ViacomCBS has suspended the two powerful heads of its TV station group, Peter Dunn and David Friend, amid widening allegations that the pair cultivated an environment that included bullying female managers and blocking efforts to hire and retain Black journalists.
In a statement late Monday, CBS said the two veteran executives were “placed on administrative leave, pending the results of a third-party investigation into issues that include those raised in a recent Los Angeles Times report. CBS is committed to a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace where all voices are heard, claims are investigated and appropriate action is taken where necessary.”
CBS took action just one day after The Times published an investigation that detailed how senior executives disparaged CBS station employees in Philadelphia, the nation’s fourth largest media market. Dunn ran the Philadelphia station from 2002 through 2004 before several promotions. For the last 11 years, he has been in charge of CBS’ 28 television stations across the country, including KCBS-TV Channel 2 and KCAL-TV (Channel 9) in Los Angeles.
Read the full story at LATimes.com.