Sagansky Looks to Close Prime-Time Generation Gap on CBS : Television: New entertainment president also defends cancellation of ‘Beauty’ and stands by ‘Sajak’ show at his first press conference.

Jeff Sagansky, the new president of CBS Entertainment, says that the network must abandon its philosophy of putting on shows mainly for older viewers if it wants to get out of the ratings basement.

In his first press conference since assuming his new job 2 1/2 weeks ago, Sagansky, 37, also defended his cancellation of “Beauty and the Beast,” said CBS was committed to Pat Sajak’s late-night show and chided his own network for failing to pursue top Hollywood talent “aggressively enough” in recent years.

Asked about his plans for CBS, the slender, bespectacled executive said Monday evening that he wants to take “a lot of chances.” Then he added: “The other thing that’s important is that CBS try to program for a younger demographic. The oldest baby boomer now is maybe 45 years old, and yet most of the CBS programs appeal to people well over 45. I think CBS is programming too much in that direction.”

He said, however, “I don’t want to alienate those people and I think there should be some programming for them. I think we’ve got to have a balanced plate.”

CBS’ top entertainment hit is “Murder, She Wrote,” which draws mostly older viewers. Other CBS shows include “Murphy Brown,” “Designing Women,” “Newhart,” “Major Dad,” “Island Son,” “Jake and the Fatman,” “Wiseguy,” the Western “Paradise” and the soap operas “Dallas,” “Knots Landing” and “Falcon Crest.”

“I would hope that if we’re not programming for the baby boomer, then we’re programming for their kids and their teen-agers or for the whole family,” Sagansky told a gathering of the nation’s TV columnists at a West Hollywood restaurant.

He criticized as “really ridiculous” the network’s notion that youngsters “won’t come if you put something on. At one point, they did come, but CBS stopped programming for that group, so they stopped coming. But when there is something on for them, somehow they miraculously show up. Why do kids find ‘Look Who’s Talking’ or ‘The Cosby Show’? Whether it’s those tom-tom drums or they smell it, they always know.”

Sagansky, who replaced Kim LeMasters as president of CBS Entertainment, formerly was the head of Tri-Star Pictures, where “Look Who’s Talking” was one of his hit films.

In the question-and-answer session, Sagansky made an apparently strong commitment to the one-year-old Sajak show, which has been rumored near cancellation because of low ratings and the possible defection of CBS affiliate stations from the program’s time slot.

“The Sajak show is a top priority with us,” Sagansky said, promising a “significant new look” for the series starting next month. “We’re committed to the Sajak show. If the ratings don’t go up in February, we’re going to keep working on it.”

As for “Beauty and the Beast,” which has its final CBS broadcast Jan. 24, the CBS programmer said: “Although it had an extremely devoted and sincere following, it was sinking in the ratings and we took it off because it just seemed to have no future.”

Pressed about the violence in the pilot of the show that will replace it, “Grand Slam,” about two modern-day bounty hunters, Sagansky said: “I admit it might have been overly violent (but) I think the two characters and the writing are really good. I would hope they would concentrate more on that, the comedy more than the violence.”

The show stars comedian Paul Rodriguez and John Schneider, formerly of “The Dukes of Hazzard.” It premieres Jan. 28 after the Super Bowl.

Like almost every programmer who assumes control of a network, Sagansky vowed to woo Hollywood’s creative community, emphasizing this was especially important and difficult nowadays because of the new competition of pay TV, cable and Fox Broadcasting.

“When I started in the network business 13 years ago (with CBS), there were enough great producers and great stars and directors to go around for all three networks, because they were the only game in town,” he said. But now, he added, “Everybody is after the same people.”

Asked why many in the city’s creative community don’t want to do business with CBS, Sagansky said: “It’s not that CBS has ever turned these people away. It’s just that they haven’t pursued them aggressively enough. And that’s what it’s all about.

“There are two ways to attract the top creative talent. One is to do the show that they’ve always wanted to do, but they can never get on at any network, something they’re passionate about. And, two, there’s my and my staff’s personal relationships with these people. It isn’t about money because they can get the same money anywhere they work. It’s really about who they feel more comfortable working with.”

Sagansky said that the CBS prime-time lineup won’t bear his full stamp until about a year from now, but noted that “City,” which debuts Jan. 29 with Valerie Harper as a city manager, is one of his favorites: “I love the Valerie show. I think it’s a real great addition to our Monday night (all-comedy) lineup.”

Other upcoming CBS shows, said Sagansky, include “Bagdad Cafe,” with Jean Stapleton and Whoopi Goldberg as workers in a broken-down cafe in the desert (“I think it’s one of the most neat shows we have for midseason”); “Sydney,” a sitcom with Valerie Bertinelli as a detective, and “Normal Life,” starring Moon Unit Zappa, Dweezil Zappa, Cindy Williams and Max Gail as an offbeat family.