CBS News fires TV host Charlie Rose over sexual harassment allegations

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CBS News and other networks said on Tuesday they had fired Charlie Rose, one of the most prominent American interviewers, the day after the Washington Post reported the television host had sexually harassed eight women.
CBS News said Rose’s (above, in a file photo) employment had been terminated with immediate effect. PHOTO: REUTERS

NEW YORK (AFP) - Charlie Rose, one of America's most prominent broadcasters and an award-winning television interviewer, was sacked on Tuesday (Nov 21), the latest powerful man disgraced over allegations of sexual harassment and unwanted advances.

CBS News said Rose's employment had been "terminated" with immediate effect after what it called "extremely disturbing and intolerable behaviour" revealed by eight women in the Washington Post newspaper on Monday.

"A short time ago we terminated Charlie Rose's employment with CBS News, effective immediately," the network said in a statement.

"CBS News has reported on extraordinary revelations at other media companies this year and last. Our credibility in that reporting requires credibility managing basic standards of behavior. That is why we have taken these actions," it added.

The channel, where Rose had co-hosted "CBS This Morning" and was a contributing correspondent for 60 Minutes, had already suspended Rose on Monday.

The bombshell Post report said the eight women were employees or aspired to work on the broadcaster's eponymous "Charlie Rose," which aired on public broadcaster PBS.

They complained that the unwanted advances included lewd phone calls, groping and walking naked in front of them. All were in their 20s and 30s when the alleged harassment took place from the 1990s to as recently as 2011.

Rose, now 75, is the latest in a series of powerful men accused of misconduct in the wake of the downfall of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, which opened the floodgates of sexual assault and harassment accusations in many industries.

Rose on Monday issued a public statement apologising for what he called "inappropriate behaviour" and said he was "greatly embarrassed," but that he did "not believe that all of these allegations are accurate".

PBS has already suspended distribution of his "Charlie Rose" interview show.

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