Two CBS local TV executives were placed on administrative leave on Monday, hours after the National Association of Black Journalists demanded their dismissal over an investigation by the Los Angeles Times into allegations that they were cultivating a hostile work environment. has. ‘
The Los Angeles Times story, published Sunday, contains footage of a Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission complaint filed by a former employee accusing one CBS television station president, Peter Dunn, of ‘racist, sexist, homophopic and discriminatory comments’.
CBS said in a statement on Monday night that Dunn and David Friend, senior vice president, news for the TV stations, “were placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of a third-party investigation into issues that include: ( the) recent Los Angeles Times report. “
“CBS is committed to a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace where all voices are heard, demands are investigated and appropriate steps are taken where necessary,” the company said.
Among the allegations reported in the Los Angeles story, two former employees in management positions at CBS station in Philadelphia said that Dunn used the word ‘jive’ on several occasions to anchor and well-known Philadelphia journalist Ukee Washington describe.
In another allegation, one of the employees said that when Dunn refused to extend the contract of a black female anchor, he raised ‘bizarre objections’, such as saying ‘I hate her face’.
The same employee claims Dunn also questioned whether a job seeker for another anchor position was ‘too gay for Philadelphia’.
Friend is accused by the two former employees of inappropriate workplace behavior, among other things that he criticized the accent of a new anchor and shouted that she was the [expletive] on. ‘
In a statement posted on the National Association of Black Journalists’ website on Monday, the organization, which represents more than 4,000 journalists nationwide, said it had “heard from numerous CBS employees across the country and that it has heard from several lawsuits and investigations have been made public. “
“Clearly, there’s a big problem among CBS – owned and operated stations, and in order to transform the culture of the business, it must start with the dismissal of Dunn and Friend,” the organization said.
ViacomCBS said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times that “in response to a CBS investigation in early 2019, the then senior management addressed the situation with Mr Dunn, and the company has since received no complaints about his conduct. not. “
Friend told the newspaper that any comments he made about employees or candidates “were based solely on performance or qualifications – not on anyone’s race or gender.”
“I believe I – and our stations – have a good track record of appointing, supporting and placing women and BIPOC journalists in key roles as anchors, reporters and news directors,” Friend told The Los Angeles Times in ‘ a statement said.
Senior ViacomCBS executives met with members of the National Association of Black Journalists Sunday night to hear their concerns. The CEOs included George Cheeks, CEO of CBS Entertainment Group, and Marva Smalls, the world’s head of inclusion. According to the NABJ statement, they agree on the need for an external inquiry and ‘promised to work with NABJ on a way forward.’
Brien Kennedy, the former general manager of CBS’s Philadelphia station that filed the Pennsylvania Human Relations complaint, also claimed he was fired in retaliation for collaborating on an internal review of Dunn’s behavior. CBS disputed the retaliation claim, saying Kennedy had been ‘fired for performance’.
In August 2018, the Board of Directors of CBS Corporation hired two law firms to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct against former CEO Les Moonves, as well as general allegations about the business culture.
In a statement dated December 17, 2018, the CBS board said that Moonves had been fired for a case, saying that the investigators had learned of incidents of improper and unprofessional conduct in the past, and concluded that the did not reflect company’s historical policies, practices and structures. a high institutional priority to prevent harassment and retaliation. ‘
However, the statement also states that the law firms “come to the conclusion that harassment and retaliation do not permeate CBS.”
The board of directors never made the findings of the investigation public.
Margaret Cronan, one of the employees who spoke to the Los Angeles Times about Dunn and Friend, wrote on her LinkedIn page on Sunday, “Silence was not an option.”
“I have always believed that when we see racism, discrimination and other offensive behavior in the workplace, we MUST speak out. I just wish I had done it sooner,” Cronan wrote.
The Los Angeles Times reported in a separate story on Sunday that the two law firms were also told of an unusual benefit CBS received after acquiring WLNY, a small television station on Long Island, New York: a membership of an exclusive country club with an initial fee of $ 1 million. According to the Times, the membership was placed in Dunn’s name. The club is owned by the founder of WLNY, who sold the channel for $ 55 million.
In a statement, CBS said: “As part of the acquisition ten years ago, CBS was offered a membership at the Sebonack Golf Club in Long Island. The membership was announced in advance to senior management and legal counsel. of one manager listed due to club rules, it is a corporate membership used to accommodate clients and business partners.Annual fees are paid by CBS and all personal expenses incurred by managers are paid out of their own pocket.