Dennis Swanson's record-pace talent hunt continued as the CBS
station group's new chief operating officer snagged Joe Ahern, general manager at ABC-owned KGO-TV,
to run long-troubled WBBM-TV Chicago.
Ahern is another Swanson protégé, having worked with him at WLS-TV Chicago.
Current GM Walt DeHaven will be reassigned, Viacom Inc. said.
KGO-TV has been a consistently highly rated performer in a market that's been
shaken up recently by the NBC affiliation switch from KRON-TV to KNTV(TV) and by a
few station sales, as well.
Prior to his time at KGO-TV, Ahern was London-based senior vice president and
managing director of broadcasting for Walt Disney Television International, overseing Disney TV operations in the United Kingdom and France and the development of the
Disney Channels in Spain, Italy and Germany.
When Swanson retired as WNBC(TV) chief last month and quickly resurfaced to
run the Viacom group, he brought with him Lew Leone -- who had been VP of
sales for WNBC-TV and who was on the NBC group's short list for advancement -- to
become GM at flagship WCBS-TV.
A week later, he recruited Tom Remiszewski, who had been VP for
creative services at WNBC, to become VP for creative services and marketing at
the Viacom group.
