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{{Infobox person |
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| name = Leslie Moonves |
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| image = Les Moonves at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.jpg |
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| birthname = |
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1949|10|06}}<ref name="birth">{{Cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX-R27LREOk|title=Leslie Moonves Interview|publisher="Archive of American Television"}}</ref> |
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| birth_place = [[New York City, New York]], [[United States|U.S.]] |
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| death_date = |
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| death_place = |
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| occupation = [[President]] and [[Chief Executive Officer]] of [[CBS Corporation]] |
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| salary = [[United States dollar|$]]67.6 million in 2007 (includes other compensation)<ref name="appay">{{Cite web|url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5joqFL0xgMcnWcdP4piX5YpeBwh7wD91AMG903 |title=List of highest-paid CEOs in 2007 |accessdate=2008-06-18 |work=[[Associated Press]] |publisher=ap.google.com |date=2008-06 |quote=The total pay figures are rounded, and are based on the AP's compensation formula, which adds up salary, perks, bonuses, above-market interest on pay set aside for later, and company estimates for the value of stock options and stock awards on the day they were granted last year.}}</ref> |
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| networth = |
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| spouse = [[Julie Chen]] <br> Nancy Wiesenfeld Moonves (m. 17-Dec-1978, div. 2004) |
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| website =<ref name="bio"/> |
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| footnotes = |
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}} |
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'''Leslie Moonves''' (born October 6, 1949)<ref name="birth"/> is [[President]] and [[Chief Executive Officer]] of [[CBS Corporation]]. |
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Moonves served as co-president and co-chief operating officer of [[Viacom (1971-2005)|Viacom, Inc.]], the predecessor to CBS Corporation, from 2004 until the company split on December 31, 2005. Prior to that he had been in a series of executive positions for CBS since July 1995.<ref name=bio>{{Cite web|url= http://www.cbscorporation.com/our_company/executives/index.php?id=61|title= Biography from CBS Corporation website}}</ref> |
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==Business career== |
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Moonves had previous upper management experience early in his business career. He was in charge of first-run syndication and pay/cable programming at [[20th Century Fox Television]]. Another position he held at 20th Century Fox Television was [[Vice President]] of movies and mini-series. Other previous positions he held include Vice President of development at [[Saul Ilson Productions]] (in association with [[Columbia Pictures Television]]) and a development executive for [[Catalina Productions]].<ref name="bio"/> |
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===Lorimar Television and Warner Brothers Television=== |
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Moonves joined [[Lorimar Television]] in 1985 as executive in charge of its movies and mini-series, and in 1988, became head of creative affairs. From 1989 to 1993, he was [[President]] at Lorimar. Then in July 1993, he became President of [[Warner Bros. Television]], when Warner Bros. and Lorimar Television combined operations. While Moonves was president of [[Warner Bros. Television]], he [[Greenlight|green-lit]] the hit shows ''[[Friends (TV series)|Friends]]'' and ''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]'', among many others.<ref name="CNN">[http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/07/magazines/fortune/cbs_f500_fortune_041706/index.htm Leslie Moonves's Role of a Lifetime] ''[[Money (magazine)|Money]]'' via CNN.com. Retrieved April 10, 2006.</ref> |
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===CBS=== |
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He joined [[CBS]] in July 1995 as President of [[CBS Corporation|CBS Entertainment]]. From April 1998 until 2003, he was President and [[Chief Executive Officer]] at [[CBS Television]], then was promoted to [[Chairman]] and CEO of CBS in 2003. He oversees all operations of the company, including the CBS Television Network, The CW (a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment), CBS Television Stations, CBS Paramount Network Television, CBS Television Distribution Group, Showtime, CBS Radio, CBS Records, CBS Outdoor, Simon & Schuster, CBS Interactive, CBS Consumer Products, CBS Home Entertainment, CBS Outernet and CBS Films. During this time (2003), CBS became America's most watched television network, going from last to first. |
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Among the shows that have given CBS a new lease on life is the [[CSI franchise|''CSI'' franchise]] and ''[[Survivor (U.S. TV series)|Survivor]]''. CBS had six of the ten most-watched primetime shows in the final quarter of 2005--''[[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation|CSI]]''; ''[[Without a Trace]]''; ''[[CSI: Miami]]''; ''[[Survivor: Guatemala]]''; ''[[NCIS (TV series)|NCIS]]''; and ''[[Cold Case (TV series)|Cold Case]]''.<ref name="CNN" /> |
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In February 2005, Moonves was identified as the executive directly responsible for ordering the cancellation of [[UPN]]'s ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'' and the ending of the 18-year ''[[Star Trek]]'' television franchise.<ref name="Trek Today">{{Cite web|url= http://www.trektoday.com/news/020205_04.shtml|title= UPN Cancels 'Star Trek: Enterprise'|publisher= Trektoday.com|date= February 2, 2005|accessdate= November 21, 2007}}</ref> |
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In January 2006, Moonves was instrumental in making the deal that brought together CBS-owned [[UPN]] with [[WB Television Network|The WB]] to form the [[The CW Television Network|CW Network]]. |
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On February 28, 2006, Moonves led CBS to file a $500 million lawsuit against [[Howard Stern]] for allegedly breaching his contract by failing to disclose the details of his deal with [[Sirius Satellite Radio]] while still employed by [[CBS Radio|Infinity Broadcasting]]. Stern vowed to fight the suit, and claimed on his radio program that Moonves, and CBS, were trying to "bully" him and his agent, [[Don Buchwald]]. Stern later appeared on CBS' own ''Late Show with David Letterman'', wearing a shirt mocking Leslie and his wife. On June 7, 2006, Stern announced that the lawsuit had been settled. As part of the settlement, Sirius acquired the exclusive rights to all of the WXRK tapes (over two decades worth of shows) for $2 million. |
