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Les Moonves Named CBS Chairman Replacing Ailing Sumner Redstone

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins

On Wednesday, developments behind the scenes at CBS began to take shape when it was announced that ailing 92-year-old CBS Corporation chairman Sumner Redstone was stepping down from this position due to health concerns.  His replacement is CBS Chief executive, Les Moonves, who will assume the role of chairman.

According to the New York Times: “a lawsuit challenging Mr. Redstone’s mental competance raised questions among analysts and investors about whether Mr. Redstone should continue as executive chairman of CBS and Viacom. Mr. Redstone controls about 80 percent of the voting stock in the two companies.”

The shift at CBS came after Mr. Redstone sent a letter Tuesday to Mr. Moonves and CBS directors announcing his resignation, according to one person briefed on the developments who requested anonymity because they were private.

The board subsequently met Wednesday and first offered the chairman position to Mr. Redstone’s daughter, Shari. Ms. Redstone, who now is vice chairwoman of CBS and Viacom, declined and nominated Mr. Moonves for chairman of CBS corporation.. The board voted unanimously for the appointment.

“I have been fortunate to work with Les and he has clearly established himself as a creative and effective leader who understands both the challenges and the opportunities that are shaping today’s media landscape,” Ms. Redstone said in a statement. “I am sure he will make a great chair and I look forward to working with him for many years to come.”

Mr. Moonves, one of the most highly regarded TV executives, has been president and chief executive of CBS since 2006. He will continue in those positions.  “I want to thank  Sumner for his guidance and strong support over all these years,” Mr. Moonves said in a statement.

Mr. Redstone controls the voting stock in Viacom and CBS through his private holding company, National Amusements. If Mr. Redstone dies or is found to be incapacitated, his stake in National Amusements is to be held by a trust. Voting control will go to seven trustees. Those trustees include Ms. Redstone and Philippe P. Dauman, chief executive of Viacom.

In a separate statement, Ms. Redstone confirmed that the terms of her father’s trust state that she succeed him as nonexecutive chairwoman at both CBS and Viacom.  Separately, Ms. Redstone had made a deal with Mr. Moonves for him to take on the chairmanship at CBS, according to people briefed on the discussions.

Moonves is one of the nation’s highest paid executives. He saw $57.2 million in compensation in 2014, CBS reported in its proxy. His packages averaged $62.8 million a year in the five years that ended in 2014.  In late 2014, the company extended Moonves’ contract by two years to mid-2019. The agreement included incentives to keep him on board as a “Senior Advisor and/or Producer” for an additional five years after the term ended.

The new CBS chairman is married to The Talk and Big Brother host, Julie Chen.

So, what do you think about Les Moonves position with CBS? With this shift in power at the corporation of CBS, Moonves becomes even more powerful within the industry and more.

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Corporate politics as I see it.

Without Corporate politics we wouldn’t have Y&R..
It’s the way the game is played, and looks like CBS knows how to play it..

80% of the voting block for viacom & cbs – now that is powerful!

One of the reasons networks do not have the budget for daytime is because they are paying these over the top salaries to their executives– I”m sorry unless you can cough up golden eggs or your tears are diamonds I just don’t see how one person warrants the kind of money corporations shell out to the few people on the top of their food chain

Here Here I completely and wholeheartedly agree ~

That’s why the soaps die, Mary. A small fraction less pay to the big shots would be enough for the soaps to live long after all of us are dead and gone!

He and the rest of them should choke on their filet mignon!!!

Looks like The Talk is safe anyway, sigh……

Hey Y&R and B&B viewers, that’s the man who killed GL and ATWT in favor of ‘Let’s Make a Deal’ and his wife’s ‘The Talk.’

Keep watching those replacement shows and soon there will be no more Y&R or B&B.

The head honchos want more money and killing the soaps do the trick unless the alternative programs crumble!

I agree. I lost GL and ATWT so no matter what That is one channel I avoid. I wouldn’t watch the view if it was the only show on all of TV. Plus paying him all that money means the fans can’t have what they want. PBS does the same over pays the top women in their case, so they can cry We need sponser’s. When hell freezes over and the devil wears ice skates.

4ever DAYS…as far as I’m concerned, the ‘head honchos’ on A-L-L 3 of the networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) don’t care about us soap viewers…or what we want!!!!! I feel that they only care about their own $$$ pockets. BEYOND SAD AND EVEN MORE DISGUSTING!!!!!

Wow, what an inflated salary! I agree w/other comments in feeling that NOBODY deserves that type of salary when the network is floundering on money for the programs. Hopefully he gets rid of Jill! Faren Phillips and Angela McDonald!

News

Robin Strasser Meets Kristen Alderson’s Baby Kiera in a One Life to Live Reunion

For years, Robin Strasser (ex-Dorian) and Kristen Alderson (ex-Starr) have been the best of friends and the best of co-stars. On One Life to Live, Kristen was only six-years-old when she began her journey as Todd and Blair’s daughter and met the iconic Strasser.

Now in 2024, Kristen is a new mom to her baby girl, Kiera. Strasser, who lives in New York, along with her best friend, John, traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, just a few days ago to visit the Alderson family and spend the day with Kiera.

Taking to her Instagram a very happy Kristen shared, “Look at who came to visit today! Robin & her bestie John! Robin and I got all misty eyed when she met Kiera today!”

