Sagansky Defends Content of a Batch of New CBS Shows : Television: Executive says that the network will not censor producers.

Jeff Sagansky, the Harvard MBA who took over six months ago as president of CBS Entertainment with the awesome job of bringing the network out of its third-place ratings morass, parried with the national TV press Sunday over sexual content in some of his upcoming shows.

Sagansky, 37, joked that in terms of the traditional CBS audience, he would be considered “a younger viewer.” He acknowledged that the network was in heated pursuit of a younger audience--but at CBS that meant “less than 60 . . . but we’re not looking for preschool.”

One reporter asked how sexy CBS was going with some of the content of “Uncle Buck,” a new show spinning off the John Candy film, and “Evening Shade,” a Burt Reynolds comedy being created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason of “Designing Women.” Earlier Sunday, she talked about this series having some sexual byplay between the adult characters. Both the new series are 8 p.m shows.

When asked by one reporter what was becoming of the family hour, Sagansky said the network was being very sensitive.

The reporter countered that some of the first words spoken on the “Uncle Buck” episode by a 6-year-old girl were “You suck.”

Sagansky stood his ground: “There’s no chance that the words are going to change. . . . We have concerns but we’re not going to censor them (the producers).”

Another reporter rushed in: “How can you say, Mr. Sagansky, that the networks are more sensitive now when you let programs like ‘Uncle Buck’ come on the air with children saying these words that are not acceptable by a lot of American families today?”

“I’ll tell you,” Sagansky said, “believe it or not, kids say that in homes all over America. We may not like it and it may not be acceptable in our group . . . (but) I don’t think we can put on shows that have no relationship with reality.”

Sagansky pointed out that Uncle Buck “comes right down” on the child’s remarks at one point.

As for the spicy content of “Doctor Doctor,” which is moving from 10:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Sagansky said there will only be “slight changes” and those “just in language.”