© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

CBS CEO Les Moonves Accused Of Sexual Harassment

Updated at 6:30 p.m. ET

The New Yorker magazine has published an article by Ronan Farrow detailing accusations of sexual harassment by CBS CEO Les Moonves and other men at the company.

Farrow interviewed 30 current and former CBS employees about alleged improper behavior by Moonves toward staff at CBS News and 60 Minutes. Farrow said six women said Moonves had sexually harassed them. Others told Farrow that other men at the company who were accused of improper behavior were promoted, as CBS paid settlements to the women who complained.

The New Yorker quotes victims as saying their careers were harmed by resisting Moonves' advances. In a statement to the magazine, Moonves says he regrets advances made decades ago when he "may have made some women uncomfortable," but he denies misusing his position to harm anyone's career. The allegations against Moonves go back two decades but also detail more recent incidents.

The company's statement said: "All allegations of personal misconduct are to be taken seriously. The Independent Directors of CBS have committed to investigating claims that violate the Company's clear policies in that regard."

The statement does not name Moonves directly, but it is titled "Statement From CBS Independent Directors Regarding The New Yorker."

Farrow is the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who, along with The New York Times last year, broke the story of Harvey Weinstein's sexual misconduct.

CBS shares plunged on news of the company's investigation into its CEO and chairman.

Moonves, 68, has headed CBS Corporation since 2016. Before that, he headed CBS Entertainment an CBS Television. He is currently embroiled in a fight with Shari Redstone of Viacom Corp., which is trying to merge with CBS.

A former actor, Moonves is married to CBS on-air personality Julie Chen.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

As supervising editor for Arts and Culture at NPR based at NPR West in Culver City, Ted Robbins plans coverage across NPR shows and online, focusing on TV at a time when there's never been so much content. He thinks "arts and culture" encompasses a lot of human creativity — from traditional museum offerings to popular culture, and out-of-the-way people and events.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Related Content