Embattled CBS News co-president Neeraj Khemlani has been telling people he’s been pushed out after a tumultuous two-year reign, The Post has learned.
The mercurial network chief — who was being monitored by an HR executive after a slew of complaints for his alleged “bullying, rude” behavior, as The Post reported July 30 — has told CBS confidants he will no longer oversee the news division, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.
Rumors of his exit hit a fever pitch last week after The Post story was published, the insiders said, with Khemlani’s schedule for this week being cleared despite the fact he was slated to return Monday from a week-long family vacation in Europe.
It is unclear whether he will remain at CBS for the remainder of his three-year contract, which ends next spring.
A source close to the situation said CBS is expected to announce the leadership restructuring as early as Monday.
Representatives for Khemlani did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
CBS did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Sources have pointed to Wendy McMahon, Khemlani’s co-president who runs the CBS Television Stations and CBS News Digital divisions, as the front-runner to take over his responsibilities for running the News division, which includes “CBS Evening News” and “CBS Mornings.”
The restructuring will likely name deputies who will report to McMahon, the insider said.
Khemlani’s purported downfall comes shortly after reports surfaced that he blew up at Chief Financial Officer Stacey Benson and another female executive on her team during a budget meeting in April.
Since taking the reins the spring of 2021, Khemlani — a former Hearst executive — has been under “immense pressure” from CBS CEO George Cheeks to hit certain budget numbers, insiders said.
He immediately clashed with “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell over contract matters, The Post reported.
Khemlani’s combustible temper, meanwhile, reportedly translated to plunging morale among CBS News staffers, who have described their boss as “rude” and “micro-managing.”
As previously reported by The Post, those complaints have led to a larger internal review headed by CBS corporate HR exec Whitney Delich.
The review, which began in 2022, was focused on how Khemlani speaks to women and employees of color.
Prior to the investigation, Singaporean-born Khemlani had been subjected to a “360 performance review” by his bosses and direct reports, which resulted in mandatory counseling on how to speak to employees “without sarcasm” while using “friendly body language,” multiple sources said at the time.
Meanwhile, Khemlani has been, in the words of one well-placed source, “cutting the division to the bone,” in what some see as a possible path to spin off the network as its parent Paramount Global — which also owns Paramount Pictures, Showtime, MTV and Nickelodeon, among others — focuses on streaming.
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