CBS boss Les Moonves, fearful a merger with Viacom will be forced upon his company after majority owner Sumner Redstone dies, is discussing ways to buy out the broadcaster’s controlling shareholder, National Amusements Inc., sources told The Post.

Moonves, the 65-year-old CEO of the Tiffany network, believes a merger with Viacom will leave him in an inferior position vis-à-vis Philippe Dauman, the Viacom CEO, and could shortchange CBS minority shareholders, sources said.

As a result, Moonves has been having discussions with Wall Street heavy hitters about backing such a buyout, sources said.

“[Moonves] has been talking to a few banks and private equity firms about buying CBS,” said a well-placed source.

It is unclear how far such discussions have progressed. The buyout plan is one of a number of options Moonves has, sources close to the conversations stressed.

One obstacle Moonves faces is that any NAI buyout would need the approval of the majority of the members on a trust that will take control of NAI down the road after Redstone dies.

Dauman is on the trust’s board, sources said.

Redstone, 91, owns 80 percent of NAI, which controls both Viacom and CBS.

Fans of Moonves are quick to point out that he has done a better job of building CBS than Dauman has done of expanding Viacom.

CBS shares have climbed 136 percent since it was split from Viacom in January 2006.

Viacom is up 61 percent over that same period.

The Moonves plan comes as talk of a media mega-merger with Viacom has ratcheted up in recent weeks. Redstone’s health continues to falter, sources say.

Viacom has seen big ratings declines as Nielsen has failed to find a way to measure young viewers’ habits.

Plus, Moonves would bristle at working for Dauman, many have said.

“There’s no way Philippe Dauman and Leslie Moonves are going to work in the same shop. They have totally different personalities and skill sets and mindsets. Unless it’s forced on him, Les wouldn’t want to work for Philippe or vice versa,” said GAMCO’s Mario Gabelli, who holds sizable stakes in both firms.

Dauman could gain added leverage over distributors were Viacom to house a broadcast network.

To be sure, a merger of the two would face significant hurdles.

A second shareholder, referring to how Moonves has nourished CBS better than Viacom brass have done with that company, insisted that “if someone wants to come and make a bid at a premium, we’d be open” to it.

However, “a merger of equals, that would dilute us.”

Indeed, several shareholders have been examining their rights as minority owners should a merger of Viacom and CBS be forced on them.

“You’d hope fairness and common sense prevail,” added Gabelli, who has held stock in Viacom for some three decades.

“I’m sure Les would like to do a lot of things that would take him out of Sumner’s orbit,” said one longtime media veteran. “But Viacom-CBS is one of the best industrial combinations you could come up with. The synergies are compelling.”