Cbs Television Networks

To those who earn a living in the peril-filled world of made-for-TV movies, the last few weeks might have been titled "One Deadly Spring" or "Their Fatal Fall." Still absorbing the news that NBC would drop one of its two movie slots in September, producers received another blow when CBS opted to do the same, potentially eliminating the production of several dozen TV movies next season.

CBS doesn't have the NFL. It doesn't have the NBA or major league baseball. But it does have golf, lots of it, including this week's PGA Championship. "There isn't another network where golf is as important as it is to CBS," said Rob Correa, CBS Sports vice president of programming. "We are the golf network. We're the leader. We have the best schedule in quality and quantity." That may be the case, but it comes with a price.

One day after the Fox Television Network stunned the sports television industry by wresting the NFL's premier package from CBS, the question is: Who will be the odd man out, CBS or NBC? Insiders believe it will be CBS. After losing its prized NFC package to Fox, CBS bid on the AFC package to which NBC now holds the rights. But NBC's contract with the NFL allows it to match any bid on its package, so the ball is in NBC's court.

Leslie Moonves has been named president of CBS Television, expanding his responsibilities to include all aspects of network programming and distribution except for news and sports. In the wake of the move, CBS Television Network President James Warner, 44, will leave, his position having been eliminated. "I understand it," said Warner, who had been with CBS since 1989. "You need a single person at the top. . . . I thought a clean break made sense."

The hype and hoopla surrounding the fall TV season tend to mask what every network programmer knows: that most new shows will fail, either because they are up against killer competition or their scripts and stars don't click with the audience. Thus the networks have learned, like the Boy Scouts, to be prepared. Even as executives order shows for the fall, they order the shows that will replace the ones that don't make the Nielsen grade.

CBS doesn't have the NFL. It doesn't have the NBA or major league baseball. But it does have golf, lots of it, including this week's PGA Championship. "There isn't another network where golf is as important as it is to CBS," said Rob Correa, CBS Sports vice president of programming. "We are the golf network. We're the leader. We have the best schedule in quality and quantity." That may be the case, but it comes with a price.

CBS' "Chicago Hope" got crushed by NBC's "ER" in the Thursday-night battle of medical dramas this fall, but it turns out that it was nothing personal. Millions of viewers were only too happy to take a look when CBS put the series on at a more convenient hour last Sunday--namely, into the slot normally occupied by "Murder, She Wrote." Ratings released Tuesday by the A.C. Nielsen Co. showed that "Chicago Hope," co-starring Adam Arkin, ranked No.

Leslie Moonves has been named president of CBS Television, expanding his responsibilities to include all aspects of network programming and distribution except for news and sports. In the wake of the move, CBS Television Network President James Warner, 44, will leave, his position having been eliminated. "I understand it," said Warner, who had been with CBS since 1989. "You need a single person at the top. . . . I thought a clean break made sense."

Oh, it was a beautiful plan by CBS. The network had finally put "Dallas" out to pasture in May, and there were all those middle-aged and older Friday-night viewers just waiting for new programming that also would be tailored to their tastes. The strategy was simple: Concede the kids in the audience to ABC's dominant Friday lineup of such shows as "Family Matters" and "Perfect Strangers." Build up the resurgent CBS network where possible.

Calling Dan Quayle. Calling Dan Quayle. CBS knew how valuable the vice president was when the fall premiere of "Murphy Brown" went through the roof in the ratings--responding to Quayle's criticism of the series. The network's glittering Monday lineup looked untouchable as "Murphy Brown" and "Northern Exposure" were joined by two lively new series about romantic relationships, "Love & War" and "Hearts Afire," which both drew strong ratings in their early outings.

To those who earn a living in the peril-filled world of made-for-TV movies, the last few weeks might have been titled "One Deadly Spring" or "Their Fatal Fall." Still absorbing the news that NBC would drop one of its two movie slots in September, producers received another blow when CBS opted to do the same, potentially eliminating the production of several dozen TV movies next season.

CBS' "Chicago Hope" got crushed by NBC's "ER" in the Thursday-night battle of medical dramas this fall, but it turns out that it was nothing personal. Millions of viewers were only too happy to take a look when CBS put the series on at a more convenient hour last Sunday--namely, into the slot normally occupied by "Murder, She Wrote." Ratings released Tuesday by the A.C. Nielsen Co. showed that "Chicago Hope," co-starring Adam Arkin, ranked No.

One day after the Fox Television Network stunned the sports television industry by wresting the NFL's premier package from CBS, the question is: Who will be the odd man out, CBS or NBC? Insiders believe it will be CBS. After losing its prized NFC package to Fox, CBS bid on the AFC package to which NBC now holds the rights. But NBC's contract with the NFL allows it to match any bid on its package, so the ball is in NBC's court.

Calling Dan Quayle. Calling Dan Quayle. CBS knew how valuable the vice president was when the fall premiere of "Murphy Brown" went through the roof in the ratings--responding to Quayle's criticism of the series. The network's glittering Monday lineup looked untouchable as "Murphy Brown" and "Northern Exposure" were joined by two lively new series about romantic relationships, "Love & War" and "Hearts Afire," which both drew strong ratings in their early outings.

Oh, it was a beautiful plan by CBS. The network had finally put "Dallas" out to pasture in May, and there were all those middle-aged and older Friday-night viewers just waiting for new programming that also would be tailored to their tastes. The strategy was simple: Concede the kids in the audience to ABC's dominant Friday lineup of such shows as "Family Matters" and "Perfect Strangers." Build up the resurgent CBS network where possible.

The hype and hoopla surrounding the fall TV season tend to mask what every network programmer knows: that most new shows will fail, either because they are up against killer competition or their scripts and stars don't click with the audience. Thus the networks have learned, like the Boy Scouts, to be prepared. Even as executives order shows for the fall, they order the shows that will replace the ones that don't make the Nielsen grade.

Congratulations to the NBC and CBS television networks for agreeing to air public-service announcements aimed at reducing teen-age pregnancy. When the rate of teen-age pregnancy in the United States is twice that of other developed countries, I would hope that all television stations share the concerns of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and increase public awareness by airing these announcements. JUNE DUNBAR Los Angeles Dunbar is a member of the Los Angeles County Commission for Women.

The ABC, NBC and CBS television networks said Thursday they will air live coverage today of the 7 a.m. PDT start of Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on sexual harassment allegations against Clarence Thomas. CNN, PBS and C-SPAN earlier said they would provide gavel-to-gavel coverage of the hearings, as did cable's new Court TV network, which serves 5 million homes. ABC said it had not decided how long it will continue its live coverage.