Report: Redstone Shows-Up At The Office

Sumner Redstone, November 2015

Media mogul Sumner Redstone, who has been out of the public eye for more than a year, made appearances at two of his companies over the past five days.

The Wall Street Journal reports Redstone paid a visit to Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures movie studio in Hollywood, according to a letter made public from Viacom’s lead independent director on Tuesday. He also visited CBS Corp.’s West Coast headquarters, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Redstone went to Paramount last Friday, according to a letter Viacom board member Frederic Salerno wrote to Mr. Redstone on Tuesday in an attempt to re-establish communications with the controlling shareholder. While at the studio, Mr. Redstone met briefly with Paramount chief Brad Grey inside the van in which Mr. Redstone was traveling, a person familiar with the matter said.

On Tuesday, Mr. Redstone also popped over to see CBS Corp. Chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves. Like his visit to Paramount, Mr. Redstone stayed in his car and Mr. Moonves came down from his Studio City office to chat with him for 10 to 15 minutes, a person familiar with the meeting said.

A CBS spokesman declined to comment on the meeting.

A Viacom spokesman dismissed Mr. Redstone’s recent activity as nothing more than a stunt. “We are saddened that Sumner is now being used for staged legal and publicity ploys,” the spokesman said.