Exiting CBS London bureau chief suggests he doesn’t ‘respect’ news division president

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Andy Clarke, who recently departed as chief of CBS News‘ London bureau, suggested that he doesn’t respect the network’s president.

Sources told The New York Post that Clarke said the office needed a leader “who respected the leader of the organization,” an apparent jab at CBS News President Neeraj Khemlani.

Clarke and Khemlani had a notable disagreement about how the network should be involved in helping journalists and local guides who had worked for the network in Afghanistan leave the country.

It reportedly would have cost CBS $750,000 to provide such assistance, though that number has not been confirmed.

A CBS rep told The Post that “there have been no cuts to resources or requests denied out of Afghanistan.”

Meanwhile, Clarke wouldn’t be the first person to butt heads with Khemlani. Some insiders say his management style is abrasive and that he appears overly focused on the bottom line and fear even bigger cuts could be coming to the network and local station division, which were combined when Khemlani and Wendy McMahon were named co-presidents of both.

Khemlani is facing the upcoming expiration of “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell’s contract and some say he is eager to find someone else to replace her at a lower cost given that she’s relatively pricy but still only generated third place ratings.

He reportedly talked to former NBC anchor Brian Williams at least twice. Other reports say he wants “CBS Mornings” anchor Tony Dokupil to take over “Evening,” though no official announcements have been made.