CBS executives respond to claim the network has a "white problem"

Variety

CBS News president Susan Zirinsky issued a memo Tuesday in response to former CBS executive Whitney Davis' column alleging that the Eye network doesn't respect diversity, saying she was "disheartened" by the column. "It is this reminder today that has made me want to ask all of you as senior leaders here to check ourselves – make sure we are doing all we can," Zirinsky wrote to her staff. "I’m asking you to take our culture as seriously as we take our journalism." CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl, meanwhile, called the column "painful" to read: "Needless to say, it’s not a fun read. It’s painful and an important reminder that while we’ve made great strides with inclusivity in many areas, especially on the screen, there is still a lot of work to do ahead."