New York Times Co. Names TV Unit Chief

By: (AP) The New York Times Co. has named William M. Abrams, a former newspaper reporter and ABC News executive, to be the new chief of its television unit, NYT Television.

The division produces documentary and other non-fiction programs, mainly for cable channels such as Discovery Channel, Showtime, and The Learning Channel. It recently started a science news program with the National Geographic Channel, and has co-produced "Frontline" with PBS.

Abrams, who is 48, had most recently worked for 1France, a Web site about French travel and culture. He will report to Michael Oreskes, assistant managing editor in charge of electronic news.

Christian Gwinn, who had overseen the division on an interim basis since early 2000, will report to Abrams.

Abrams worked as vice president of business development at ABC News, where he founded a production unit that made documentary programming for cable networks. He had also been a reporter and editor at The Wall Street Journal and a reporter at Business Week.