Charlie Rose fired from CBS and PBS
Anchor Charlie Rose has been fired from both CBS and PBS after sexual harassment allegations surface.
The sexual harassment allegations throughout media and politics knocked more prominent men off their pedestals this week. The biggest media name was CBS/PBS anchor Charlie Rose. The Drudge Report summed up what happened in four perfect words: “CHARLIE ROSE, CHARLIE FELL.” And he fell far.
The Washington Post story went live Monday with shocking allegations – that the 75-year old Rose had led a double-life. The veteran newsman appeared a genial presence on air, but allegedly mistreated women at other times.
The opening paragraph of the Post story was startling: “Eight women have told The Washington Post that longtime television host Charlie Rose made unwanted sexual advances toward them, including lewd phone calls, walking around naked in their presence, or groping their breasts, buttocks or genital areas.”
Within hours, CBS News announced it had, “suspended Charlie Rose after numerous allegations of sexual misconduct from employees and prospective employees at the Charlie Rose Show.” On Tuesday he was gone. CBS News President David Rhodes referred to the “revelation yesterday of extremely disturbing and intolerable behavior.”
All three evening news programs covered the Rose news Monday night. By Tuesday morning, CBS led with it as somber staffers fought to hold it together on air. Anthony Mason began the “CBS This Morning” segment with this: “The wave of sexual abuse allegations we've been reporting has now touched CBS News.”
Rose’s career took 45 years to build and just over a day to destroy. On Nov. 13, CBS News was congratulating Rose for receiving “the Dana Foundation's inaugural ‘public outreach award.’” Roughly a week later, he was gone.
Both Rose’s CBS and PBS shows were taken away and old videos of Rose on air suddenly seemed far worse in context, including one where he offered to spank a female co-host.
Rose, who had urged “respect for women” on air, was also a reliable liberal voice. He criticized Breitbart’s Steve Bannon for opposing Dreamer legislation and called liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg “one of my favorite people,”
In June, Rose let his feelings be known while criticizing the GOP over attempts to rescind ObamaCare. He asked how Republicans could “justify the fact that it will hurt the people that supported them most enthusiastically during the election?”
In June last year Rose proclaimed his support for women saying: “No one appreciates strong women like I do.” In August last year, he had an eerily on-point interview with comedian Amy Schumer where they discussed sexual assault.
Schumer told of her own assault and here is Rose’s astonishing response: “It is extraordinary when you see somebody come out and make an accusation and then all of a sudden, you know, especially if it's with somebody well-known, all of a sudden you see people who have experienced the same thing and stepped forward to say, ‘Me too. But I was afraid to speak out.’”
Even left-wing comedian Samantha Bee had mocked Rose and his “crusty paw” in a 2016 skit.
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