ViacomCBS names NBC exec to head CBS

ViacomCBS has named George Cheeks as president and CEO of CBS Entertainment group starting March 23.

He replaces Joe Ianniello who will leave after a transition. Cheeks was most recently vice chairman of NBCUniversal Content Studios.

Cheeks will lead all of ViacomCBS' CBS-related assets, including CBS Television Network, and report to ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish. Before joining NBC in 2012 he was an executive at Viacom.

Ianniello was president and acting CEO of CBS until CBS combined with Viacom in August. He was then named to head the CBS business. At CBS he stepped into the acting CEO role in 2018 when Les Moonves stepped down over sexual harassment allegations.

A 22 year veteran of CBS, Ianniello also served terms as chief operating offer and chief financial officer.