, Columnist
CBS and Viacom Shouldn't Let Egos Stop a Merger
The network operators need each other as ratings fall and rivals join forces.
Leslie Moonves, chief executive officer of CBS Corporation
Photographer: Drew AngererThis article is for subscribers only.
The corporate governance problems at Sumner Redstone's empire are once again on full display.
To understand how, you first need to know the background: The ailing 94-year-old and his daughter, Shari Redstone, control TV-network operators CBS Corp. and Viacom Inc. by way of their family's National Amusements Inc. (NAI) entity. With Sumner Redstone these days said to be barely able to speak and using an iPad to communicate, Shari has been calling the shots -- though whether those decisions have been in line with her father's wishes is part of the years-long drama surrounding the family and its inner circle.