Kahl Out, Reisenbach In At CBS TV Network

Kelly Kahl, the respected head of the CBS television network for five turbulent years, will step down next month, clearing the way for veteran programmer Amy Reisenbach to succeed him, reports The L-A Times..

CBS President George Cheeks announced the moves Wednesday, noting Kahl’s departure was “part of a restructuring and streamlining of leadership at CBS Entertainment.” Reisenbach now will oversee the network’s prime-time, daytime and late-night creative departments, the company announced

In her expanded role, Reisenbach — a Kahl lieutenant who has been at CBS for 17 years — also will be responsible for comedy and drama development, alternatives and specials, current programming and scheduling and casting.

CBS’ efforts to thin its management ranks comes as television companies brace for a tough 2023 amid linear ratings declines and forecasts for a possible recession that has already put a dent in advertisers’ budgets. Major companies throughout the industry, including Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal, are cutting hundreds of employees. CBS, which is part of Paramount Global, is also making cuts.

Amy Reisenbach and Kelly Kahl

Reisenbach takes the helm as the network has 16 of the top 25 shows this season in broadcast television.

“This Network means so much to the people who work here, the writers and producers who call it home, and the viewers who fall in love with our series,” Reisenbach said in a statement. “I’m excited and proud to continue our tradition of excellence that everyone at this Network strives to exceed every day.”

She will report to Cheeks.

CBS also said that Thom Sherman, the senior executive vice president for programming, would leave the network by year’s end and segue into a producer role where he will develop shows for CBS and the streaming service Paramount+.

Reisenbach joined CBS in 2005 as a general manager of current programs and became a vice president six years later. She worked her way up the ranks, and became executive vice president of current programs at CBS in 2017. Before joining CBS, she worked at the Warner Bros. Television studio. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in social and behavioral sciences.