A man who had a lot to do with the success of M*A*S*H died on August 25th at the age of 87. Perry Lafferty was with CBS for more than a decade and was partially responsible for the winning schedule that kept CBS at the top of the ratings. Shows like M*A*S*H, The Waltons and The Mary Tyler Moore Show all have Lafferty to thank for their place in the CBS schedule.
The Hollywood Reporter had the following to say about Lafferty:
Lafferty spent 11 years at CBS as head of West Coast programming, helping create a schedule that included the hit shows “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “M-A-S-H,” “The Waltons” and “Maude” and which put the network consistently atop the ratings.
In 1979, he moved to NBC as a senior vice president of West Coast programs and talent and later was in charge of the network’s movies and miniseries.
The article also has a quote from Larry Gelbart who helped create M*A*S*H.
Source: HollywoodReporter.com
