Viacom: Redstones, Dauman Talking Again

Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman and the media conglomerate’s owners — Sumner and Shari Redstone — have restarted negotiations aimed at ending a months-long feud over who will control large pieces of the Redstones’ $43 billion media empire, The NYPost is reporting.

The Redstones’ National Amusements Inc. has moved to oust Dauman and four other Viacom board members while the CEO is fighting back in court — several key Viacom board members have moved closer to supporting a move to name a new CEO, according to a source familiar with negotiations.

NAI owns 80 percent of the voting power at both Viacom — the owner of Comedy Central and MTV — and CBS.

While Dauman has maintained that he has the support of a majority of the 11-person Viacom board, several board members have recently come to believe the corporate in-fighting has dragged on long enough, a source familiar with talks told The Post.

It is unclear which have fallen in line with NAI in wanting Dauman to step down.