CBS MANAGEMENT CORE TIGHTENED IN RESHUFFLE

CBS excised a layer of management posts Monday as it announced a top-level reorganization of the CBS Broadcast Group, which since January has eliminated 1,000 jobs and laid off 750 employees.

No senior executives were dismissed in the reorganization, but the post of executive vice president was dropped. The reshuffle had been expected for several weeks.

The changes, announced by group president Gene F. Jankowski, were part of CBS’ efforts this year to streamline itself and cut costs, two key goals of acting chief executive Laurence A. Tisch, who took charge at CBS on Sept. 10.

“These changes will provide us with a tighter management core designed to respond to a faster-moving business environment, permitting full attention to each of our main product centers,” Jankowski explained in a statement.

Under the previous system, the heads of various divisions in the Broadcast Group reported to a quartet of executive vice presidents. Those four, in turn reported to Jankowski.

Now, five presidents--three of whom were named Monday to their jobs--will report directly to Jankowski. The quintet includes entertainment chief B. Donald Grant and Howard Stringer, president of CBS News.

The three newly appointed presidents are:

--Thomas F. Leahy, who will head the CBS Television Network and be responsible for “The Morning Program,” the 90-minute entertainment portion of a new three-hour morning program to premiere Jan. 12.

--Neal H. Pilson, in charge of CBS Sports, Broadcast Operations and CBS Radio.

--Peter A. Lund, in charge of the four CBS-owned TV stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia. Lund formerly was president of CBS Sports.

As part of Monday’s high-level shuffle, Anthony Malara, formerly president of the CBS Television Network, was reappointed to a new post at the network--senior vice president in charge of distribution.

Leahy previously was a CBS Broadcast Group executive vice president, as was Pilson.

Two other men who at one time had equal rank in the group--James Rosenfield and Van Gordon Sauter--have left CBS. Rosenfield voluntarily retired last year as the group’s chief financial officer.

Sauter, who oversaw the news division and also served as its president, resigned under pressure Sept. 11, a day after the forced resignation of his major ally at CBS, board chairman Thomas Wyman.