Les Moonves: Broadcast Still Strong

Les Moonves

CBS chief Les Moonves spoke up for broadcast TV (and for CBS prospects in a cordless future) at the UBS investor conference Monday, saying “network television is still strong and still creates quality content.”

Seeking Alpha reports he also pointed to taking part in the FCC's broadcast incentive auction coming next year for wireless airwaves, saying it could amount to "a couple of hundred million extra dollars coming our way." There are four or five markets where CBS could submit spectrum into the auction, he said.

There's been no "grand slam home run" hits this season, but he notes that aftermarket and other platforms are up, and he repeated his common refrain about cord-cutting: CBS will be in all the bundles, because nobody can live without CBS.

Moonves also echoed earlier comments by Philippe Dauman stifling speculation about CBS Chairman Sumner Redstone, saying the mogul's health "hasn’t been a distraction. And nothing is going to change.”

The Super Bowl's not sold out yet, but: “We could close it out tomorrow if we wanted. But as you get closer and closer to the game there’s some advertiser ... who’s going to beg us for two spots.”

And on ads in general, he's psyched for the election, with so many GOP candidates “throwing crap at each other ... Go Donald. This is fun.”