ViacomCBS suspended the two powerful bosses of its TV station group, Peter Dunn and David Friend, amid growing allegations that the duo cultivated an environment that included intimidating female managers and blocking efforts to hire and retain black journalists.
In a statement late on Monday, CBS said the two veteran executives were “put on administrative leave, pending the results of a third-party investigation into issues including those raised in a recent Los Angeles Times report. CBS is committed to a diverse, inclusive and respectful work environment, where all voices are heard, complaints are investigated and appropriate actions are taken when necessary. “
CBS took action just a day after The Times published an investigation that detailed how senior executives disparaged employees at CBS station in Philadelphia, the nation’s fourth largest media market. Dunn ran the Philadelphia station from 2002 to 2004 before several promotions. For the past 11 years, he has been responsible for 28 CBS television stations across the country, including KCBS-TV Channel 2 and KCAL-TV Channel 9 in Los Angeles.
The division has 2,800 employees and provides local news to millions of viewers who live in cities where CBS has a TV station, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago and New York.
Hours after The Times published its investigation on Sunday, the National Assn. of Black Journalists met with senior executives from ViacomCBS, including CBS Entertainment CEO George Cheeks, and ViacomCBS executive vice president Marva Smalls, who oversees the company’s diversity and inclusion efforts. During that meeting, NABJ leaders said they raised other complaints and demanded that CBS fire Dunn and one of his lieutenants, Friend, the senior vice president for news.
In a statement, the NABJ criticized CBS ‘hiring practices on its main TV station, WCBS-TV Channel 2 in New York, saying the station recently hired a full-time black reporter in New York after five years without a job. . NABJ also said that WCBS has only one full-time black reporter and only one black news producer in New York. In addition to overseeing the entire CBS chain of TV stations, Dunn has run WCBS since 2005.
Cheeks, who took over the operations of the legendary broadcaster last March, sent a note to the CBS team just before 7:30 pm Pacific time to announce the change, acknowledging that “these have been some difficult days”.
Cheeks said CBS’s chief operating officer, Bryon Rubin, will take over the leadership of the group of TV stations temporarily. “Bryon is very familiar with his business and ready to support his efforts.”
He also noted the meeting with the NABJ delegation.
“We promise to continue a dialogue with the NABJ on our best way forward,” wrote Cheeks.
Peter Dunn, shown at the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame Awards in 2017, has directed the group of television stations CBS since 2009.
(Andy Kropa / Invision / AP)
The Times report shed new light on CBS’s $ 55 million purchase of a small independent television station, WLNY-TV Channel 55 on Long Island in New York in 2011 – a deal that included a golf club membership. ultra-exclusive Sebonack in Southampton, NY WLNY’s founder and previous owner, entrepreneur Michael Pascucci, signed his 300-acre retreat as part of the TV station sale.
CBS said that Sebonack’s membership belonged to the company, but was placed in Dunn’s name because the club had no corporate memberships. The company said the association was used to entertain customers and business partners.
Current and former CBS executives also questioned the depth of CBS’s high-profile investigation into corporate culture in 2018, saying that outside law firms were aware of the allegations about Dunn and Friend. The Times’ analysis of CBS lawsuits, internal communications and interviews with two dozen current and former employees of the CBS television station found that many were concerned about the outcome of the investigation and questioned the company’s commitment in cleaning up your culture.
“Senior management at the time dealt with the situation with Mr. Dunn, and the company has not received any complaints about its conduct since then,” said CBS last week.
Dunn declined to comment on the charges.
CBS previously defended its inclusion efforts on the Philadelphia TV station KYW Channel 3, saying that 45% of the station’s reporters and anchors are black, indigenous or other people of color.
“I believe that I – and our stations – have a strong record of hiring, supporting and placing women and BIPOC journalists in important roles as anchors, reporters and news directors,” said Friend in a previous statement. “These comments I may have made about our employees or possible hires were based only on performance or qualifications – not on anyone’s race or gender.”
Two former Philadelphia station executives – Margaret Cronan and Brien Kennedy – told The Times that Dunn made disparaging comments about the station’s popular nighttime anchor, Ukee Washington, who is a distant cousin to actor Denzel Washington. Among the complaints, Dunn allegedly called Washington “just a guy” and criticized Washington’s dance.
After the report, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Tribune wrote about the situation. CBS ‘KYW also took a stand with sports anchor Don Bell during the 5 pm newscast, calling Washington “our quarterback and the crown jewel of Philadelphia … The good people of this season reject racism and misogyny in all their lives. shapes – no matter where or who you come from. “
Supposed comments about CBS ‘KYW anchor Ukee Washington sparked support. “Ukee is our quarterback, he is the crown jewel of Philadelphia,” said KYW sports anchor Don Bell on Monday.
(Gilbert Carrasquillo / Getty Images)
Washington has been a constant presence at KYW since the mid-1980s and was elevated to the position of principal anchor when Kennedy, the former general manager, arrived at the station in 2015. Before that, Washington spent 19 years as a morning anchor and a decade as an anchor sport.
In addition to the comments about Washington, Dunn reportedly refused to approve a contract extension for another Black anchor, Rahel Solomon, a Philadelphia native who served as KYW morning anchor for more than two years. Kennedy, in an interview, said that in a phone call of more than two hours, Dunn raised “bizarre objections”, how to say: “I hate her face”.
Solomon left CBS in 2019 on CNBC.
“We are excited by our discussion with George and Marva that there will be real, substantial and substantive changes at CBS to ensure that it is a welcoming place for blacks and other black journalists to work, grow and succeed,” Roland S. Martin, NABJ Vice -President for Digital, said in a statement on Monday.