Company Town : Lund to Replace Stringer at CBS Broadcast Group

CBS confirmed that it has named Peter Lund to succeed Howard Stringer as president of CBS Broadcast Group now that Stringer has decided to leave to head a new interactive video venture backed by three regional telephone companies.

Lund, who had been Stringer’s main deputy, was previously executive vice president of the broadcast group and was president of CBS Television Network. He is also the former president of CBS Sports.

Stringer is being let out of his contract with CBS, which was to expire in less than two years. He sought to leave last year to become head of the Fox Television network, but CBS Chairman Laurence Tisch refused to let him go at that time.

* Samuel Goldwyn Co. has brought in Steven Rabiner as vice president of production. He previously was director of production at Twentieth Century Fox.

* Julie M. Philips is joining the motion picture department at the William Morris Agency. Philips, a lawyer with Bloom, Dekom Hergott & Cook, will bring actress Kim Basinger, her longtime client, with her to the talent agency.

* HBO Pictures has announced the appointment of Ellen Collett as vice president. She will be responsible for development and production.

* MCA Television has named Peter Schoenfeld vice president of business development.

* Matthew C. Blank was named chief executive of cable’s Showtime Networks. He succeeds Winston H. Cox, who will become senior vice president with Showtime parent Viacom Inc.

* Mitch Schneider, formerly a partner with Levine Schneider Public Relations, has formed The Mitch Schneider Organization to represent musical artists.

* Beth Braen has been promoted to vice president of creative services at NATPE International.

* Frank Devaney has been named executive vice president of product placement at public relations consulting firm Rogers & Cowan Inc.

* Twentieth Century Fox has appointed Susan C. Link vice president of strategic planning.

Fox Filmed Entertainment announced three promotions in the finance division of Twentieth Century Fox: Peter Cyffka was named senior vice president, Peter Frank vice president and Laura Gianas Perez vice president and controller.

* Christy Dimmig was named vice president of post production at Castle Rock Entertainment.