Kahl opened the session by tackling the issue head on. “Obviously, this has been a tough week at CBS,” he began. “I know there was some speculation we might cancel today. Well, we wanted to be here. There are literally thousands of talented producers, writers, actors and crews -- not to mention all the people at CBS -- who have been preparing for months to launch the fall season. They’ve worked incredibly hard, and we think they deserve our best efforts to share all the new shows with all of you.
“I’d also like to say a few things about CBS Entertainment,” he continued. “First, we are committed to a collaborative, inclusive and safe workplace. I’ve had many female colleagues come to me this week who have been saddened by what they’ve read about our company. They said it does not represent their experience at CBS. We’re not saying we’re perfect. No large company is. And there’s always room for improvement.
“In regard to Leslie, a few people at CBS have already attempted to put their thoughts into words. [He] has been an excellent boss and a mentor for a long time, and he put me in this job. At the same time, we must respect the voices that come forward. All allegations need to be and are being taken seriously. As you can imagine, the scope of what I can talk about today and this morning is limited. There’s simply nothing else I can say about Leslie or the current investigation. It’s a pretty safe bet that not much I can say up here is going to satisfy all of you or answer all your questions.”
He was right … but, again, the professionalism on both sides of the room was impressive. 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 -- despite the fact that they have no controversies comparable to the CBS mess to deal with -- had all of us appreciating Kahl’s efforts all the more.
Still, the press politely hit hard. “There 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 drama,” one critic noted. “This is a yes or no question. Do you believe that CBS needs to undergo radical cultural change in order to be a safe work place for all employees?”
“I believe we take workplace safety very seriously,” Kahl replied. “If you look up and down the halls at CBS, you will find a very safe environment. We have over 40 shows in production and the vast majority of [them] are excellent sets where everybody’s very happy and everybody’s very safe. Any time any allegation comes up on any of our shows, it’s investigated immediately. There’s no wiggle room there. Any complaint, we have a procedure we follow. It goes to HR and sometimes to outside counsel, if necessary.”
One critic pressed on about allegations against executives at CBS News and other areas of the company. “How 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 you’re looking at these situations and look at them a little more stringently?” he asked.
“I sit here as President of CBS Entertainment, and I can only speak to the entertainment division,” Kahl said. “We’re a large company. I’m confident the culture of the entertainment division is very safe, very collaborative and very welcoming. When problems pop up, we do investigate them, but I feel very good, very confident, that CBS Entertainment is a welcoming and safe culture.”
Referring back to his opening remarks, Kahl said, “Every female executive who came to see me this week, to be honest, was kind of dismayed by what they read. That’s not their experience. All came to me and said they feel at least CBS Entertainment is a nurturing, welcoming environment. Many of their careers have advanced at CBS. Almost all our department heads are women. They feel supported. 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 record.”