Photo: JPI

In a very touching part of her post, Alderson expressed, “Robin is such a special person in my life, it means so much to me that we’re as close as we are. She’s just the best❤️ A great day of laughs & a great brunch spread😍”

Robin added, “I’ve been smiling since I met her. I’m a big softie for babies, but what a doll Kiera is!” The Daytime Emmy-winning star, also shared, “I’m so grateful for my ongoing friendship with Kris and Kathy. Amazing women and loyal friends!”

What do you think about Kristen and Robin’s enduring friendship and recalling their time on One Life to Live? Comment below.

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General Hospital

Nancy Lee Grahn’s Star-Studded ALS Fundraiser Reveals “I’ll Be There” Video Featuring Soap Opera Notables

Talk about your impressive line-up! It’s a soap fans dream and for a great cause. General Hospital’s Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) is prepping her one-night only ALS fundraiser which will feature many of her friends and co-stars.

The benefit is set for May 4th in Glendale, California. Slated to participate are Genie Francis, Jane Elliot, Peter Bergman, Maurice Benard, Eileen Davidson, Thorsten Kaye, Michelle Stafford, Stephen Nichols, Rena Sofer, Jason Thompson, Kelly Monaco, Melissa Claire Egan, Maura West, Kristina Wagner, Gregory Harrison, Trevor St. John, Kate Mansi, Kirsten Storms, Cynthia Watros, and many others.

On Wednesday, Grahn took to her social media and released an “I’ll be there” video shout-out featuring, Monaco, Elliot, Bergman, Bernard, West, Harrison, St. John and more. In a touching and important moment in the new video, Michelle Strogny, who is battling ALS, is featured.

Photo: ABC

Previously, in speaking with Soap Opera Digest on the impetus of the event, Grahn recalled, “I was actually doing Zoom events during Covid and I met this woman that I just fell in love with, Michelle Strojny. At the time, Michelle had been living with ALS for four years. Now, it’s five years. She is a mom of a teenage son, she has the most wonderful husband, and she has been dealing with this [disease] for quite a while. And obviously, there isn’t a cure yet. It’s not survivable yet. But as she says, it’s not incurable. Nothing is; it’s underfunded. But anyway, I just really dug this woman. She is so grounded and filled with grace, and she spends all of her time working to raise money for the cause. We did a fundraiser for her last year and then I thought, ‘You know what? The soaps don’t ever get together to do something for charity.’ Collectively, we have this amazing community and we don’t collectively use it for a good cause, and I think it’s such an easy thing for us to do and we could potentially really make a difference.”

As GH viewers know, Gregory Harrison is playing the character of Gregory Chase, who is also battling ALS in a touching storyline that is currently playing out shedding a light on this disease.

For information on Nancy’s event, including the stars who are s scheduled to participate click here. To purchase tickets to the event click here.

Check out the video featuring Nancy’s friends and co-stars below.  Now let us know, your thought son the line-up for the benefit and helping raise awareness and funds for ALS research via the comment section.

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’ Writer Shannon Peace Let Go, and Shares on Sprina: “One of My Only Regrets is to Not Have the Opportunity to Develop That ‘Ship’ Further”

As General Hospital’s new head writing team of Elizabeth Korte and Patrick Mulcahy gets off the ground and running, there are still changes a foot on the writing team.

Now comes word via breakdown writer Shannon Peace that she is no longer on contract with the long-running ABC soap heading into its 61st season. Peace shared a heartfelt message on her Instagram, thanking the fans, and the show for the opportunity and the importance of diversity in the writers room.

Peace began, “After almost 3 years on staff and 106 episodes penned, I am no longer on contract with General Hospital. Writing for this country’s longest running television serial drama has been an education of epic proportions; I will forever be grateful that I earned my WGA card on a daytime fixture that holds memories for so many.” (Peace pictured below with GH EP Frank Valentini and script writer, Charlotte Gibson from about ten months ago).

Photo: SPeaceIG

Shannon added “Even more importantly, as the sole Black breakdown writer (and only POC in the writers room) during my tenure, I pushed for vital interactions and discussions that prioritized inclusion, visibility, and representation”

The writer pointed to the example of vital interaction when in story, “Stella and Portia’s frank July 2022 conversation about the role race played in Esme’s framing of Trina is just one example of the impact I’m gratified to have had.”

Acknowledging former GH co-head writers was also part of Peace’s farewell expressing, “Appreciation to my former bosses, Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor – not only taking a chance on me, but for valuing my opinion and championing my voice.”

Courtesy/ABC

Many GH fans know that Peace was key to the development of the love story between Trina Robinson and Spencer Cassadine as played by Tabyana Ali and Nicholas Chavez. Shannon gave a special shout-out to ‘Sprina’ fans, “I also want to thank fans who were supportive of my work, especially the recognition of my love for ‘Sprina’. One of my only regrets is not having to develop that ‘ship’ further.”

She concludes her statement with,”In the aftermath of a historic writer’s strike that shed new light on the troubling ways writers are regarded in daytime, my sincere hope is that General Hospital recommits to valuing staff writer efforts and input, with a more intentional focus on diverse viewpoints — and thrives for another 60 years.”

Accompanying her post, Shannon added, “Thank you all for the love and support these last few years. I hope GH fans get all they hope for and more!”

So, what do you think about GH not renewing Shannon’s contract? Will there be more continued changes afoot? What do you think is the future of ‘Sprina’ anyway at this point as viewers wait to see if Nicholas Chavez officially returns to the show?  Comment below.

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Peter Reckell returns for a second visit with Michael Fairman following the wrap-up of his recent run as Bo Brady on Days of our Lives.Leave A Comment

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