Surprise, Enthusiasm for Moonves’ Hiring : Television: Producers and CBS station managers are optimistic about appointment of the former Warner Bros. TV chief.

The news items have trickled out over the past few weeks. CBS removes Connie Chung as Dan Rather’s co-anchor on the evening news. CBS to aggressively pursue younger viewers. CBS to premiere 11 prime-time series in the fall. CBS to tape its morning news before a live audience, in the spirit of “Regis & Kathie Lee.”

But if anyone failed to recognize the major overhaul under way at the struggling network, they had it dramatically spelled out for them Wednesday when Leslie Moonves, president of the industry’s most prolific TV studio at Warner Bros., was hired as programming chief at CBS.

Unwilling to answer to a higher authority in his division, CBS Entertainment President Peter Tortorici resigned after 14 months in the job, during which time he developed a slate of prime-time programs for the fall that had generated rare excitement among CBS-affiliated station owners.

The executive shuffle was greeted with surprise and enthusiasm among TV producers.

“I have mixed feelings,” said John Wells, executive producer of NBC’s “ER,” whose drama “Angel Street” was canceled by CBS in 1993 after only three airings. “I wish that Peter Tortorici had more of a shot of making his own imprint, but Les is one of the finest executives in the business. He’s very talented, he has an excellent commercial sense, and he’s somebody who makes things happen.”

Several producers said Moonves will help smooth the waters between CBS and the production community, which became rough in CBS’ scramble to find a hit TV series. Moonves’ shows at Warner Bros. last year included “ER” and NBC’s other big hit, “Friends.” This year, he sold eight new prime-time series to the networks and got 12 renewed--giving the studio 20 shows on the air compared to 11 for its closest competitor, Columbia-TriStar.

“Les has just been a prince for us,” said Marta Kaufman, executive producer of “Friends” with David Crane and Kevin Bright. “He’s championed everything that needed championing. During the insanity of selling a new show in the spring, you knew you had the greatest possible advocate you could have in Les. You also knew you could pick up the phone at any time and talk to him, and he would hear you.”

“What a pleasure it will be to go to CBS with an idea,” added Crane, who with Kaufman created a short-lived sitcom for CBS in 1993 called “Family Album.” “We certainly can’t speak for the whole creative community, but our relationship with CBS was not perfect.”

CBS has been in a ratings free fall for the past year, finishing third in household ratings last season behind ABC and NBC, and fourth in young viewers behind Fox.

“The appointment of Moonves sends a signal to the creative community that CBS means business,” said Michael Saltzman, executive producer of “Murphy Brown,” one of the only strongholds left on CBS. “They’ve gone out and gotten probably the strongest member of the supplier’s side of the business to now become a buyer. That’s a very strong message that CBS is serious, it’s looking to turn things around, and it’s not going to slide any further.”

Tortorici, who had recently signed “NYPD Blue” creator Steven Bochco to a multiyear deal, was working hard to turn CBS around in prime time. Just last week, he was standing proudly before owners and managers of CBS affiliated stations from around the country during his unveiling of the new fall entertainment schedule. Tortorici had commissioned an extraordinary 40 pilots in an effort to put his personal stamp on the struggling network he inherited last year.

As a result, nobody was more surprised by this week’s news than the affiliates.

“Coming right off the affiliates meeting we had, I had no idea this was going on,” said Paul Fredericksen, president and general manager of KCCI-TV in Des Moines. “Everybody came out of there extremely positive. Everybody I came in contact with was very pleased and very excited about this fall.”

CBS station managers said they were sad to see Tortorici go. But they voiced support for the decision to hire Moonves, about whom they know little, because they’ve put their faith in Peter Lund, a former station manager who was named president of the CBS Broadcast Group in February and has been given full autonomy over the broadcast operations. All the recent moves at CBS have been made under his guidance and approval.