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CBS chief Les Moonves to step down amid new sexual assault claims (updated)
After weeks of swirling sexual misconduct allegations, CBS chief Les Moonves appears to be on the way out. CNN's executive sources have claimed that Moonves is about to step down now that an exit deal is effectively complete. CBS could announce the departure by the morning of September 10th, according to the insiders. Just how he'll leave isn't clear, but he may not have a gentle departure due to a follow-up exposé from The New Yorker detailing more claims of sexual assault and harassment.
CBS CEO Les Moonves faces sexual misconduct investigation
The CBS board of directors will investigate allegations of sexual misconduct laid against CEO Les Moonves. The New Yorker published an exposé from investigative reporter Ronan Farrow detailing the accusations of six women who say that between the 80s and mid-aughts, the executive sexually harassed them. Four of them, including the actress Illeana Douglas said they were forcibly touched or kissed during business meetings, while two accused him of employing physical intimidation and threats to derail their careers. The report also contains claims of harassment against other men in the CBS and CBS News divisions, including 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager.
‘Star Trek: Discovery’ deserves better than CBS’s streaming service
I've been a Star Trek fan my entire life. It goes without saying, then, that I was eagerly anticipating the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery. Even through the myriad production delays and the departure of key behind-the-scenes staff, I remained optimistic. The casting was good. The promo images were good. The trailer was good. Now the first two episodes have arrived, and the question remains: Just how good is Star Trek: Discovery? This show is solid. It could even be great, given the chance. In fact, it seems just as good as anything CBS has on the air. So the question is: Why the requirement of a subscription just for US viewers? After all, it's airing on Netflix in the rest of the world, except Canada, where it can be seen on the Space channel.
CBS and Showtime have two million internet-only subscribers
While CBS is busy licensing content to Netflix for display outside of the US and Canada, here its own streaming services are off to a good start. On today's earnings call, execs said CBS All Access and the streaming version of Showtime have combined to reach more than two million subscribers, with the number "about evenly split" between the two.
CBS exec: no recent talks with Apple about a TV service
Since Apple itself doesn't have much to say about its long-rumored TV service, we're forced to look for signals elsewhere. In comments revealed just before CBS announced its earnings today, exec Les Moonves once again filled in the gap. Following previous comments that he believes the service is on hold, Moonves told CNN Money that "we haven't had recent conversations with them." That could mean any potential debut is even further off than we thought, although it doesn't seem to be hurting CBS any. CBS reported (PDF) its highest ever revenue for the fourth quarter, while claiming revenue from retransmission agreements is over $1 billion now, and will be at $2 billion by 2020. According to the exec, "something like 40 percent" of revenue his company is getting, didn't exist five years ago.
CBS exec says Apple's streaming TV plans are 'on hold'
The other half of the rollout for the new Apple TV has always been a rumored streaming TV service. It wasn't present for the device's launch, and now CBS CEO Les Moonves (who has previously been good for a quote or two on Apple's TV plans) says the project is on ice. Speaking at the Business Insider Ignition conference in New York the exec claimed "They've had conversations on it, and I think they pressed the hold button." According to Bloomberg a source said Apple has suspended its plans, and will go ahead with the Apple TV as a platform for content available via the App Store.
CBS CEO talks PlayStation Vue and standalone Showtime
CBS just announced its earnings for 2014, including $3.68 billion in revenue for Q4 (all those episodes of NCIS pay off, apparently), but its always-talkative CEO Les Moonves provided most of the interesting information. According to the NY Post's Clair Atkinson, he has confirmed that CBS has a deal with Sony to be on its new internet TV service PlayStation Vue, saying "they're paying more than everyone else" for the privilege. That probably explains why the $20 per month Sling TV is missing the network channels -- for now, "there's a path to negotiation" according to Moonves -- and why Vue may end up being more expensive.
CBS is making shows that you won't see on conventional TV
CBS might not have embraced internet video with open arms in the past, but it's certainly warming up to the concept this year. CEO Les Moonves has revealed that the broadcaster is producing shows for "major streaming companies" (think Amazon, Hulu and Netflix) as well as "other emerging distributors." While the exec isn't dishing out details just yet, he added that CBS will announce its collaborations "shortly."
CBS CEO calls Time Warner Cable proposal 'grandstanding'
If you thought CBS got a little catty yesterday after Time Warner Cable CEO, Glenn Britt, released an open letter to his counterpart at the network, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Les Moonves, released his own open letter today, in which he lambasted Britt and Time Warner Cable, accusing them of being "dishonest." Specifically, he called the proposal laid out by Britt a "a well-wrought distraction" and said he was not negotiating, but "grandstanding." He even called Britt's supposedly groudbreaking offer to go a la carte an "empty gesture." Basically, if you were hoping this drama between the two media giants would be coming to an amicable end sooner, rather than later, you're out of luck. If you'd like to read Moonves' tirade in its entirety, head on past the break.
CBS boss reveals why the company is 'against joining Apple TV' (or Hulu)
There's been a fresh round of "Apple is building a TV" rumors lately, and now comments by CBS CEO Les Moonves during his company's earnings call may reveal more about what Cupertino would like to do. Many of the rumors are based on quotes by Steve Jobs in his biography that he "cracked" a way to make an integrated TV set that was easier to use -- a major jump from the current Apple TV add-on box. While responding to analyst questions about why CBS isn't on Hulu, Moonves mentioned the network did not join in "Apple TV" for the same reason: because it (like Hulu) was an advertiser split. As we've discussed at length on the podcast, any efforts to remake how the TV business works won't get far without content, and so far CBS and its fellow studios have not been interested in playing ball. Why is that? According to Moonves, current deals (with cable and satellite, for example) are worth "hundreds and hundreds of millions" in guaranteed cash payments, and rather than seeking a share of advertising down the road, he thinks a "guaranteed revenue stream is a good way to go." Hit the source link to read the full transcript at Seeking Alpha or check after the break to read his words for yourself. It's a revealing look at why the potential task left to Tim Cook (or his counterparts at Google, Microsoft, and wherever else) of negotiating a new business model for home video may be even harder to crack than designing the perfect UI.
CBS and Hulu in talks about shows on Plus service, says broadcaster's CEO
CBS has been doing a good job testing the waters of its online content -- and has even promised to have HTML5-supported episodes this Fall season. All the while, however, it's remained one of the last broadcast holdouts against offering content to the Hulu empire. Now, CBS chief Les Moonves says new Hulu Plus subscription service has interested the broadcaster enough to open talks with the video service. Don't get your hopes up, though, as discussions won't necessarily lead to anything and it's not necessarily your only option for legally streaming the channel online. Still, feel free to fancy a converged queue of episodes from across the networks. Why, that'd be awesome times awesome. That'd be awesome squared.
