WarnerMedia and the production company Telepictures have begun an investigation into the workplace environment on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which has won 61 Daytime Emmy Awards, has been a mainstay of US daytime TV since 2003.
The decision to begin an investigation into the show comes after the publication of a number of articles that feature interviews with employees who complained of alleged discrimination and mistreatment, according to Variety.
The New York Times reports that executives from WarnerMedia and the production company Telepictures sent a letter to employees of the talk show last week, outlining the investigation.
Two people who have knowledge of those letters told the New York Times that WarnerMedia's employee relations department, along with representatives from an outside company, will interview current and former staff members about their experiences on the programme.
Earlier this month BuzzFeed News published an article with quotes from former staff members who alleged that they faced "racism, fear and intimidation" and laid most of the blame on three of the show’s executive producers, Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner.
In response to the article, Glavin, Connelly and Lassner said in a statement: "For the record, the day to day responsibility of the Ellen show is completely on us. We take all of this very seriously and we realize, as many in the world are learning, that we need to do better, are committed to do better, and we will do better."
The Ellen DeGeneres Show is currently on a summer break. WarnerMedia is yet to confirm when it will return and how it will move forward amid the coronavirus pandemic. DeGeneres is contracted to host the show until 2022.
