On Friday, CBS Evening News addressed a New Yorker report detailing accusations against CBS’ CEO Leslie Moonves and former Chairman of CBS News and the current Executive Producer of 60 Minutes Jeff Fager.

Moonves was accused of sexual misconduct by six women, as well as allowing sexual misconduct to fester, and those accused promoted, in his organization.

Fager was accused of inappropriately touching female employees and allowing sexual misconduct in the workplace.

Reporting on the bombshell report, CBS News detailed the allegations made against Moonves and Fager, including recounting how actor and producer Ileana Douglas recalled how, in 1997, Moonves held her down and “violently kissed her” after asking if she was single.

CBS also reported on the 19 former and current CBS who alleged Fager allowed sexual harassment at work.

CBS also read on-air the statement from the network saying they’re looking into the allegations.

“All allegations of personal misconduct are to be taken seriously,” the statement reads. “Upon the conclusion of that investigation, the Board will promptly review the findings and take appropriate action.”

CBS, though, did take a moment to praise Moonves for his work at CBS and put out the theory that the report was actually the product of a power struggle within the company.

According to CBS’ Evening News report:

“As CBS chairman and CEO, Moonves is credited with helping turn the prime-time lineup into a perennial winner, helping make CBS the country’s most-watched television network. The allegations against him come in the middle of a battle over the future of CBS. It pits Moonves against Shari Redstone, who controls a majority of the voting shares in both CBS and Viacom… Redstone wants to re-merge CBS and Viacom. Moonves does not. Today, a high-ranking CBS executive who did not want to be identified told us The New Yorker story is part of that battle, calling it ‘corporate hardball.’ He said, ‘The gloves come off when people are trying to gain control of the corporation and resort to character assassination.'”

CBS also read a statement by Redstone denying the allegations have anything to do with a boardroom battle before reading a statement from Moonves admitting he’s made “mistakes.”

Watch above, via CBS

[image via screengrab]

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