CNBC Shakeup After Anchor Accused NBC CEO of Harassment

Anchors Hadley Gamble and Dan Murphy at the opening of CNBC’s studios at Nasdaq Market Site Dubai within the Dubai International Financial Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Oct. 28, 2018. Darren Arthur/Getty Images for CNBC International

CNBC said it parted ways with anchor Hadley Gamble after she filed a complaint against NBCUniversal’s former chief executive for alleged sexual harassment and discrimination.

“Gamble has been a distinguished journalist for more than a decade for CNBC, undertaking highly visible and challenging assignments, and developing deep expertise in the Middle East and beyond. Her initiative and drive have secured valuable interviews with several world political leaders. We wish her every success in her future endeavors,” a CNBC spokesperson told news outlets on Tuesday.

It did not elaborate on why she left the network. Other than Tuesday’s statement, no other details were provided.

In late March, Gamble lodged a complaint that accused Jeff Shell, the former NBCUniversal chief executive, of sexual harassment, and it also alleged that she was harassed and bullied at CNBC. It also named managers at the company’s international division.

Weeks later, Shell was fired by NBC over what it said was an inappropriate relationship with a co-worker. A late April statement said that Shell’s firing was effective immediately.

“The Company and Jeff Shell, Chief Executive Officer of NBCUniversal, have mutually agreed that Mr. Shell will depart effective immediately following the Company’s investigation led by outside counsel into a complaint of inappropriate conduct,” Comcast, the owner of NBC, said in a statement.

In a statement, Shell expressed regret over the matter and said that he was involved in an inappropriate relationship with an employee.

“I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret,” Shell said. “I’m truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down, they are the most talented people in the business and the opportunity to work with them the last 19 years has been a privilege.”

But Shell also told media outlets that Gamble’s claim “wildly misrepresents the facts of what happened.”

Lawyer Suzanne McKie of Farore Law said that her client, Gamble, issued a complaint against Shell that triggered an internal investigation.

“The investigation into Mr. Shell arose from a complaint by my client of sexual harassment and sex discrimination,” the lawyer said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter. “Given these circumstances, it is very disappointing that my client’s name has been released and her privacy violated.”

McKie did not immediately respond to an Epoch Times request for comment about her client’s departure from the network.

In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing last month, Comcast wrote that after the complaint against Shell, the multinational media conglomerate “retained outside counsel to investigate the allegations.”

“During the investigation, evidence was uncovered that corroborated the allegations,” the filing added. “As a consequence, on April 23, 2023, the Company terminated Mr. Shell’s employment With Cause under his employment agreement, effective immediately.”

According to a profile on CNBC’s website, Gamble covered financial markets, energy markets, and geopolitics. She was the anchor of CNBC’s “Capital Connection,” which broadcast daily from the United Arab Emirates.

Notably, Gamble interviewed Russian President Vladimir Putin in October 2021, which was reportedly the last interview that Putin had conducted before the Russia–Ukraine war erupted. She’s also interviewed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz, and former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Other Shakeups and Layoffs

In recent weeks, the corporate news landscape has been rocked by recent firings and layoffs. Notably, two weeks ago, former CNN host Don Lemon was fired from the network on the same day that Fox News host Tucker Carlson parted ways with the network under unclear circumstances.

Ex-CNN moderator Don Lemon speaks to the crowd attending the Democratic Presidential Debate in Detroit on July 31, 2019. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Carlson’s departure was far more notable, however. The Fox News replacement show, “Fox News Tonight,” has seen its ratings crater since it went on the air, especially in the important 25–54 age demographic.

Both Lemon and Carlson have reportedly hired high-powered Hollywood attorney Bryan Freedman. In a statement to Axios, Freedman responded to reports that Carlson would be going on the offensive against Fox.

“The idea that anyone is going to silence Tucker and prevent him from speaking to his audience is beyond preposterous,” he said. The Epoch Times has contacted his office for comment.

Before Lemon’s ouster, there were allegations that he was abusive towards female CNN staffers during his career at the network. Lemon has denied those allegations.

Earlier this year, he drew more negative headlines when he suggested that Republican 2024 candidate Nikki Haley was “past her prime” during an on-air segment. Right before his ouster, Lemon engaged in a lengthy, on-air argument about black gun ownership with GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy as his morning co-hosts looked on in silence.

Outside of the ousters of Lemon and Carlson, MTV News, Vice News, ESPN, BuzzFeed News, Business Insider, and more have seen major shakeups in recent days. Vice Media, a once-ascendant media outlet targeting millennials, reportedly signaled that it was going to declare bankruptcy in the near future and will lay off about 100 of its 1,500 staff.

The head of ESPN, meanwhile, said in a memo that it would cut an unspecified number of employees, while BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti confirmed that its news division will be shut down. A spokesperson for Insider, too, said that it will cut about 10 percent of its staff to “keep our company healthy and competitive,” Forbes reported.