As the CBS boardroom saga continues, Richard Parsons has resigned from the CBS Corp. board of directors and as interim chairman of the board, the company said.
Strauss Zelnick has been elected the new interim chairman of CBS Corp.
The moves follow the departure of CBS chairman and CEO Les Moonves, who was accused of sexual harassment over the course of his career and was also feuding over the future of the company with the family of media mogul Sumner Redstone, which owns 80% of CBS’s voting shares.
Related: Showtime Names Townsend Chief Financial Officer
When Moonves left, COO Joe Ianniello was made interim CEO and several new directors were named to the board by Redstone’s investment company National Amusements.
“The reason for my departure relates to the state of my health,” said Parsons in a statement released by the company.
“As some of you know, when I agreed to join the board and serve as the interim chair, I was already dealing with a serious health challenge – multiple myeloma – but I felt that the situation was manageable. Unfortunately, unanticipated complications have created additional new challenges, and my doctors have advised that cutting back on my current commitments is essential to my overall recovery,” Parsons said.
Related: Nevins Named Chief Creative Officer at CBS
“I trust CBS’ distinguished Board, now led by Strauss Zelnick, as well as CBS’ strong management team led by Joe Ianniello, will continue to successfully guide this company into its very bright future,” he said.
Zelnick has held management roles with BMG Entertainment, 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures. He is currently chairman and CEO of Take-Two Interactive Software.
