George Cheeks

George Cheeks
Name	George Cheeks
Occupation	Media executive
Known for	Leadership at CBS, Paramount Global

George Cheeks George Cheeks is an American media executive known for senior leadership roles at CBS Corporation and Paramount Global. He has served as President and CEO of CBS Entertainment and later as a top executive at Paramount Global, overseeing television, streaming, and advertising operations. Cheeks has been involved in programming decisions, corporate strategy, and negotiations with talent and unions across the entertainment and broadcasting industries.

Early life and education

Cheeks was raised in a family with ties to New York City and attended schools near institutions such as Columbia University and New York University before matriculating at a major university. He graduated with a degree in communications and studied law at a prominent law school associated with litigators who have worked with firms like Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Latham & Watkins. During his formative years he engaged with cultural organizations in Manhattan and participated in internships connected to networks including NBC, ABC, CBS, and production companies such as Warner Bros. Television and Sony Pictures Television.

Career at CBS and media leadership

Cheeks joined CBS Corporation in legal and business affairs capacities, working on contracts involving studios like Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures. He rose through roles interfacing with executives from Viacom and advisors from firms such as Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. As a senior executive he collaborated with programming chiefs and creators associated with shows on CBS and partners at Netflix, Amazon Studios, Hulu, and Apple TV+. His leadership intersected with union negotiations involving Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild‑American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

Tenure as CEO of CBS Entertainment and Paramount Global roles

As President and CEO of CBS Entertainment, Cheeks managed relationships with showrunners, showrunners' representatives, and executives from WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal. He oversaw scheduling and development in coordination with chiefs at Showtime Networks and consultants from McKinsey & Company and Bain & Company. In the broader Paramount Global structure he engaged with board members, shareholders including National Amusements, and strategic partners from Amazon and Peacock. His responsibilities included negotiating carriage deals with distributors such as Comcast, AT&T, Dish Network, and DirecTV.

Business strategy and major initiatives

Cheeks pursued strategies to integrate linear broadcasting with streaming offerings, aligning CBS programming with platforms like Paramount+ and exploring ad packages with agencies such as WPP and Omnicom Group. He championed data-driven audience targeting similar to approaches used by Netflix and YouTube, and worked on content licensing deals with international distributors including BBC Studios, HBO, and Sony Pictures Television. Under his direction, initiatives touched production pipelines shared with studios like CBS Studios and independent producers represented by CAA and WME.

Controversies and legal matters

During his tenure, Cheeks navigated controversies involving programming decisions and contractual disputes with talent agencies and unions such as Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild‑American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. He was involved in high-profile negotiations that paralleled disputes faced by executives at Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery, and corporate governance questions similar to those raised at Paramount Global and ViacomCBS. Legal matters intersected with counsel from firms like Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and regulatory scrutiny from agencies including the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice.

Personal life and philanthropy

Cheeks has participated in philanthropic activities alongside foundations and nonprofits such as United Way, Paley Center for Media, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and educational initiatives linked to Columbia University and Howard University. He is known to engage with cultural institutions in New York City and civic organizations connected to leaders from City of New York and arts funders like the Ford Foundation.

Category:American television executives Category:CBS executives