Paul Friedman Named Executive Vice President for ABC News : Television: ‘World News’ chief is in place to succeed Roone Arledge as head of top-rated news division.

Paul Friedman, the executive producer of ABC’s “World News Tonight,” has been named executive vice president of ABC News, the network announced on Monday. The move, which had been anticipated, puts Friedman in place as the No. 2 executive at the top-ranked network news division under ABC News president Roone Arledge. The promotion, sources said, means that ABC News now has in place an heir apparent to take over the presidency of ABC News some years from now when the 61-year-old Arledge retires.

Friedman, who will report to Arledge, will have responsibilities for all operating units within the news division. “Paul has had a distinguished record of accomplishment at ABC News,” Arledge said. “He is particularly well-qualified for this important position and will add great strength to our top management.”

Friedman replaces Stephen A. Weiswasser, a senior vice president of Capital Cities/ABC who was made executive vice president of ABC News in 1991. At the time of his appointment, Weiswasser, a former corporate lawyer for the network, was viewed as a potential successor to John Sias, a top ABC executive as well as a financial expert who would help keep costs in line at the news division.

Under Arledge, ABC News is the most profitable of the three broadcast network news divisions, with a range of programming including the top-rated network nightly newscasts and several successful prime-time newsmagazines.

Robert Iger, the head of ABC’s entertainment division, recently was named to succeed Sias as president of the ABC-TV Network Group. And Weiswasser, sources said, is likely to be returning to a corporate position at Capital Cities, to explore possible major new investments for Capital Cities.

Other changes involving some reorganization of the management structure at ABC News are expected later this week.