CBS Executive Says the Company Is Taking Les Moonves Allegations Seriously and Then Inspires Zero Faith That He Means It 

On Sunday, CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl addressed members of the press at the Television Critics Association summer tour. He says it’s been a “tough week,” referring to what can only be interpreted as, oh, what to do about many sexual abuse allegations against Les Moonves, the network’s CEO and one of the most powerful men in television. A week after a New Yorker exposé detailed six women’s accounts of harassment and sexual assault, repercussions for Moonves remain a question mark. Moonves has admitted to making “sexual advances” decades ago but denied allegations that he used his power to “harm or hinder anyone’s career.” That runs contrary to the story of Illeana Douglas, for one, who has claimed that he told her she “would never work at this network again” days after she evaded Moonves’s advances.

The CBS board has announced that it has hired two law firms to launch investigations. But on Friday, the Los Angeles Times revealed that board members had already been aware of a previous LAPD investigation into a sexual assault allegation against Moonves (no charges were brought). Other powerful men at CBS, such as 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager, have been accused time and time again of fostering a culture of sexual harassment. Vulture reported that three investigations have been launched into allegations against NCIS: New Orleans executive producer Brad Kern, and even after the first two, CBS continued its relationship with Kern. He was suspended in June after the third investigation began, although Vox reports that he is still collecting checks.