Cheeks, who will begin the new role on March 23, will replace Joe Ianniello who will leave following a transition.
ViacomCBS has appointed NBCUniversal executive George Cheeks as President and CEO of CBS Entertainment group effective March 23.
Under the new role, Cheeks will lead all ViacomCBS’ CBS-related assets, including CBS Television Network, and report to ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish.
He will also partner with the ViacomCBS digital organisation on the CBS-branded digital assets, including CBS All Access.
Previously, Cheeks was the Vice Chairman of NBCUniversal Content Studios. Before joining NBC in 2012, Cheeks was an executive at Viacom. He also served as co-chairman of NBC Entertainment, where he was jointly responsible for the network’s primetime, late-night and scripted daytime programming – including business affairs, marketing, communications, scheduling, West Coast research and digital operations and first-run syndication.
Commenting on the new role, Cheeks said: “I am incredibly honoured to join the stellar CBS team and help lead these incredible brands forward. From news to sports to entertainment, CBS sets the standard, and I look forward to building on this tremendous foundation as we find new and innovative ways to deliver CBS to audiences worldwide.”
