CBS meeting adjourns without discussing Moonves scandal

NEW YORK (AP) — CBS shareholders quickly elected 11 members of its revamped board today before their annual meeting adjourned without discussion of an investigation into sexual-misconduct claims against former CBS CEO Les Moonves.

The meeting wrapped up in less than 30 minutes. About a dozen protesters gathered outside, holding such signs as "CBS don't reward sexual abuse."

The first task for the new board: deciding by the end of January whether Moonves receives his $120 million severance package. The board will also have to chart a path for CBS to recover from the scandal.

Moonves was ousted in September after The New Yorker published allegations from 12 women who said he subjected them to mistreatment that included forced oral sex, groping and retaliation if they resisted. The network launched an investigation with two outside law firms that is due to be complete by Jan. 31.

The New York Times said a draft report on that investigation found Moonves committed "multiple acts of serious nonconsensual sexual misconduct." Citing the report, the Times said he deleted numerous text messages and was "evasive and untruthful at times." The investigators issued a statement saying their work was still in progress, and a lawyer for Moonves denied any wrongdoing.

Moonves had been one of the most admired powerbrokers in the entertainment industry. He was hailed for turning around the fortunes of CBS when he took over as entertainment chief in 1995, as he churned out hits such as "Two and a Half Men" and "Survivor." He was also one of the highest-paid executives in the nation, making about $70 million in each of the past two years.

The official agenda for today's meeting had glowing praise for Moonves' 2017 performance, his last full year as CEO. The board lauded Moonves for positioning CBS "for the digital future," growing its direct-to-consumer streaming business and lessening its dependence on traditional advertising.