CBS Corporation Announces New Leadership Team for its Entertainment Division

CBS Corporation announced today a new leadership team for its Entertainment division, promoting long-time Entertainment executive Kelly Kahl to President, CBS Entertainment, and naming veteran creative executive Thom Sherman to the position of Senior Executive Vice President, Programming.

Kahl, who will assume leadership of the Entertainment division effective immediately, will report directly to Leslie Moonves, Chairman and CEO, CBS Corporation. Sherman, who will join CBS from The CW later this week, will oversee creative affairs for entertainment programming in all dayparts and genres, reporting to Kahl.

As part of his new role, Kahl, who has helped build CBS' highly successful primetime schedule for more than 20 years, will also oversee Entertainment matters in Marketing and Promotion, Digital/Interactive, Diversity, Publicity, Research and Scheduling.

Sherman, who has developed and overseen a wide-range of hit series at The CW, Bad Robot Productions and ABC, will oversee CBS creative departments such as Comedy, Drama, Alternative, Daytime, Late Night and Specials, as well as Current Programming and Casting.

"This is a dynamic, talented and very experienced executive team to lead a division that will create the next generation of hits for CBS," said Moonves.

"Kelly has been part of my team since he was an intern at Lorimar 27 years ago," added Moonves. "He has a brilliant programming mind, sharp business acumen and great analytical skills for our evolving television audience. He is also highly respected by his colleagues at CBS and our key external stakeholders, and he knows how to make all parts of the network work together to form a winning team."

"Through our work at The CW, I've had a front-row seat to see Thom's outstanding creative instincts and programming vision in action," continued Moonves. "He has developed and nurtured an incredible roster of critically acclaimed, commercially successful and fan favorite shows for The CW and other companies. He also has strong relationships across the community, a deft creative touch and a desire for making shows that create a passionate bond with the audience."

The formation of the new leadership structure follows the announcement of Glenn Geller's plans to step down as President, CBS Entertainment. The company is in discussions with Mr. Geller for a production deal with CBS Television Studios.

"We have great respect for Glenn's many accomplishments and his tireless efforts over 16 years at CBS - both at the Network and our Studio," said Moonves. "He's a smart programmer and loves the creative process, and we look forward to working with him in his new role."

For the last 21 years, Kahl has helped build CBS' durable and successful scheduling FRAMEWORK that nurtured hit shows for the Network and valuable programming assets for CBS Corporation. The Network has been #1 in viewers for 14 of the last 15 seasons, including nine straight.

Kahl also helped make key scheduling moves that have vaulted shows to huge success, including SURVIVOR, "CSI," "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Two and a Half Men," THE BIG BANG THEORY, BLUE BLOODS, "The Good Wife" and all three editions of the NCIS franchise. In addition to CBS, Kahl has scheduling oversight for The CW Television Network, a joint venture of CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment. He also serves on the board of Pop, a cable network (formerly known as TVGN) that is a joint venture between CBS and Lionsgate Entertainment.

Kahl had been Senior Executive Vice President, CBS Primetime, since 2005. He joined CBS in January 1996 as Vice President, Scheduling, CBS Entertainment, following three years as Director, Network Research at Warner Bros. Television. He joined Lorimar Television in 1990 (before Lorimar and Warner Bros. Television combined operations) as a research intern and quickly rose through the ranks as a research analyst and then manager, before assuming responsibility for the research department in 1993.

Sherman joins CBS from The CW where he was Executive Vice President responsible for the development and oversight of its entire slate of primetime programming. During his tenure at The CW, he developed and supervised buzz worthy scripted series including ARROW, "The Vampire Diaries," "Gossip Girl" and THE ORIGINALS. He has developed and supervised the hit series, THE FLASH, as well as the critically acclaimed and Golden Globe Award-nominated comedy, JANE THE VIRGIN.

On the unscripted side, Sherman developed and supervised The CW's improv comedy, WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?, and was also involved in acquiring the magic series, PENN & TELLER: FOOL US. Sherman has also supervised successful special programming for the network, including The iHeartRadio Music Festival.

From 2004-2006, Sherman was President of Bad Robot Productions, where he helped oversee the first two seasons of the Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning "Lost" and the last two seasons of the cult favorite, "Alias."

From 1996-2004, Sherman worked in Drama Series Development at the ABC Television Network, the last five years of which he was department head. While at ABC, he was responsible for the development and/or oversight of highly rated, critically acclaimed, award-winning series such as "Lost," "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy," "Alias," "NYPD Blue," "The Practice" and "Once and Again."

About CBS Corporation:

CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS) is a mass media company that creates and distributes industry-leading content across a variety of platforms to audiences around the world. The Company has businesses with origins that date back to the dawn of the broadcasting age as well as new ventures that operate on the leading edge of media. CBS owns the most-watched television network in the U.S. and one of the world's largest libraries of entertainment content, making its brand - "the Eye" - one of the most recognized in business. The Company's operations span virtually every field of media and entertainment, including cable, publishing, radio, local TV, film, and interactive and socially responsible media. CBS's businesses include CBS Television Network, The CW (a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment), CBS Television Studios, CBS Studios International, CBS Television Distribution, CBS Consumer Products, CBS Home Entertainment, CBS Interactive, CBS Films, Showtime Networks, CBS Sports Network, Pop (a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Lionsgate), Smithsonian Networks, Simon & Schuster, CBS Television Stations, CBS Radio and CBS EcoMedia. For more information, go to www.cbscorporation.com.

Image courtesy of CBS.

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