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Despite having CBS atop the ratings, Nikki Finke writes in the LA Weekly that Les Moonves should resign in the wake of several embarrassing incidents.
Yes, resign, even though the CBS chairman/CEO is hands down today’s most adept television topper and successful entertainment titan. Yes, resign, even though he is a provocative programmer and a rakish charmer who used to have reporters wrapped around his little finger. Yes, resign, since it has become painfully obvious over recent months that this irredeemable creature of show biz has demonstrated a deplorable disregard for the special public responsibility required of a network broadcaster. Yes, resign, since his once-sterling credibility is an open question predating even Janet’s Super Bowl peepshow.[fast forward]
...In a scant 18 months he has managed to piss off Appalachians (over an idea to do a real-life Beverly Hillbillies show), and Latinos (by scheduling the Latin Grammies on the same night as the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute gala, causing some performers to renege on commitments to the legislative fund-raiser), and Cubans (a joy ride to off-limits Havana with other Hollywood bigwigs to dine with Castro came under investigation by the U.S. Treasury Department), and Jews (for greenlighting that Hitler miniseries). Then he managed to erase the line between news and entertainment and commerce by putting on the Victoria’s Secret advertorial lingerie show, by offering a tasteless package of inducements to land an interview with rescued POW Jessica Lynch (including a two-hour documentary produced by CBS News, and a concert special hosted by MTV in her hometown featuring Ashanti and, possibly, Ja Rule), and by negotiating what, according to reliable reports, was an extra $1 mil to induce Michael Jackson to give an interview to 60 Minutes on top of the multimillion-dollar payment for a music special. He topped all that off by buffooning the Reagans in that TV movie and then backing down when the right wing rebelled.
Before hanging up the phone, Moonves' spokesman told Finke: "We’re the number-one network. We have more viewers than anyone else. It’s an outrageous and moronic question not worthy of an answer."