Les Moonves Calls Aereo “Illegal”

Les Moonves

CBS chief executive Leslie Moonves had a few choice words for Barry Diller and his Aereo property Tuesday.

"It's illegal. They’re taking our signal," he said on a stage in Beverly Hills at the Milken Global Conference, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

That Aereo stories are "on the front of the trade papers every day is silly," Moonves said, given the company has been around for 18 months and has just 2,000 subscribers.

Moonves said if the networks lose in courts, he'll take the case to Congress, and consumers won't be happy if they lose access to CBS content because of a dispute with Aereo.

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Diller, said Moonves, has "done what he likes to do: disrupt everybody." He added, though, "We don't lose sleep" over Aereo.

"I don't think they’re going to hurt us with 2,000 subscribers in New York City," he said.

Moonves was speaking duringa panel discussion called The Big Picture for Global Media and was on stage with Valhalla Entertainment CEO Gale Anne Hurd, Sony Entertainment chairman and CEO Michael Lynton and Clear Channel Communications CEO Robert Pittman.

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