Summer Redstone, a unique name for a man or a woman. Perhaps a fictional character in a famous book or movie. But Sumner Redstone is very real and a story worth telling. Sumner Redstone is 93 years young and a man that was immensely driven from the very start. He turned his father’s theater business into a content-producing powerhouse that would eventually include Viacom, CBS, and Paramount Pictures.
A lot of Sumner Redston’s power and wealth lead this conglomerate industries history and wealth. An industry of pure content in thought processing transmitted through media, news, and the entertainment business streaming through thousands of cable channels reaching, involving, and affecting all our lives.
Never before, in today’s news and social media platforms have we communicated more. Reaching people half way around the world. We are now depended on most of our knowledge that travels from computer cloud servers through fiber optic’s transmitting lines keeping us well informed and invested in our livelihood.
Social media and the internet is and has become a big part of our lives. At this point we couldn’t function in a stagnant society without the constant feedback. We are an informed society with the internet engine running the world socially, economically, financially and cosmically. Everything that we are or have become has been influenced by our connection to the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web has become a big part of our evolution.
But this story goes beyond Mr. Redstone’s initial vision, Summer Redstone’s highest priority and dilemma is who takes charge and will follow his vision now that Mr. Redstone was becoming chairman emeritus affecting who will ultimately stay in charge at Viacom and CBS.
It was decided through Viacom Inc’s board of directors named CEO Mr. Philippe Dauman replacing Mr. Sumner as executive chairman, overriding calls for an independent board chief from Mr. Redstone’s daughter, who voted against Dauman.
Also CBS CEO Leslie Moonves replaced Mr. Redstone’s executive chairman position at CBS.
Through Mr. Redstone’s vision and participation as executive chairman for both companies everything was running under a common goal. Now Mr. Dauman and Mr. Moonves are placed as dividing adversaries.
Also through news Variety, Mr. Redstone’s family dynamics has been exposed and played out like a family drama involving pugilism in the legal boxing arena disputing over Mr. Redstone’s mental competency.
It is a harsh reality for the family of Mr. Redstone to face this degradation of health and mental competency without the opposition of Mr. Redstone’s former life companion making it extremely more difficult.
In a perfect world we want for everyone to come to their objective senses and get along for the common good. In this case for Mr. Redstone’s family and the future of these dynamic industries Viacom and CBS providing not only content of thought but thousands of jobs for all those working for Viacom and CBS. I’m sure Mr. Redstone’s daughter Shari Redstone is very proud of her father’s legacy.
KeepingUInformed
~ Natalie Keshing