After an acting-EP stint, Zev Shalev today was upped to executive producer of CBS’s The Early Show. Shalev joined the network in March as Early‘s senior producer, not long after Shelley Ross’s tumultuous time at the network came to an abrupt end. Evening News EP Rick Kaplan did double duty until early last month when Shalev was given the interim-EP title.
“Zev has done a terrific job during the transition,” said CBS News & Sports president Sean McManus. “He has met and exceeded our expectations, and he’s in a great position to continue the creative and ratings momentum that the broadcast has demonstrated.”
The press release is after the jump…
Zev Shalev has been named the executive producer for THE EARLY SHOW, it was announced by Sean McManus, President, CBS News and Sports. The appointment is effective immediately.
Shalev has been senior broadcast producer of the program since March.
“Zev has done a terrific job during the transition,” said McManus. “He has met and exceeded our expectations, and he’s in a great position to continue the creative and ratings momentum that the broadcast has demonstrated.”
During his career, Shalev has covered a wide range of news events, including the tsunami in Indonesia, the death of Princess Diana and South Africa’s transition to democracy. He has also been responsible for interviews with newsmakers such as Shimon Peres, Benjamin Netanyahu, Bill Gates, Nelson Mandela, Louis Farrakhan, Former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Shalev was vice president for strategic programming, as well as senior executive producer of information and entertainment programming for CanWest Global (2007-08). In that role, he was responsible for program strategy and scheduling for E!, Canada’s newest national network. Shalev has also been senior executive producer of “Entertainment Tonight Canada,” the nation’s number one entertainment magazine (2005-07).
Prior to that, he served as the executive producer of Toronto 1’s news and current affairs programming (2003-05). Shalev was the co-founder, CEO and executive producer of U8TV, Canada’s first Internet television channel (2000-02). He served as the executive producer of CTV’s “Canada AM,” as well as a producer for “CTV News Specials” (1998-2000). In South Africa, Shalev was the assistant news editor for the country’s only independent radio station (1994-96), host of the “Zev Shalev Show” (1993-95), and senior producer of a daily news program and host of “Collage,” South Africa’s top-rated national television arts program (1991-94).
He has been nominated for five Gemini Awards and a Canadian New Media Award for Best New Company. Shalev’s programs have been nominated for a Radio and Television News Director’s Association Award (RTNDA) and two CANPRO Awards.
He was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. Shalev was graduated from the Wits University in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1994 with an honors degree in dramatic arts and media studies. He lives in New York.