-merge the two companies — a broadcast television station and a once powerful cable network — since they separated in 2006.
CBS shareholders have enjoyed Moonves’ leadership, Vanity Fair reported. The company’s stock has tripled since he took the helm in 2006. Viacom, however, has been down around 30 percent since then.
Redstone’s efforts have failed in the past largely because CBS shareholders voted against the proposed mergers by selling their stock. Without Moonves, she can more easily push past his most loyal shareholders, according to Vanity Fair.
And, the magazine notes, she now has a chance to not only be her father’s successor, but also to openly defy his wish to keep the companies separate.
Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher
The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.
This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Most Popular
- 1
Opinion The dangerous Nazi legend behind Trump’s ruthless grab for power
- 2
Opinion A Holocaust perpetrator was just celebrated on US soil. I think I know why no one objected.
- 3
Culture Did this Jewish literary titan have the right idea about Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling after all?
- 4
Opinion I first met Netanyahu in 1988. Here’s how he became the most destructive leader in Israel’s history.
In Case You Missed It
-
Culture I have seen the future of America — in a pastrami sandwich in Queens
-
Culture Trump wants to honor Hannah Arendt in a ‘Garden of American Heroes.’ Is this a joke?
-
Opinion Gaza and Trump have left the Jewish community at war with itself — and me with a bad case of alienation
-
Fast Forward Trump administration restores student visas, but impact on pro-Palestinian protesters is unclear
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
Republish This Story
Please read before republishing
We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines.
You must comply with the following:
- Credit the Forward
- Retain our pixel
- Preserve our canonical link in Google search
- Add a noindex tag in Google search
See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.
To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.