CBS Names New News Management

Jeff Fager, the Executive Producer of 60 Minutes, has been promoted to the newly created position of Chairman of CBS News, and David Rhodes, most recently the head of U.S. Television operations for Bloomberg, has been named President of CBS News.

The announcement was made today by Leslie Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Corporation.

In his new role as Chairman of CBS News, Fager will report to Moonves and guide the overall editorial direction, content and quality of all CBS News broadcasts, both on-air and online. As President of the division, Rhodes will report to Fager and run the operations of CBS News on a day-to-day basis, taking charge of all coverage and staffing. The appointments are effective February 22, 2011.

“In these two great news professionals, we get the best of both worlds: the quintessential insider with deep knowledge of the business and all the moving parts at CBS News, as well as a dynamic young executive with strong news management experience and a tough, fresh point of view,” said Moonves. “They will inherit a proud and dedicated organization that has been well positioned for success in the future by their predecessor. Together, they make the ultimate winning team.”

Fager and Rhodes succeed Sean McManus who, in a separate announcement released today, has been named to the newly created position of Chairman of CBS Sports.

After a long and eminent career in broadcast journalism, Fager became the Executive Producer of 60 Minutes when the broadcast’s iconic founder, Don Hewitt, retired in 2004. Since then, he has continued to build the reputation of the broadcast, upholding its quality and increasing its relevance in a new and challenging era of electronic journalism. He oversaw the program’s conversion to high definition while growing its Internet presence and shaping its content to keep 60 Minutes on top as the #1 news broadcast on television. His efforts resulted in an unprecedented amount of awards and an average audience that is more than double that of its closest newsmagazine competition. Fager will maintain his position as Executive Producer of 60 Minutes.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to have worked here as long as I have,” Fager said, “and now to be in a position to guide CBS News into the future, along with someone as smart and talented as David Rhodes.

David Rhodes has been the head of U.S. Television for Bloomberg since November 2008, managing the channel’s programming, development, editorial, newsgathering, production and operations. In that post, he directed a staff of more than 200 in the United States, based at the company’s New York headquarters. Prior to joining Bloomberg, Rhodes worked for 12 years at Fox News, starting at the channel’s inception in 1996 as a Production Assistant. At the time of his departure, Rhodes was Vice President of News, managing all of the channel’s day-to-day news operations and domestic bureaus, with a particular emphasis on breaking news and political coverage.

“We are extremely pleased that David Rhodes will be joining Jeff at the helm of CBS News,” Moonves said.