Amid a legal dispute over control of CBS Corporation, the company’s board of directors is arranging an exit plan for CEO Les Moonves, who is under investigation for allegations of sexual harassment, The Wall Street Journal reported.
If a deal between Moonves and the CBS board is reached, CBS’ Chief Operating Officer Joe Ianniello would take over as interim CEO and help navigate the company’s legal battle with National Amusements, CBS’ owner. The parent company, which also owns Viacom Inc. wants to merge Viacom with CBS, a move CBS leadership has been combatting for the past year.
Moonves was accused by multiple women of sexual harassment over the course of his career in a recent New Yorker article. Moonves apologized for making anyone uncomfortable, but denied all allegations that involved physical assaults.