The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2017–2018
CBS fired Charlie Rose; PBS cancelled his 26-year show the same day
One report ended a 26-year PBS franchise and a CBS News career in a single day; a settlement followed a year later.
CBS · PBS · Bloomberg · 2017-11-21
What happened
On 20 November 2017 The Washington Post reported detailed allegations of misconduct against Charlie Rose, the co-anchor of CBS This Morning and host of a nightly PBS interview show that had run since 1991. The next day CBS fired him, announcing the decision as finished in its first sentence: 'A short time ago we terminated Charlie Rose's employment with CBS News, effective immediately.'
PBS terminated its relationship with him and cancelled distribution of his show, ending the 26-year run; Bloomberg took his programme off the air for the foreseeable future. CBS's statement added: 'I'm deeply disappointed and angry that people were victimized.' CBS This Morning continued without him. A year later, in December 2018, CBS settled with the three former employees who had sued over his conduct, for an undisclosed sum with terms kept confidential at their request.
Why it happened
- CBS, PBS and Bloomberg all held the same asset — one host's name: his morning co-anchor seat, his nightly show and his business channel slot, so one report triggered three decisions.
- CBS's own statement announced the decision as finished in its first sentence — a newsroom that reported on other media companies could not be seen to keep one of its own.
- The settlement was the second cost: a year after the firing, CBS paid the three former employees who had sued, on confidential terms — the career ended in a day, the bill arrived later.
The lesson
A franchise built on one host's name dies with the host: CBS fired him in a sentence, PBS cancelled a 26-year show the same day, and the settlement arrived a year later.
Aftermath
CBS This Morning continued with its remaining anchors. In December 2018 CBS settled with the three former employees — Katherine Brooks Harris, Sydney McNeal and Yuqing Wei — who had sued over Rose's conduct; the sum was undisclosed and the terms kept confidential at their request.
Sources
- CBS fires Charlie Rose amid harassment claims — Variety, 21 November 2017
- CBS fires Charlie Rose after misconduct claims; PBS drops his show — USA Today, 21 November 2017
- Charlie Rose settles harassment lawsuit with 3 former employees — CBS News, December 2018
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