Les Moonves loves watching Republicans “throw crap at each other”
posted at 10:41 am on December 8, 2015 by Jazz Shaw
A side note to the RNC: you might want to double check and make sure that CBS isn’t involved in any of the GOP debates. You probably didn’t need too much of a reminder as to what passes for unbiased coverage at the Tiffany Network after years of Dan Rather and other instances too numerous to mention, but the real big cheese at the network has let the mask slip a bit further this week. Les Moonves, the top dog in that particular pile, showed up at a big dollar Wall Street event and gave us a hint as to his real feelings about the Republican Party. (Hollywood Reporter)
“We love having all 16 Republican candidates throwing crap at each other,” Leslie Moonves said Monday.
“The more they spend, the better it is for us,” the CBS chief executive told analysts at a Wall Street gathering in New York.
“Go Donald!” he said, referring to GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump. “This is fun, watching this. Let them spend money on us … we’re looking forward to a very exciting political year in 2016.”
It was an odd forum for such a comment to pop up, particularly since Moonves was ostensibly there to talk about broadcast marketing, advertising revenue and cable service bundling. Still, they tend to have free drinks a those sorts of events so he may have had a bit of truth serum in his system. (Just guessing on that aspect of it.) CBS as an entertainment entity is, in theory, supposed to be separate from CBS News, but it’s hard to imagine that the influence doesn’t run through the entire body once it gets into the bloodstream. The bias on display is not newsworthy at all… just the open ridicule.
As an added reminder of the hubris behind it, Les still has a very high opinion of himself and his network.
“There’s no skinny bundle that’s going to succeed without CBS,” said Moonves. “Nobody can live without CBS … some people, especially Millennials, don’t want to pay for 180 channels. There’s a lot of people who don’t want to pay for sports channels when they don’t watch sports.”
Nobody can live without CBS? I seem to remember NBC saying the same thing in the 90s when they were kicking everyone’s butts. There’s a cautionary tale there for you, Mr. Moonves. The wheel always keeps turning and sooner or later it runs you over.
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So someone who makes money off controversy enjoys a primary where the candidates openly troll the voters and you’re problem is with him, and not GOP field? Oh Jazz, bless your heart.
libfreeordie on December 8, 2015 at 10:43 AM
Aside from the occasional Giants football game (and after this past Sunday even that’s in doubt now) I haven’t watched CBS since . . . the last millennium.
rbj on December 8, 2015 at 10:46 AM
Without Big Bang Theory, CBS would be stuck with three NCIS’s, The Good Wife, Madam Secretary, and….Super Girl.
Who watches that dreck?
Bishop on December 8, 2015 at 10:46 AM
Les “More Muslims” Moonves
mjbrooks3 on December 8, 2015 at 10:46 AM
“Go Donald!” he said, referring to GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump. “This is fun, watching this. Let them spend money on us … we’re looking forward to a very exciting political year in 2016.”
…..
We especially can’t wait for the govt soldiers to come in and takeover reporting for us!
Isn’t this exciting?
artist on December 8, 2015 at 10:48 AM
Ben Rhodes….
d1carter on December 8, 2015 at 10:49 AM
Jazz, he’s making a business case. Nobody wants to watch the Dem coronation, but this clown car is amazing reality TV.
He’s dead on. Trump is driving a media ratings machine. Too bad we’re on the hook for the results…
Prufrock on December 8, 2015 at 10:49 AM
Moonves does have a point about drawing an audience though, how many people would voluntarily tune-in to watch two white, elderly, demorats reminisce about the Roaring 20’s?
Bishop on December 8, 2015 at 10:49 AM
Seems like he was talking about the political advertising the GOP primary is generating. In line with a event to discuss “advertising revenue.”
Truth is political campaigns are a boon to broadcast entities, and generate huge amounts of income every cycle for broadcasters. Since that’s where a large percentage of political donations end up (political donations = political spending = advertising revenue), I’ve always seen a conflict of interest when broadcasters get involved in the “campaign finance reform” debate.
HornHiAceDeuce on December 8, 2015 at 10:52 AM
Democrat races are boring because the fascists goose-step in formation on pretty much every issue.
gwelf on December 8, 2015 at 10:53 AM
What is a “Les Moonves” and why should it be important to me?
Another Drew on December 8, 2015 at 10:55 AM
Ha ha ha.
Yeah, the Democrats never troll their voters.
Don’t forget to donate to Hillary or else the GOP is going to take away your health insurance.
gwelf on December 8, 2015 at 10:56 AM
Was Moonves also the one who said that ratings don’t matter when he hired Colbert?
gwelf on December 8, 2015 at 10:57 AM
Bishop on December 8, 2015 at 10:46 AM
You forgot “Blue Bloods”.
Another Drew on December 8, 2015 at 10:57 AM
..Blue Bloods? But I watch it on NetFlix exclusively. Won’t watch anything in See-B.S.
