News
Les Moonves Named CBS Chairman Replacing Ailing Sumner Redstone
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.
General Hospital
Adam Huss Makes Another Return to General Hospital as Nikolas Cassadine
Nikolas Cassadine will be back on your screens next week but now via Pentonville. That means, that actor Adam Huss is back for a visit for all-new episodes of General Hospital.
In story, Ava (Maura West) comes to visit her ex in the slammer. So, just what does Ava want now? She clearly has been working an agenda on Sonny (Maurice Benard). Is she working with Valentin (James Patrick Stuart)? What will she tell Nikiolas? stay tuned.
Meanwhile, once news of Huss’ return broke earlier on Friday via Soap Opera Digest, he also announced his return on his Instagram expressing, “For all those who’ve been asking, cat’s out of the bag;) Thank you to all my #Nikolas #GH fans for your unwavering support. I don’t take it for granted for a second! (Even when I can’t answer 😊) #generalhospital”
Photo: ABC
Huss took over the role of Nikolas back in January of 2023, after Marcus Coloma left the soap opera. Previous to that, Huss filed in for Coloma in September of 2021 and November of 2022. Fast-forward to January of 2024, Nikolas gave Ace to Laura and Kevin to raise, while he eventually turned himself into the police for kidnapping Esme and keeping her hostage while she was pregnant and Wyndemere.
Photo: ABC
The return of Huss comes on the heels of multiple reports that his on-screen son, Nicholas Chavez is not returning to the show as Spencer Cassadine, while in story Spencer is believed to have drowned int the Seine River after falling off a boat in France, when drugged by Esme.
So, looking forward to seeing Adam Huss back as Nikolas? Do you think GH will eventually have him more full-time? Comment below.
Days Of Our Lives
Arianne Zucker Reveals Her Last Days of our Lives Airdate
Arianne Zucker, who is no longer on contract with Days of our Lives, and involved in a lawsuit against the show, took to her You Tube channel and in her latest episode, and offered up what she believes is her final airdate as Nicole Walker DiMera.
The actress expressed: “I was really appreciative of the amount of support that I have had since leaving Days of our Lives.” She then added, “My last airdate, I think, it’s July 29th and we’ll see how things go after that.”
Zucker went on to say how she has continued to receive overwhelming support since suing her former employer, Corday Productions, with the allegations that former Co-EP Albert Alarr sexually harassed her and other females at the show, and that the production company entity did not respond sufficiently and adequately.
Photo: JPI
After lodging her complaints, Zucker said her agents received two notices that Corday Productions were reducing her pay before her character was ultimately written off. Zucker’s contract expired in January and since DAYS tapes over six months ahead it brings her final airdate, which as of now, to the end of July. Zucker is suing for harassment, discrimination, retaliation, negligent hiring and supervision, and wrongful termination among other claims.
Previously, Corday Productions issued this statement on Zucker’s claims: “The allegations in Ms. Zucker’s lawsuit are without merit. Corday Productions, offered to renew Ms. Zucker’s contract including offering her a pay increase. Rejecting Ms. Zucker’s counteroffer does not constitute retaliation. Complaints about Mr. Alarr’s on-set behavior were promptly investigated. Corday Productions fully cooperated with the impartial investigation and subsequently terminated Mr. Alarr.”
On her You Tube channel, Arianne went on to thank everyone who came out to the east coast fan event last weekend that featured several DAYS stars. She expressed, “My whole goal is to really help people stand up for themselves.” Arianne also shared she thinks it’s important for people who have gone through trauma to help each other through it.
Photo: JPI
On DAYS, Nicole is still in the dark that Sloan (Jessica Serfaty) is raising her child, Jude, with Eric (Greg Vaughan), and Eric also doesn’t know that he is raising his biological son. Will Eric and Nicole reunite and will Nicole find out what Sloan, Melinda and Leo (Greg Rikaart) have been hiding for months, before she exits the show? Stay tuned. There has been on official confirmation from DAYS that July 29th is Zucker’s final airdate.
You can check out Ari’s latest episode from her You Tube Channel below.
Now let us know, do you think somehow DAYS and Arianne will work these out and she will somehow be back on the show? What do you think Nicole’s exit will look like? Do you think they will recast? Let us know in the comment section below.
Breaking News
REPORT: Nicholas Chavez Not Returning to General Hospital
For those who were holding out hope that Daytime Emmy winner and fan favorite, Nicholas Chavez would be returning to General Hospital after filming his leading role in Ryan Murphy’s Monsters anthology, it looks like those hopes have been dashed.
According to a report from TV Line, although unconfirmed from General Hospital or a representative for Chavez, the actor will not reprise his role as Spencer Cassadine on the long-running ABC soap opera and continue the love story of Sprina opposite Tabyana Ali (Trina, GH).
Chavez was cast as Lyle Menendez over the the summer of 2023 for the second season of Murphy’s limited Monsters series on Netflix. In the upcoming season, the series will focus on the the case of Lyle and Erik Menendez, the two well-to-do Beverly Hills brothers accused of murdering their parents in 1989.
Photo: ABC
After word from Chavez casting was revealed, GH fans were concerned over the fate of the Sprina story, a spokesperson for GH shared, “We support Nicholas’ endeavors and look forward to having him return to General Hospital once this project is wrapped.”
In story, the series “killed off” Spencer when he went overboard with Esme to the steely waters below after being injected with a drug, thanks to Esme and falling into the Seine River in France. However, his body was never recovered, and believed to have drowned or washed away. Thus, leaving an opening for Spencer to return in the form of Chavez or be recast down the line.
Photo: ABC
TV Line shared that ‘multiple sources’ are confirming that Chavez is not returning to the ABC soap opera, which is what many had suspected might be the case once he left for this major starring role in a Ryan Murphy project. Chavez has been relatively quiet on social media for months.
Photo: ABC
The Michael Fairman Channel spoke with Nicholas Chavez for a virtual interview when he first joined the show in 2021, and spoke to him right after when he won the Daytime Emmy in 2022 – you can see those below.
No word yet on when Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story will debut on Netflix, but it is assumed later this year.
So, what do you think about the news of Nicholas Chavez not returning to his role as Spencer Cassadine on General Hospital? Comment below.
Adam Huss Makes Another Return to General Hospital as Nikolas Cassadine
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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!