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CBS axed two TV station execs after allegations of racist, sexist, and abusive leadership.
Following a January suspension, the president of the TV Stations group, Peter Dunn, and SVP of news, David Friend, have left CBS according to an email sent Wednesday, per the LA Times. CBS released a statement saying the pair “will not return to their positions and will be leaving the Company.”
Public pressure to cut ties with them came after the LA Times released their investigation of CBS and alleged that the pair harassed, insulted, and bullied Black and female journalists. Such claims include Dunn refusing to extend the contract for, Rahel Solomon, a Black anchor at KYW, and said “I hate her face” while on a phone call. Additionally, he allegedly called another Black anchor, Ukee Washington, a “jive guy.”
While initially CBS said Dunn and Friend’s fate would wait “pending the results of a third-party investigation into issues that include those raised in (the) recent Los Angeles Times report,” they have been fired in the middle of the investigation. Although CBS chief executive, George Cheeks, said the investigation into the TV Stations group is “not over and will continue.”
The LA Times investigation drew from court documents, internal communications, and interviews with dozens of current and former CBS employees. The results of the investigation depicted a corporate culture of abuse and toxicity. In a statement, The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) reported hearing of many lawsuits brewing among CBS employees across the country.
CBS Television Stations group is a major element of the company, providing local news for millions of viewers and employing 2,800 people. Dunn and Friend have a combined tenure at CBS of over 20 years and were considered powerful executives in the organization. Cheeks said, “Until we have new leadership in place, Bryon Rubin will continue to run the Stations group while Kim Godwin will continue her oversight of Stations’ news operations.”
Looking ahead Cheeks continued, “This entire process, while sometimes painful and emotional, is an important step forward in living up to our promise of a safe, inclusive, respectful and equitable workplace for all of us.”
