Ralph M. Baruch

In his three-and-a-half-hour interview, Ralph M. Baruch (1923-2016) recounts his childhood in Germany and his family's flight to France during World War II. He recalls his first job in sales at the DuMont Network and his later transition to CBS' international division. He discusses the formation of CBS Films and Cinema Center Films, as well as the constant disharmony between the various divisions of the network. Baruch explains the need for CBS Films to spin off from CBS and become a separate entity known as Viacom. He outlines Viacom's syndication, production, and local station and cable acquisitions, which built the company into a media conglomerate. He speaks of his ouster as CEO of Viacom after Sumner Redstone's takeover, and describes CBS' subsequent acquisition of the company. Baruch sums up with his vision of the then-future of television, syndication, and cable. Jenni Matz conducted the interview on November 2, 2010 in New York, NY.