CBS News chief Neeraj Khemlani exits after tumultuous 2-year reign

[Leroy N. Soetoro]

https://nypost.com/2023/08/13/cbs-news-prez-neeraj-khemlani-quietly-tells-
confidants-hes-out/

Embattled CBS News co-president Neeraj Khemlani, whose two-year cost-
cutting reign was marked by clashes with high-profile anchors and HR
complaints, is leaving the network.

The surprise shakeup was confirmed by CBS brass shortly after The Post
published a story online Sunday that the mercurial network chief had been
calling confidantes to tell them he’s out.

Rumors of his exit hit a fever pitch last week after The Post ran an
exclusive story on July 30 that Khemlani was being monitored by an HR
executive after a slew of complaints for his alleged “bullying, rude”
behavior.

Khemlani’s schedule for this week had been cleared despite the fact he was
slated to return Monday from a week-long family vacation in Europe,
sources with knowledge told The Post.

CBS had planned to announce a restructuring on Monday, another insider
told The Post.

The Post’s report of his impending departure apparently moved up those
plans. Khemlani, whose three-year contract expires next spring, sent a
memo to CBS News staffers on Sunday announcing plans to begin a new stage
of his career.

“(I am) looking forward to slipping my reporter’s notebook back into my
pocket and heading out on a new adventure,” he said in his farewell to
staffers, which was obtained by The Post.

Khemlani — who was in charge of prized programs that include “CBS Evening
News” “60 Minutes, “CBS Mornings” and “Face the Nation” — will now seek to
develop content in a new multi-year, first-look deal with CBS, according
to the memo.

CBS CEO George Cheeks, who brought in the divisive network chief, sent out
a memo to staff confirming Khemlani’s departure and said the two had been
discussing “his potential transition for some time.”

Representatives for CBS and Khemlani did not respond to requests for
comment.

Sources have pointed to Wendy McMahon, Khemlani’s co-president who runs
the CBS Television Stations and CBS News Digital divisions, as the front-
runner to take over his responsibilities for running the News division,

The restructuring will likely name deputies who will report to McMahon,
the insider said.

Khemlani’s downfall comes after reports surfaced that he blew up at Chief
Financial Officer Stacey Benson and another female executive on her team
during a budget meeting in April.

Since taking the reins in May 2021, Khemlani — a former Hearst executive —
has been under “immense pressure” from Cheeks to hit certain budget
numbers, insiders said.

He immediately clashed with “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell over
contract matters, The Post reported.

Khemlani’s combustible temper, meanwhile, reportedly translated to
plunging morale among CBS News staffers, who have described their boss as
“rude” and “micro-managing.”

As previously reported by The Post, those complaints have led to a larger
internal review headed by CBS corporate HR exec Whitney Delich.

The review, which began in 2022, was focused on how Khemlani speaks to
women and employees of color.

Prior to the investigation, Singaporean-born Khemlani had been subjected
to a “360 performance review” by his bosses and direct reports, which
resulted in mandatory counseling on how to speak to employees “without
sarcasm” while using “friendly body language,” multiple sources said at
the time.

Khemlani made no mention of any hard feelings in his memo to staff Sunday.

“We maintained the #1 position of our iconic weekend programs,
successfully developed and launched business plans to grow digital revenue
that will sustain CBS News for the next generation, and elevated and
promoted so many of the people who work here day after day to deliver on
our journalistic mission,” Khemlani wrote in his memo.

“I’m so proud of what all of you have accomplished — the scores of
journalistic wins, the superb storytelling, the creativity that enhanced
every aspect of our programming — that has put this division on a stronger
path forward.”

Khemlani “put new business plans in place to drive more revenue, which is
essential in a challenging environment for all media companies,” Cheeks
said in his memo.

Khemlani’s cost-cutting was seen by some as a possible path to spin off
the network as its parent Paramount Global — which also owns Paramount
Pictures, Showtime, MTV and Nickelodeon, among others — focuses on
streaming.


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