No Raise for Ianniello as CBS’s Acting CEO

Joe Ianniello, who was named acting CEO at CBS, is not being paid more than he received as the company’s COO, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Ianniello’s employment agreement with CBS has been modified, giving him assurances that he will be given “good faith consideration” to get the job on a permanent basis.

The agreement says that CBS will have no higher ranking executive than him as long as he is acting CEO and that he will be able to name a chief financial officer.

Related: '60 Minutes' Boss Fager Leaving CBS News

If the company fails to appoint a permanent CEO by June 30, 2019, or appoints someone else to the post, Iannello will be entitled to severance payments and benefits.

As COO, Ianniello received $22.1 million in total compensation in 2017. Former CEO Les Moonves got $69.3 million.

Speculation remains that the Redstone family, which owns a controlling stake in the voting stock of CBS, will combine CBS with Viacom, the other media company controlled by the Redstones. 

CBS also announced that CBS’s top public relations executive, Gil Schwartz, is leaving the company, effective Nov. 1.

A separation agreement submitted to the SEC will pay Schwartz nearly $5 million.

The agreement calls for Schwartz to receive 1.5 times his annual salary of $1 million or $1.5 million, plus a pro-rated bonus payment of $1.5 million.

In addition, he will receive bonus severance of $1.5 times his targeted bonus, or $1.875 million.

CBS will also pay for health and life insurance coverage.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.