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Moonves fired [[Don Imus]] on April 12, 2007, eight days after Imus made comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team. This was seen as the politically correct move by the master politician but once again at the cost of losing Imus, similar to having lost the top-rated Howard Stern Show years earlier. |
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==Acting career== |
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{{Expand section|date=June 2008}} |
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In his early career, Moonves was an actor. He landed a few television roles, playing tough guys on ''[[Cannon (TV series)|Cannon]]'' and ''[[The Six Million Dollar Man]]''<ref>{{IMDB name|id=0600800}}</ref> before deciding on a career change.<ref name="CNN" /> He also worked as one of [[casting director]] [[Caro Jones]]' first office assistants early in her career.<ref name=hr>{{Cite news|first=Mike|last=Barnes|title=Casting director Caro Jones dies |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ia3f2289d03ed2216bd37db0541b79990 |work=[[Hollywood Reporter]]|date=2009-09-10 |accessdate=2009-09-20}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> |
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On April 7, 2003, Moonves portrayed himself in an episode of ''[[The Practice]]''. |
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From early 2004, Moonves has made regular contributions to ''[[The Late Show with David Letterman]]''. One of these appearances was provoked by [[David Letterman]] himself when he declared outrage that [[Jay Leno]] was featured prominently on the CBS website in an ad for CBS's telecast of the [[People's Choice Awards]]. On the ''Late Show'', Letterman jokingly warned the "CBS stooge in the control room" to call his buddies "before things turn ugly." Leslie obliged. Later appearances have taken the same format, with Letterman discussing current events and the CBS network with the company's CEO. |
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==Personal life== |
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[[File:Julie Chen and Les Moonves at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.jpg|thumb|Moonves with his wife [[Julie Chen]] at the 2009 [[Tribeca Film Festival]].]] |
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Moonves was born in [[New York City]] and grew up in [[Valley Stream, New York]]. He attended [[Valley Stream Central High School]] and went to [[Bucknell University]], graduating in 1971.<ref>[http://www.bucknell.edu/x30664.xml Moonves '71 honored for TV industry contributions] from the [[Bucknell University]] website</ref> In his sophomore year he realized he hated the sciences, so he switched his major to Spanish and acted in a few plays.<ref name="CNN" /> |
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Moonves is the great-nephew of [[David Ben-Gurion]], the first Prime Minister of Israel.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Throng Thrills to Thomashefsky’s Titillating Tales| url=http://www.forward.com/articles/3444}}</ref> |
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Moonves resides in the hills above [[Brentwood, Los Angeles, California|Brentwood]], [[California]]. |
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With his first wife of 26 years, Nancy Wiesenfeld Moonves (m. 17-Dec-1978, div. 2004), he has three children.<ref name="NY Daily News">"NY Daily News - Daily Dish - Rush & Molloy: Moonves' marriage may get an airing" from the ''[[New York Daily News]]'' {{Wayback|http://www.nydailynews.com/news/gossip/story/77644p-71622c.html}} Originally published on April 23, 2003 and Retrieved on June 19, 2008</ref> |
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In December 2004, he married television and news personality [[Julie Chen]].<ref name="Reality TV World">{{Cite web|url= http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/big-brother-host-julie-chen-marries-cbs-president-les-moonves-3150.php|title= 'Big Brother' host Julie Chen marries CBS president Les Moonves|publisher= Realitytvworld.com| date = December 29, 2004|accessdate= November 21, 2007}}</ref> On April 21, 2009, on ''[[The Early Show]]'', Chen announced her pregnancy, and on September 24, 2009, Chen gave birth to a boy.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/09/24/earlyshow/main5336731.shtml|publisher = CBS News|date = 2009-09-24|title = It's a Boy for Julie Chen}}</ref> |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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* [http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/leslie-moonves Archive of American Television] |
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{{S-start}} |
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{{s-bus}} |
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{{Succession box| title=President of [[CBS]] | before=Peter Tortorici | after=incumbent | years=1995-present}} |
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{{S-end}} |
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{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> |
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| NAME =Moonves, Leslie |
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| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = |
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| SHORT DESCRIPTION = |
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| DATE OF BIRTH =October 6, 1949 |
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| PLACE OF BIRTH =[[New York City, New York]], [[United States|U.S.]] |
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| DATE OF DEATH = |
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| PLACE OF DEATH = |
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}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Moonves, Leslie}} |
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[[Category:American television executives]] |
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[[Category:People from New York City]] |
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[[Category:American Jews]] |
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[[Category:1949 births]] |
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[[Category:Living people]] |
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[[Category:Bucknell University alumni]] |
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[[Category:CBS executives]] |
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[[nn:Leslie Moonves]] |
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