CBS CEO and chairman Joe Ianniello is departing the company, ViacomCBS announced Friday.
George Cheeks, vice chairman of NBCUniversal Content Studios, will take over as CEO and president of CBS Entertainment Group effective March 23. Cheeks will report directly to ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish.
Ianniello was appointed as acting CEO of CBS while the media company searched for a successor for Les Moonves, who left the company amid sexual misconduct allegations. Last April, CBS said it would suspend its search for Moonves' successor and keep Ianniello in the role through the end of the year.
"I'm grateful to Joe for his many contributions to CBS and for the meaningful role he has played in bringing the CBS and Viacom teams together," Bakish said in a statement. "Thanks in no small part to his efforts, the CBS brand has a strong and loyal following across a variety of platforms – positioning it well for this important next chapter."
Viacom and CBS agreed to merge last August, bringing an end to years of on-and-off discussions. The merger was completed last month.
Disclosure: Comcast is the owner of NBCUniversal, parent company of CNBC and CNBC.com.
