CBS Promotes Tellem to Head Entertainment Unit

CBS Corp. said it promoted Nancy Tellem to president of its entertainment division, putting her in charge of the television network’s prime-time, daytime, late-night and Saturday morning schedules.

Tellem will report directly to Leslie Moonves, who held that title until he was promoted to president and chief executive of CBS Television in April.

The move makes Tellem the second woman ever to oversee a broadcast network’s prime-time schedule and comes about a month before the No. 2 network begins to air its new fall lineup of shows. CBS is trying to widen its audience to include more male, urban and younger viewers--the kinds advertisers pay the most to reach--without alienating its core audience of rural and female viewers.

Tellem currently oversees CBS Productions, the in-house division that produces shows owned by CBS, and CBS Entertainment’s business affairs division.

Tellem follows ABC’s Jamie Tarses as the second female entertainment president at a network. The appointment also comes amid a wave of female promotions in the TV industry. On Monday, Walt Disney Co. tapped Anne Sweeney to oversee all of the media company’s cable-TV networks, excluding the ESPN networks.