James T. Aubrey, Jr.

James Thomas Aubrey, Jr. (December 14, 1918–September 3, 1994) was an American television and film executive. President of the CBS Television Network during the early 1960s, he put some of television's most successful series, including Gilligan's Island and The Beverly Hillbillies, on the air and consequently CBS dominated American television: during the 1963-1964 season, CBS had fourteen of the fifteen top-rated prime-time series. The New York Times Magazine in 1964 called him "a master of programming whose divinations led to successes that are breathtaking."

Enters broadcasting

After the war he went to Los Angeles, California, where he sold advertising for the Street and Smith and Condé Nast magazine companies. His first broadcasting job was as a salesman at the Columbia Broadcasting System's radio station in Los Angeles, KNX, and within two years was the network's West Coast programming chief. In that capacity he put Have Gun, Will Travel on the air. Aubrey rose to be manager of television network programs, based in California, until he jumped to ABC in 1956.

Related Topics:
Los Angeles, California - Condé Nast - Columbia Broadcasting System - Have Gun, Will Travel - 1956

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On December 16, 1956, American Broadcasting Company president Oliver Treyz announced Aubrey would become the network's head of programming and talent, effective immediately. (Treyz also said he would be proposed as a corporate vice-president at the next annual meeting.) ABC, the weakest of the three networks, was then a perennial also-ran with a weak roster of affiliates and programs, something comparable to Fox circa 1988. Aubrey told the Los Angeles Times in 1986 "I went because (ABC chairman) Leonard Goldenson in effect said, `Look, I don't know that much about TV, I'm a lawyer.' And he let me have autonomy."

Related Topics:
December 16 - 1956 - American Broadcasting Company - Oliver Treyz - Fox - 1988 - Los Angeles Times - 1986 - Leonard Goldenson

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As vice president in charge of programs (a title he gained before March 1957), he brought to the air what he recalled as "wild, sexy, lively stuff, things that had never been done before", shows such as Maverick, a western with James Garner, and 77 Sunset Strip, a detective show with Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Aubrey also scheduled The Donna Reed Show, a domestic comedy, and The Real McCoys, a rural comedy with Walter Brennan. Despite his success at ABC, Aubrey saw a limited future at the network and asked to return to CBS, doing so in April 28, 1958, first as an assistant to CBS, Inc. president Frank Stanton. He was then made vice president for creative services as of April 1959, replacing Louis G. Cowan, who was promoted to network president. (Thomas W. Moore would take his old ABC job.)

Related Topics:
1957 - Maverick - James Garner - 77 Sunset Strip - Efrem Zimbalist Jr. - The Donna Reed Show - The Real McCoys - Walter Brennan - April 28 - 1958 - Frank Stanton - 1959 - Louis G. Cowan

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Aubrey was promoted to executive vice president on June 1, 1959, a newly created position that was the number two post at the network. His responsibilities, network president Cowan told The New York Times would be "general supervision of all CBS television network departments." On December 8, 1959, Cowan resigned. He had been damaged for his connection to the quiz show scandals: he created the show The $64,000 Question and owned the company which produced it for the network, though he denied he knew anything about the rigging of the program. Cowan's letter of resignation to Frank Stanton, president of the network's parent, CBS, Inc., declared "you have made it impossible for me to continue." Aubrey was named president that same day and elected to the board of directors on December 9.

Related Topics:
June 1 - 1959 - The New York Times - December 8 - Quiz show scandals - The $64,000 Question - Frank Stanton - December 9

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