In 2005, he created a short-lived partnership with Fred Fuchs, former head of Francis Coppola's American Zoetrope Studio and former arts and entertainment chief for the Canadian Broadcasting company.

That doesn't happen with Les Moonves at CBS" - that network's entertainment chief - "or Warren Littlefield at NBC.

But NBC's entertainment chiefs, Warren Littlefield and Don Ohlmeyer, bristled at any suggestion that the network was a one-night wonder.

The elevation of Mr. Albrecht, the former entertainment chief, reflects how directly the channel's programming is tied to its brand marketing.

NBC's entertainment chief says it wasn't squeamishness over booze that got "vodka" dropped from the television version of Chelsea Handler's memoir.

Mr. Braun, who last led Yahoo's media group, was previously ABC's entertainment chief and has been widely credited with the idea for the hit show "Lost."

ABC's entertainment chief, Brandon Stoddard, also canceled outright the Thursday night news program "Our World," which the network had scheduled last season as an experiment in new television economics.

Not since 1980, when the 30-year-old Brandon Tartikoff went to work for Fred Silverman, the former entertainment chief at NBC, have so many crucial decisions been entrusted to so many so soon.

Mr. Moonves, the Los Angeles-based entertainment chief, was elevated earlier this year to president of CBS Television, in charge of entertainment, sports and news.

The e-mail was copied to Jeff Zucker, entertainment chief of NBC at the time, and David Corvo, executive producer of "Dateline NBC," a news program.