The Ticker (P.M. Edition): Profit, Healing, Awareness…

> CBS Corp. which runs the CBS TV network, as well as a publisher Simon & Schuster, outdoor advertising and a bunch of radio stations, saw a 14% increase in profit in first quarter. CBS earned $244.3 million, or 36 cents per share, beating analysts’ expectations.

> Insiders tell us PBS’ Jim Lehrer is on the mend after undergoing heart surgery last week. We hear colleague Judy Woodruff visited Lehrer in the hospital and says he is doing well and is in good spirits.

> Cancer survivor Dan Abrams, host of MSNBC’s Verdict, will serve as master of ceremonies for the Rays of Hope Gala benefiting the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. CBS’s Bob Schieffer, a bladder cancer survivor, will be among those recognized at next Wednesday’s Gala in Washington, DC.