Though many in the Republican Party are dismayed by the ascendency of GOP front-runner Donald Trump, CBS Corporation CEO Les Moonves says it has been great for business.
Moonves said during an investor presentation this week that the amount of cash that CBS stood to gain from the GOP primary cycle is “pretty phenomenal,” and said he’s especially pleased that so many candidates decided to run.
“The more they spend, the better it is for us. And go Donald! Keep getting out there!” he said to laughs from his audience.
“And, you know, this is fun, watching this,” he added. “Let them spend money on us, and we love having them in there. We’re looking forward to a very exciting political year in ’16.”
This isn’t the first time that Moonves has spoken openly about the financial benefit CBS News stands to gain from covering election cycles.
“Super PACs may be bad for America,” he said in 2013, “but they’re very good for CBS.”
Many of the other GOP candidates, including New Jersey Gov. Christ Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, have complained often and loudly about the press’s seeming obsession with covering Trump’s campaign.
And there complaints are not unfounded: Trump has dominated the 2016 election cycle since he first announced his campaign in June, getting more media than even the Democratic front-runner, Hillary Clinton.
(h/t Mediaite)
