The head of US media giant CBS, Les Moonves, who faces sexual misconduct allegations from a number of women, is set to leave his post, US media say.<\/p>\n
They say CBS has reached a deal on a package for Mr Moonves’ resignation.<\/p>\n
Fresh allegations by six women have appeared in the New Yorker. Accusations by six other women, which appeared in the same magazine in July, had sparked an investigation by CBS.<\/p>\n
Mr Moonves, 68, denies the allegations, calling the latest “appalling”.<\/p>\n
They appear in a\u00a0new article in the New Yorker by Ronan Farrow<\/a>, who also authored the July piece and this year won a Pulitzer Prize for detailing\u00a0assault accusations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein<\/a>.<\/p>\n The six women in the latest piece allege sexual harassment or assault by Mr Moonves between the 1980s and the first decade of this century.<\/p>\n Some allege he forced them to perform oral sex or exposed himself without their consent.<\/p>\n Some say he damaged their careers when they rebuffed him.<\/p>\n TV executive Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb and writer Jessica Pallingston are two of the women who give graphic descriptions of the misconduct they accuse Mr Moonves of carrying out.<\/p>\n The New Yorker quoted a statement in which he says: “The appalling accusations in this article are untrue. What is true is that I had consensual relations with three of the women some 25 years ago before I came to CBS.<\/p>\n “And I have never used my position to hinder the advancement or careers of women. In my 40 years of work, I have never before heard of such disturbing accusations.”<\/p>\n The board of directors told the New Yorker it was “committed to a thorough and independent investigation of the allegations, and that investigation is actively under way”.<\/p>\n A separate statement from CBS said it took “these allegations very seriously”.<\/p>\n The Time’s Up movement urged CBS to “move swiftly and decisively to create a safe work environment”, adding: “We will accept nothing less than full transparency of the investigation’s findings.”<\/p>\n Another six women had accused Mr Moonves. All of them said they believed their careers had suffered because they rejected his advances.<\/p>\n At the time Mr Moonves said he “may have made some women uncomfortable” in the past, adding: “Those were mistakes, and I regret them immensely. But I always understood and respected… that ‘no’ means ‘no’.”<\/p>\n CBS said it had launched an investigation.<\/p>\n Media say the deal on Mr Moonves’ resignation could come as early as Monday, although CBS has not commented directly.<\/p>\n The Financial Times said imminent boardroom changes meant Mr Moonves would lose support and he was resigning because this would entitle him to a hefty severance package, including stock options.<\/p>\n The sum being floated in the media for his resignation package is some $100m (\u00a377m).<\/p>\n However, media say the amount paid will depend on the results of independent investigations into Mr Moonves’ conduct and that a certain amount could be paid to organisations that tackle sexual assault. He could even receive nothing, some reports say.<\/p>\n Mr Moonves has been one of the most powerful executives in US media, joining CBS in 1995 as head of entertainment and becoming CEO of CBS Corp in 2006.<\/p>\n Analysis by James Cook, BBC Los Angeles<\/strong><\/p>\n Les Moonves started out as a TV actor before developing Friends and ER with Warner Bros and then reviving an ailing CBS with hits including CSI, Everybody Loves Raymond and, most recently, The Big Bang Theory.<\/p>\n For a decade under his leadership, CBS has been the most-watched network in the US, narrowly retaining its crown ahead of NBC in the 2017-18 season.<\/p>\n Mr Moonves earned $69.3m (\u00a353m) in 2017 making him one of the highest paid chief executives in the world.<\/p>\n Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What has Mr Moonves said?<\/h2>\n
What has CBS said?<\/h2>\n
What were the earlier allegations?<\/h2>\n
What is happening now?<\/h2>\n