The War Planner on December 8, 2015 at 11:00 AM
..someone might want to point out that it’s kind of like having a couple of pitchers warming up in the bullpen. When they bring someone in for long relief, he’s got a lot of zip on his heater.
And the Fat Lady will probably wiff when she comes to bat.
The War Planner on December 8, 2015 at 11:03 AM
Trump’s hooligan parade is good TV.
People want to see it. They won’t vote for it but they want to see it.
Moesart on December 8, 2015 at 11:03 AM
I think there’s a lot of truth there, and a nice whack at the à la carte issue. The only problem is that he forgot about something sort of big.
Correct. CompuServe.
People are already watching new digital files called Graphics Interchange Format files, right on their Apples and Commodores. Right at home. Seriously. And as the technology improves, they may even begin watching shorts, equivalent to mini-sitcoms and the like.
Axe on December 8, 2015 at 11:05 AM
Next Trump Troll: Ban all cable TV bundles. Sell channels a la carte only.
Moesart on December 8, 2015 at 11:07 AM
My mom watches Blue Bloods. Just saying.
Bishop on December 8, 2015 at 11:11 AM
Bless your heart. You have no idea what “troll” means. Being a troll, I’d figure otherwise, but you do continue to surprise as you plumb the depths of wingnut idiocy.
Quartermaster on December 8, 2015 at 11:14 AM
Yep, even The Bern won’t go after Hillary on her obvious corruption.
Bitter Clinger on December 8, 2015 at 11:18 AM
I’ll take what is MSNBC for $1000, Alex.
antipc on December 8, 2015 at 11:21 AM
Maybe if Moonves had that much enthusiasm for streaming his programs so that people could get caught up on Season 4 of Person of Interest…
The Schaef on December 8, 2015 at 11:22 AM
he through a turkey off a roof yet?
dmacleo on December 8, 2015 at 11:23 AM
grr throw
dmacleo on December 8, 2015 at 11:23 AM
Uh, Bishop? Those albino dinosaurs are not reminiscing about the Roaring Twenties. They’re thinking back to how wonderful the Great Depression was because it enabled FDR and the New Deal. They’d love for nothing more than the chance to do it all over again.
Aizen on December 8, 2015 at 11:25 AM
Of course Moonves and CBS want Hilary to win.
They own Comedy Central which airs the Daily Show and The Late Show.
They gave Letterman’s sport to Colbert and gave Colbert the post-Superbowl show so he can bash Republicans to millions of people.
sentinelrules on December 8, 2015 at 11:26 AM
Blue Bloods is truly original television. Perhaps the only thing more original would be a television drama about a hospital.
Lost in Jersey on December 8, 2015 at 11:31 AM
CBS would be more aptly named See the BS! Frankly the network has been in a downward spiral since Edward R Murrow died!
pilamaye on December 8, 2015 at 11:31 AM
Wanna bet? CBS, along with the the two networks, ABC and NBC, are already dying, and will go under sooner rather than later. I’ll love seeing that.
MsYoung on December 8, 2015 at 11:37 AM
Moonves was talking about ad dollars. Of course he wants them to continue to throw crap at each other. I’m sure he’s a biased prog, but for his business it makes sense.
changer1701 on December 8, 2015 at 11:40 AM
Oh man, if he throws in satellite radio with that, he’s got my vote!
Goldenavatar on December 8, 2015 at 12:34 PM
On another note:
Isn’t it amazing that ABC didn’t see a conflict of interest in having Georgi Girl interview Frau Hitlery?
avi natan on December 8, 2015 at 12:51 PM
I don’t know about banning channel bundles, but a la carte might get my vote.
jaime on December 8, 2015 at 12:57 PM
And I like watching liberals eat their own, Les.
Tomay-toh. Tomah-toh.
locomotivebreath1901 on December 8, 2015 at 1:14 PM
Won’t it be nice when Trump demands $10 mill to appear on CBS?
hip shot on December 8, 2015 at 2:03 PM
Axe on December 8, 2015 at 11:05 AM
Haha lol
I went to the Google play online app store and there was no Compuserv app for my phone..
And Amazon didn’t have any commodores
@shrugs@
SpongePuppy on December 8, 2015 at 2:19 PM
Didn’t realize Moonves was a script-writer at the Letterman Show.
He should have been asked if he’ll donate more airtime to Democrat debates. People are not getting the message … they need CBS to explain how interesting, capable and likable Democrats are.
But the truth is, nobody wants to watch Democrats pretending to debate. They neither understand the issues nor do they believe their own words. They just want to be elected. That’s where Moonves and CBS comes in to donate free time, give up advertising and get their guys over the finish line.
virgo on December 9, 2015 at 12:45 AM
Yeah, we enjoyed watching Bernie and Hillary blow each other onstage. Most amusing.
bour3 on December 9, 2015 at 12:54 PM