EXCLUSIVE… UPDATE: Deadline has obtained exclusively Les Moonves’ video-taped deposition from September 1, 2011, in the Golden Globes trial. Four-parter:
PART ONE
rtmp://streaming.deadline.com/ondemand/video/Leslie_Moonves_9-1-11_Part_1.flv
PART TWO
rtmp://streaming.deadline.com/ondemand/video/Leslie_Moonves_9-1-11_Part_2.flv
PART THREE
rtmp://streaming.deadline.com/ondemand/video/Leslie_Moonves_9-1-11_Part_3.flv
PART FOUR
rtmp://streaming.deadline.com/ondemand/video/Leslie_Moonves_9-1-11_Part_4.flv
Moonves’ deposition reveals CBS had serious talks to take away the Golden Globes from NBC. His conversations were with Dick Clark Prods CEO Mark Shapiro and then-Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Philip Berk. Moonves’ deposition will play at the trial later this week. First, Moonves’ calendar shows him having a lunch meeting with Berk on July 14, 2010 and a separate meeting with Shapiro on November 19, 2010. Moonves said in the deposition that he told Shapiro that it would be “better” for the awards show to be broadcast on “the first-place network… than it would be on the fourth-place network’.
In recalling the meeting, Moonves noted: “I’m paid a lot of money to observe human behavior, and he [Shapiro] seemed very happy with my response.” According to Moonves’ deposition, the DCP CEO said “we’d rather it be with you than with them.” Moonves was unhappy CBS lost out. ”Well, if somebody tells you they want to have dinner with you as soon as they break up with their current wife, and then they remarry without giving you an excuse, you know, it’s a little surprising.” Here’s the excerpt:
rtmp://streaming.deadline.com/ondemand/video/Leslie_Moonves_9-1-11_Clip_1-1.flvFreelance journalist Dominic Patten is covering the trial for Deadline.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.


Callbacks!
It’s not me. It was the producers!
Yeah, right, Les.
Funnier than Last Man Standing.
Totally funny! All three of them. Oh, wait — four, five, six…
More vids please!
Has this attorney ever worked in Hollywood? He sounds so out of touch with basic entertainment practices and the way business is done here.
He sounds like a general practice attorney from Iowa sent to depose.
It sure doesn’t seem like it – I’m not a huge fan of the big CEOS but this kid was an idiot and wasted everyone’s time, they should have had someone more schooled in the ways of Hollywood business his questions were ridiculous.
Perry Mason would roll over in his grave. How excruciating!
Guilty Leslie
ALL OF YA’LL STOP BEING SO BIASED CBS 4 LIFE!
Brilliant. Les looks so pissed to have to be there. Why doesn’t someone file a lawsuit against something that would make all the CEOS testify as to their yearly bonuses while their companies continue to layoff employees, hey they’d have to answer publically.
P.S.
Who are these lawyers asking the questions? They sound like they’re in their 20s and based on their actions early on in the conversation, a little “new” at this.
OH MY GOD just watched the entire thing – actually felt bad for MOONVES! This kid asking the question, “BRAD” total moron. I took law. He’s an IDIOT. Would love to know this guy’s age and experience. Can’t believe I feel bad for Moonves but this “lawyer” asking the questions was such a moron and could have cut out about 20 minutes of this had he been more experienced. I can no believe I actually felt bad for ‘ole Leslie on this one.