R.I.P.: Former CBS President Arthur Taylor

Arthur Taylor

Arthur R. Taylor, a former corporate wunderkind who became president of CBS at 37, unloaded an underperforming network-owned property, the New York Yankees, and then, as a sometimes nettlesome overachiever, was fired by William S. Paley, the imperious CBS chairman and founder, died on Dec. 3 in Salisbury Township, Pa.

He was 80, according to the NY Times.

Taylor was also instrumental at CBS in instituting television’s family viewing hour, a short-lived effort, pushed by the Federal Communications Commission and adopted voluntarily by the networks, to reduce prime-time programming deemed unsuitable for children.

His ouster in 1976, four years after he had been recruited from outside the company, startled the broadcasting industry, coming as it did as the Columbia Broadcasting System was reporting record earnings for the 24th consecutive quarter.

While ratings were disappointing, sales and revenue hit new highs. But Mr. Paley was said to have been personally vexed by the independence and lack of deference of Mr. Taylor, his handpicked president and potential successor, and by an exodus of creative executives.

After the ouster Mr. Taylor became the founding president of the New York City Partnership, a business and civic lobbying group formed by the banker David Rockefeller and affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce. (It is now called the Partnership for New York City.)

Taylor was also the founding president of the Entertainment Channel later to become A&E.

When he arrived at the network’s headquarters in Manhattan, known as Black Rock, Mr. Taylor became the second consecutive successor to the legendary Frank Stanton to be hired from outside the broadcasting industry, a manifestation of Paley’s effort to diversify the company.

In 1973 he oversaw the sale of CBS’s share of the Yankees to a group of investors led by George M. Steinbrenner for $8.7 million. CBS had purchased 80 percent of the team for $11.2 million in 1964. Two years later, the team finished last in the American League for the first time since 1912, and it had never ranked higher than fourth by the time CBS sold its share.