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Archives for September 2018

Meet the New CBS Board Members

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The CBS headquarters. Photo Courtesy, Getty Images.

In the wake of Les Moonves departure, CBS has installed six new directors it hopes will help run a tighter ship at the network in the years to come.

The six board members entering CBS are Candace Beinecke, a partner at the law firm of Hughes Hubbard & Reed, Barbara Byrne, former vice chairman of Barclays and Council on Foreign Relations member, Brian Goldner, CEO of Hasbro, Richard D. Parsons, former Citigroup chairman & former Time Warner CEO, Susan Schuman, CEO of SYPartners, and Strauss Zelnick, the founder of the video game publisher Take-Two Interactive Software.

The board members leaving CBS to make room for the departures are Arnold Kopelson, Leonard Goldberg, Charles Gifford, David Andelman, and Doug Morris.

Women’s advocacy group UltraViolet, which previously called for the board to fire Les Moonves, said in a statement, “This is proof that the era where powerful men abused and harassed women without consequence is starting to come to an end, and a testament to the enduring strength and power of the #MeToo movement.”

You can read more on the CBS Board of Directors shakeup here.

Betsy Fischer Martin Appointed Executive Director of the Women & Politics Institute

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American University has named Emmy Award-winning former “Meet the Press” executive producer Betsy Fischer Martin to the School of Public Affairs’ Women & Politics as their new executive director.

Vicky Wilkins, the dean of AU’s School of Public Affairs, said in a statement, “We were looking for an entrepreneurial leader who is passionate about the empowerment and representation of women, and Betsy combines all of those attributes. We are thrilled to have her back in the SPA community in this important leadership role.

Fischer Martin said of the appointment, “I can’t think of a more exciting time to be at the epicenter of a university that recognizes the importance of women’s political leadership and is dedicated to furthering academic research and empowering students and young women to engage in the political system. The fact that American University played such a significant role in shaping my career in political journalism makes returning to lead WPI all the more meaningful to me.”

American University’s Women & Politics Institute offers graduate and undergraduate certificates and provides training programs for female students who want to get involved in politics.

Martin is one of the longest serving Executive Producer of Meet The Press. She began at NBC as an intern while attending American University and was there for 11 years, working with Tim Russert during his legendary run as host. Martin also co-hosted the Bloomberg Politics podcast, “Masters in Politics” during the 2016 election.

NBC News Chief Responds to Allegations NBC Tried to Squash Weinstein Story

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Ronan Farrow, Photo Courtesy Haddad Media

NBC Chairman Andy Lack has pushed back on claims that NBC executives tried to torpedo Ronan Farrow’s reporting on the Harvey Weinstein abuse allegations in a letter to employees on Monday, September 3rd.

In the letter, which addresses claims made by Farrow’s former producer Rich McHugh, Lack states that, “We spent eight months pursuing the story but at the end of that time, NBC News — like many others before us — still did not have a single victim or witness willing to go on the record. (Rose McGowan — the only woman Farrow interviewed who was willing to be identified — had refused to name Weinstein and then her lawyer sent a cease-and-desist letter.) So we had nothing yet fit to broadcast. But Farrow did not agree with that standard. That’s where we parted ways — agreeing to his request to take his reporting to a print outlet that he said was ready to move forward immediately.”

Lack continues, “We regret the deterioration of NBC’s relationship with Ronan, and genuinely wish we had found a path to move forward together. That is why, in August of 2017, when Farrow objected to his editors’ conclusion we convened an independent group of the most experienced investigative journalists in our organization to review his material with fresh eyes. We asked them — tell us what, if anything, we can broadcast. But their conclusion was unequivocal — this story is not ready for air. (Further, they found several elements in Farrow’s draft script which did not hold up to scrutiny — described in the accompanying document.) It was Farrow’s decision, in the midst of this process, to pursue the story elsewhere.”

McHugh responded to Lack’s statement in a tweet suggesting that Lack’s statement “only raises more questions than answers”.

Ronan Farrow, who has been reluctant to weigh in on the drama, has put out a statement refuting certain claims in Lack’s memo while teasing that “They’ll be more to say at the right time.”