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Charlie Rose fired from CBS amid sexual harassment allegations; PBS cuts ties with newsman

Update 1:45 p.m. Nov. 21: PBS announced Tuesday that it is ending its relationship with award-winning journalist Charlie Rose in the wake of allegations that he sexually harassed women working on, or aspiring to work on, his self-titled PBS show.

"In light of yesterday's revelations, PBS has terminated its relationship with Charlie Rose and cancelled distribution of his programs," network officials said Tuesday in a statement. "PBS expects all the producers we work with to provide a workplace where people feel safe and are treated with dignity and respect."

PBS officials had earlier announced that they were pulling his self-titled show after eight women claimed that they were sexually harassed by Rose between the 1990s and 2011. Bloomberg also pulled his show.

Earlier Tuesday, CBS News announced that Rose was being dismissed in light of the allegations.

Rose has apologized for the incidents, but added that he doesn’t “believe that all of these allegations are accurate.”

Update 12:31 p.m. Nov. 21: CBS News has fired Charlie Rose in the wake of allegations that the well-known journalist made unwanted sexual advances and groped women who worked or aspired to work on his self-titled PBS show between the 1990s and 2011.

“Despite Charlie's important journalistic contribution to our news division, there is absolutely nothing more important, in this or any organization, than ensuring a safe, professional workplace -- a supportive environment where people feel they can do their best work,” CBS News President David Rhodes wrote Tuesday in a memo sent to staff members. “We need to be such a place.”

Eight women told The Washington Post that Rose "made unwanted sexual advances toward them, including lewd phone calls, walking around naked in their presence, or groping their breasts, buttocks or genital areas."

The women ranged in age from 21 to 37 at the time of the alleged encounters.

Rose apologized for his behavior in a statement on Monday.

"I am greatly embarrassed," he wrote. "I have behaved insensitively at times, and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that all of these allegations are accurate. I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings, even though I now realized I was mistaken."

Original report: CBS News and PBS have suspended award-winning journalist Charlie Rose after allegations from eight women that the longtime talk show host and host of "CBS This Morning" sexually harassed them dating back to the 1990s until 2011, according to the Washington Post.

"Charlie Rose is suspended immediately while we look into this matter. These allegations are extremely disturbing and we take them very seriously," a CBS  spokesperson said in a written statement, the Post reported.

Rose, 75, made unwanted sexual advances and allegedly groped women who worked on his show "Charlie Rose The Week," which aired on PBS, but was produced by an independent company, and Bloomberg TV. He's also accused of appearing naked in front of some of the women.

Both PBS and Bloomberg have pulled his show.

"PBS was shocked to learn today of these deeply disturbing allegations. We are immediately suspending distribution of 'Charlie Rose,'" a PBS spokesperson said in a statement, according to the Huffington Post.

“PBS does not fund this nightly program or supervise its production, but we expect our producers to provide a workplace where people feel safe and are treated with dignity and respect.”

The women involved in the accusations against Rose ranged in age from 21 to 37 at the time of the alleged incidents.

Rose issued an apology on Twitter, calling his behavior “inappropriate .”

“I am greatly embarrassed. I have behaved insensitively at times, and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that all of these allegations are accurate. I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings, even though I now realize I was mistaken,” he said.

Rose is the latest in a string of powerful men publicly accused of inappropriate behavior toward women over the past three decades, beginning last month with rape accusations and sexual harassment allegations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Also on Monday, New York Times reporter Glenn Thrush was suspended after a report that he behaved inappropriately with female journalists.