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In the LA Times story it brushes on the fact that CBS O&O boss Peter Dunn helped the company by a TV station and the deal included a million-dollar golf membership.

Peter Dunn

Meg James of the LA Times expanded on that part of the story, saying, CBS’ purchase nine years ago of a small TV station on New York’s Long Island was unusual: The broadcasting giant hadn’t acquired a TV station in years — in fact, it had been trimming its station portfolio.

WLNY was hardly a powerhouse. It ran old movies, game shows and a half-hour local newscast produced on a shoestring. But the $55-million deal, announced in December 2011, had a prominent backer: CBS Television Stations President Peter Dunn.

He promised to boost the station’s stature by deploying “people and resources to fuel a significant expansion of local news programming.”

James’ story says Today, Long Island-based newscasts are long gone from the station’s lineup, and so are more than 70 people who once worked there. WLNY now airs a parade of courtroom shows, “Pawn Stars,” old CBS sitcoms and a nightly roundup of news from New York, Connecticut and New Jersey.

But, the deal was a sweet one for Peter Dunn.

According to the story, As part of the deal, the station’s founder, Michael Pascucci, threw in a membership to the exclusive Sebonack Golf Club, which he had built in Southampton, N.Y. The private, 300-acre, bay-front retreat draws an ultra-rich crowd — initiation fees top $1 million, according to Golf Digest.

Dunn treated the Sebonack membership as a personal perk, according to a complaint filed with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission by the former KYW GM Brien Kennedy station, as well as two other individuals who were aware of the arrangement but not authorized to comment.

The deal allowed Dunn to hobnob with billionaires, boost his own social standing and entertain other high-level CBS executives and corporate clients.

In a statement, CBS called the Long Island station purchase a “strategic acquisition” that created value by giving the broadcaster two stations in New York, the nation’s largest media market.

“As part of the acquisition ten years ago, CBS was offered a membership to Long Island’s Sebonack Golf Club,” CBS said in the statement. “The membership was disclosed in advance to senior management and legal counsel. While listed in one executive’s name, this is a CBS membership used to host clients and business partners. Annual dues are paid by CBS and any personal expenses incurred by executives are paid from their own pocket.”