NEW YORK Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman defended Jon Stewart in his war of words with CNBC and showed appreciation for the host of Comedy Central's Daily Show here Wednesday. (Viacom is the parent company of Comedy Central.)
"Jon Stewart is a great person, and I know him well," he said in a keynote appearance at the 2009 Media Summit New York, organized by the McGraw-Hill and produced by Digital Hollywood.
Asked about the recent controversy surrounding CNBC star Jim Cramer's appearance on The Daily Show, Dauman credited Stewart for saying what many other people were thinking. "He has a connection with the zeitgeist, which makes him so successful," Dauman said. "He did a great job as usual, and we are happy to have him in the family."
Earlier in the day, NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker at the Media Summit said that Stewart had been "completely out of line."
Dauman on Wednesday faced the question of succession in case chairman Sumner Redstone ever can't fulfill his job, saying that "when the very distant day comes," the Viacom board will choose a successor.
Asked about the Tom Cruise-Redstone spat, Dauman lauded the actor for his recent role in Paramount film Tropic Thunder. "Tom Cruise is a great actor," and his career is "on a very strong trajectory again," he said.
Given the recession, "We have to be much more selective in the greenlighting process" for movies, and pay for stars must increasingly be based on success, Dauman said in discussing the sustainability of Hollywood star salaries.
Continue to next page →
