TCA: Amid Turmoil, CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl Meets the Press

Kahlamp160opened the session by tackling the issue head onamp160 amp8220Obviously this has been a tough week at CBSamp8221 he beganamp160 amp8220I know there was some speculation we might cancel today amp160Well we wanted to be hereamp160 There are literally thousands of talented producers writers actorsamp160and crews not to mention all the people at CBS who have been preparing for months to launch the fall season amp160Theyamp8217ve worked incredibly hard and we think they deserve our best efforts to share all the new shows with all of youamp8220Iamp8217d also like to say a few things about CBS Entertainmentamp8221 he continuedamp160 amp8220First we are committed to a collaborative inclusive and safe workplace Iamp8217ve had many female colleagues come to me this week who have been saddened by what theyamp8217ve read about our companyamp160 They said it does not represent their experience at CBSamp160 Weamp8217re not saying weamp8217re perfect amp160No large company is amp160And thereamp8217s always room for improvementamp8220In regard to Leslie a few people at CBS have already attempted to put their thoughts into words amp160He has been an excellent boss and a mentor for a long time and he put me in this jobamp160 At the same time we must respect the voices that come forwardamp160 All allegations need to be and are being taken seriouslyamp160 As you can imagine the scope of what I can talk about today and this morning is limitedamp160 Thereamp8217s simply nothing else I can say about Leslie or the current investigationamp160 Itamp8217s a pretty safe bet that not much I can say up here is going to satisfy all of you or answer all your questionsamp8221He was right amp8230 but again the professionalism on both sides of the room was impressiveamp160 Also the fact that ABC and NBC had recently let the TCA know that their programming chiefs would not be taking the stage at the tour amp160despite the fact that they have no controversies comparable to the CBS mess to deal with amp160had all of us appreciating Kahlamp8217s efforts all the more amp160Still the press politely hit hardamp160 amp8220There have been allegations of problematic behavior regarding Madam Secretary executive producer Morgan Freeman against Leslie Moonves against Jeremy Piven against Brad Kern and there are reports in the press of problems at Star Trek Discovery and at the main NCIS dramaamp8221 one critic notedamp160 amp8220This is a yes or no question amp160Do you believe that CBS needs to undergo radical cultural change in order to be a safe work place for all employeesamp8221amp8220I believe we take workplace safety very seriouslyamp8221 Kahl repliedamp160 amp8220If you look up and down the halls at CBS you will find a very safe environment amp160We have over 40 shows in production and the vast majority of them are excellent sets where everybodyamp8217s very happy and everybodyamp8217s very safeamp160 Any time any allegation comes up on any of our shows itamp8217s investigated immediately amp160Thereamp8217s no wiggle room thereamp160 Any complaint we have a procedure we follow amp160It goes to HR and sometimes to outside counsel if necessaryamp8221One critic pressed on about allegations against executives at CBS News and other areas of the companyamp160 amp8220How can you stand there and not admit that there might be a problem with how you guys evaluate harassment situations and that maybe you need to change how youamp8217re looking at these situations and look at them a little more stringentlyamp8221 he askedamp8220I sit here as President of CBS Entertainment and I can only speak to the entertainment divisionamp8221 Kahl saidamp160 amp8220Weamp8217re a large company amp160Iamp8217m confident the culture of the entertainment division is very safe very collaborative and very welcoming amp160When problems pop up we do investigate them but I feel very good very confident that CBS Entertainment is a welcoming and safe cultureamp8221Referring back to his opening remarks Kahl said amp8220Every female executive who came to see me this week to be honest was kind of dismayed by what they read amp160Thatamp8217s not their experience amp160All came to me and said they feel at least CBS Entertainment is a nurturing welcoming environment amp160Many of their careers have advanced at CBS amp160Almost all our department heads are women amp160They feel supportedamp160 What I try to do in my job is help them do their jobs to the best of their ability and I certainly stand on that recordamp8221The first session after Kahlamp8217s in a very full day was for the revival of the ubertopical sitcom Murphy Brown which ran on CBS from 198898 and returns this fall with most of the original cast and writing team intactamp160 That includes series creator and executive producer Diane English above center who in the early amp821690s devised the storyline of Murphyamp8217s unexpected pregnancy and had to manage the controversy that followed when thenVice President Dan Quayle attacked the show over what he perceived to be a lack of moralsamp160 English had a statement of her own to make about the problems at CBSamp8220Weamp8217ve always been a political show with something to say but Iamp8217m focusing the show really through the prism of the pressamp8221 she beganamp160 amp8220The First Amendment and free press is under attack like Iamp8217ve never seen before I donamp8217t think anybodyamp8217s ever seen before amp160The press is not the enemy of the people and these guys our characters are the press amp160So we deal with that a lotamp8220And speaking of dealing with things we know thereamp8217s a question thatamp8217s going to come up and I just want to address it right now regarding the New Yorker article that appeared a few days agoamp8221 she continuedamp160 amp8220I just want to say on behalf of everybody on our show that we take the allegations of sexual misconduct extremely seriously so seriously that we actually developed an episode about the MeToo movement many months ago and that will be our fourth episodeamp8220We support the investigation fully amp160None of us have had any negative experience in that regard at CBS and I go back to the Bill Paley days amp160I have never experienced any kind of sexual misconduct or misogyny and as far as I know no one on my crew has amp160I feel like I just want to say that up front on our behalf and would much rather talk about our show coming back amp160I think thatamp8217s the only comment we will have until the investigation is completeamp8221Click on the social media tiles above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively those of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated bloggersamp160

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TCA: Amid Turmoil, CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl Meets the Press

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"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5) - By Carl Mayer

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TCA: Amid Turmoil, CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl Meets the Press

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"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5) - By Carl Mayer

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