DAVID:CB -- CBS EARNINGS AFTER
THE BELL I WILL REPORT WITH
MELISSA FRANCIS.
THIS AFTER REPORTS THAT THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS KNEW ABOUT
CHARLIE GASPARINO, WHAT WE MIGHT
HEAR FROM LES MOONVES.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> AS WE'VE BEEN REPORTING.
AGAIN I'M GOING TO PREFACE
THINK, I DON'T BELIEVE IT UNTIL
I SEE IT, BUT OUR SOURCES INSIDE
CBS SAY LES MOONVES WILL APPEAR
ON THE CALL.
GENERALLY THREE PEOPLE ON THE
EARNINGS CALL ALL THE TIME.
JOE EYE FELLOW, THE COO, ADAM
TOWNSEND IS THE INVESTOR
RELATIONS CHIEF AND LES MOONVES
THE CEO.
FROM WHAT I SAID AS OF LATE
YESTERDAY, PREPPING TO BE ON THE
CALL, POSSIBLY GETTING A
QUESTION OR TWO ON THIS.
DAVID: DEFINITELY WILL GET A
UP I'M NOT SHEAING ANYTHING
ABOUT THIS.
LET THE PROCESS -- HE MAY MAKE A
STATEMENT.
WHICH WILL BE THIS'S OPPOSED TO
EARNINGS WHICH WILL BE PRETTY
OUR GUY IS ONE OF THEM AT THAT,
THE GENTLEMAN, RUNS OUR -- WHAT
IS HIS NAME AGAIN?
DAVID: RUPERT MURDOCH.
>> WALL STREET LIKES THEM.
THEY'RE GOOD WITH CONTENT.
SO HE IN THAT SORT OF PANTHEON.
AND SO, LIKE, IF HE LEAVES, IT
WILL BE A PROBLEM FOR THE STOCK.
DAVID: YOU BRING UP A GREAT
POINT BECAUSE THERE ARE CERTAIN
TEAM.
A LEADER, A REAL TRANSITIONAL
FIGURE.
WE HAVE ONE, RUPERT MURDOCH.
>> JACK WELCH.
DAVID: JACK WELCH WAS ONE AT GE.
WHEN HE LEFT OBVIOUSLY THE
COMPANY DIDN'T DO SO WELL.
I WONDER IF THE SAME COULD
>> THE ADDED COMPLICATION WHICH
I'M SURE WILL BE BROUGHT UP, HE
WILL HAVE TO ANSWER THIS
QUESTION, THE BATTLE HE IS
HAVING WITH SHARI REDSTONE,
NATIONAL AMUSEMENT
ENTERTAINMENT.
DAVID: IS THIS JUST A
COINCIDENCE THAT THIS THINGS
COMES UP?
>> LET ME EXPLAIN ONE THING THAT
VIEWER GETS HANDLE AROUND IT.
NATIONAL AMUSEMENT IS HOLDING
COMPANY.
CONTROLLING SHAREHOLDER OF CBS
AND VIACOM.
SHE WANTS TO MERGE THE TWO
TOGETHER.
LES MOONVES DOES NOT.
THEY'RE IN A PITCHED COURT
BATTLE.
HE WANTS TO ESSENTIALLY BREAK
OFF, SELL TO SOMEBODY ES.
THE QUESTION YOU ASK IS VERY
>> MY SOURCES DOESN'T SAY KNOW.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN RONAN FARROW
DIDN'T GO TO HER FOR HELP.
STORY.
>> LET ME EXPLAIN SOMETHING TO
REPORTER A LONG TIME, I'VE BEEN
DOING, I DON'T COVER THIS STUFF,
NAMELY "ME TOO" MOVEMENT, RONAN
FARROW DOES, WHEN YOU COVER BIG
STORIES AND DO ONE BIG STORY,
OTHER STORIES GENERALLY COME TO
YOU.
NOT LIKE SOMEONE HAS TO PLANT
IT.
WHEN PEOPLE SEE IN HIS CASE,
WHEN HE WAS WRITING ABOUT HARVEY
WEINSTEIN, VARIOUS WOMEN, MANY
PROMINENT HOLLYWOOD ACTRESSES
BEING CITED AND QUOTED, OTHER
WOMEN SEE THAT AND THEY CALL
HIM.
DAVID: THEY FEEL EMPOWERED.
MAYBE I CAN DO THE SAME.
>> SAME THING WHEN I WAS
GOLDMAN SACHS, CITY GROUP,
FINANCIAL CRISIS, PEOPLE WOULD,
THEY COME TO YOU.
DAVID: HAPPENED WITH
LATIN AMERICA.
ALL OF SUDDEN I GOT ALL STORIES.
I GOT MORE SCOOPS THAN ANYBODY.
>> I THINK CBS BOARD TRIED TO
SUGGEST SHARI REDSTONE LEAKED
THIS.
THEY ACTUALLY PUT THAT IN THEIR
STATEMENT.
I'M SAYING, IT'S POSSIBLE.
I'M NOT THERE BUT IT IS ALSO
MUCH MORE POSSIBLE THAT HE
PROBABLY --
DAVID: TALK ABOUT WHAT WE DO
KNOW?
IT IS NOW IN HAND OF LAWYERS.
>> TWO FIRMS.
DAVID: TWO FIRMS.
>> PLIMTON WHO IS THE OTHER ONE.
WHITE SHOE FIRMS.
DAVID: COULD THESE LEGAL FIRMS
NOW HAVE A LIFE-AND-DEATH
DECISION OVER HIS FUTURE?
>> WELL THEY DO.
NOW THE QUESTION IS, DOES THE
BOARD, IS THE BOARD EMPOWERING
THEM.
DAVID: THAT IS MY QUESTION.
DAVID: IF THEY COME UP WITH ONE
DECISION, COT BORED COME UP
WITH -- COULD THE BOARD COME UP
WITH ANOTHER.
>> OR THE BOARD COULD SIGNAL WE
WANT A WHITEWASH OR A GOOD
>> WHAT HAPPENED HERE WE HIRED
PAUL WEISS TO INVESTIGATE
CHARGES AGAINST OUR FORMER BOSS
ROGER AILES.
DAVID: THE BOARD ACCEPTED THEIR
INVESTIGATION.
>> THE MANAGEMENT EMPOWERED PAUL
WEISS TO DO A REAL
INVESTIGATION, NO-HOLDS-BARRED,
TALK TO EVERYBODY YOU CAN.
THE REAL QUESTION IS, THEY HIRED
TWO.
NEEDED TWO BUT IN ANY EVENT THEY
GOT TWO.
DID THE BOARD --
>> NOT A BAD IDEA TO HIRE TWO.
TWO, GET TWO OPINIONS ON THIS
BECAUSE THEY THINK HE IS GONE,
GETTING A SECOND OPINION FROM A
DOCTOR.
DAVID: RIGHT.
>> THEY WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE,
RIGHT?
DAVID: 20 SECOND.
>> I WILL JUST SAY THIS, HAS THE
BOARD, THE INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS
HAVE THEY EMPOWERED THESE GUYS
TO GO WHERE THE FACTS ARE AND DO
A REAL REPORT LIKE THEY DID WITH