CBS News and Sports President Sean McManus has announced that he officially named David Friedman the new executive producer of “The Early Show” effective January 2010. He replaces Zev Shalev who left the program yesterday.

McManus is looking to take advantage of the impending “Good Morning America” switchover with the hire, saying in a statement, “The show has been making advances and we are committed to decisively moving to the next level. The change in the competitive landscape is a terrific opportunity for us to bring on an experienced and creative EP with a fresh approach and a demonstrated track record of success.”

Friedman was most recently the EP of “Last Call with Carson Daly.” He also spent six years at NBC’s “Today” show. Press release after the jump.

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For weeks the CBS “Early Show” has been working with affiliates as they prepare to roll out a new graphics look dubbed Early Enhanced. But yesterday’s announcement that EP Zev Shalev would be leaving the show has pushed those plans back. TVNewser received the following email letting affiliates know of the delay:

Today it was announced that Zev Shalev, the Executive Producer of The Early Show, will be leaving the broadcast to pursue other opportunities. A new Executive Producer will be named very soon. As a result, we will be holding off on the launch of the Early Enhanced graphic until the new Executive Producer is able to review and approve the new look. We will notify you as soon as we have a new date. We really appreciate your participation in the conference calls and look forward to any questions you may have as we move forward with this new graphic look.

The NYTimes’ Brian Stelter has more on who the new EP is expected to be. He’s David Friedman, who’s been with NBC’s “Last Call” and before that, the “Today” show. He’s also the son of the #2 at CBS News, Paul Friedman.

After 18 months on the job, Zev Shalev produced his final “Early Show” for CBS News this morning. Shalev tells TVNewser his short tenure at CBS came during “one of the most interesting periods of news.” The economic collapse, election and inauguration of Barack Obama and the death of Michael Jackson just some of the highlights.

“I believe we’ve done a good job in making this show a real contender,” says Shalev, mindful of the “small but mighty team” that produces the broadcast. “The unsung heroes of CBS News,” he calls them.

Shalev says he had “an emotional but satisfying goodbye” with his team, as he already looks to what’s next.

• WebNewser has more on Shalev’s new project — NewsTsar.

• Related: CBS Parts Ways with “Early Show” EP

Zev Shalev, who has been executive producer of the CBS “Early Show” for the last 18 months, told his staff this morning that he’s leaving the broadcast, and the network. Shalev plans to launch an online news/social media desination. More on that later today when we talk to Shalev.

In a note to staff, obtained by TVNewser, CBS News & Sports president Sean McManus writes, “I want to thank Zev for his commitment and his contributions to THE EARLY SHOW. During his time with CBS News, Zev has helped position THE EARLY SHOW as a serious contender in morning TV.”

Shalev will help through the transition as McManus writes, an “appointment will be announced shortly.”

The changes at the top of the #3 morning show come during the same week as changes are made to the on-air line-up at the #2 show, ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Tomorrow an announcement will be made that ABC is adding George Stehpanopoulos and Juju Chang to the anchor team as Diane Sawyer and Chris Cuomo depart.

McManus’s note after the jump…

> More: NYObserver’s Felix Gillette reports David Friedman will be named EP of the show. Friedman is the son of CBS News EVP Paul Friedman. Reached for comment, CBS News spokeswoman Kelli Halyard tells TVNewser, “We decline to comment on speculation and rumor.”

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TVNewser has learned CBS News boss Sean McManus may be making a change atop his morning show.

Zev Shalev, who has been EP of “The Early Show” since June 2008, may soon be out the door. Multiple sources tell TVNewser that, while Shalev is still on the job, a search is on for his replacement.

We’re told the move may be timed to take advantage of the anchor changes at “Good Morning America.” “The Early Show” has been stuck in third place behind #1 the “Today” show and #2 ABC’s GMA since at least 1987, when people meters began.

Shalev was brought on as a senior producer in March 2008 by then-interim EP Rick Kaplan who had taken over the show after the brief stint of Shelley Ross.

A CBS News spokesperson tells TVNewser, “We don’t comment on rumors. The fact is, we are extremely pleased with the quality and growth of ‘The Early Show’ and look forward to the change in the competitive landscape in January.”

The New York Observer’s Felix Gillette spent a rainy Friday at the U.S.S. Intrepid last week for a profile of The Early Show EP Zev Shalev.

He talked about the gains made by the 3rd place network morning show. “I’d rather be in third and growing than in second and dropping,” he said. “There’s less pressure. We have the luxury of experimenting.”

Shalev, who was born in Israel and raised in South Africa, said of foreign coverage: “Sometimes I think American media can be very shut off from the rest of the world. There are a lot of interesting stories out there. You just have to find the right way in.”

Shalev talked about the calm and good attitude at the CBS program now, after a tumultuous time before he took over. Or, as Gillette describes it, “the ghost of Shelley Ross felt long since exorcised.”

Said Shalev, “I think that we have a real spirit now that is terrific.”

Today on the mediabistro.com Morning Media Menu we’re joined by CBS The Early Show EP Zev Shalev.

We talk about what’s coming up this summer, including a summer concert series on the USS Intrepid that begins Friday with a performance by Lionel Richie and Akon. Also: some big recent interviews. “It’s about creating the right kind of environment,” he said. “We have a team here that is so keen and dedicated to finding those kinds of stories that are going to get people talking so when our team first spotted Susan Boyle, or when the ‘Father Oprah’ story first came up, the trick is just getting on it first.”

But how does we make a push to turn the 3rd place network morning show into a contender? “When we look at that gap it’s shrinking significantly, and really that’s the only way to look at it,” he said. “It’s not going to be one of those things where you can turn it around in one day, but over a period of time, you can start chipping away at that gap.”

Also discussed: big ratings for CBS’ awards shows, big revenue for Craigslist and why “the traditional news network is still the place you can get real journalism.”

You can listen to all the past podcasts at BlogTalkRadio.com/mediabistro and call in at 646-929-0321.

Click here to receive mediabistro.com’s Daily Newsfeed via email.

Just after 8amET, as CBS’ The Early Show anchor Harry Smith teased an upcoming interview with Daniel Radcliffe (aka Harry Potter), Radcliffe himself interrupted the segment. The control room laughed. It was all part of the reveal for the final “Destination Unknown” segment, a series which takes Early Show anchors around the world to report from locations chosen for them — and kept hidden until they get to the ticket counter.

Julie Chen started the series with a trip to Paris at the end of October. Since then Russ Mitchell went to Athens, Maggie Rodriguez went to Dubai and Dave Price finished his reporting from South Africa today.

The vague clue given to Smith ended with the phrase, “Believe you can, and you’re halfway there.” Any guesses?

Tonight, Smith heads out for his trip — he’ll be reporting from the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the North Arabian Sea beginning on Friday.

As you’ll see below, Rodriguez guessed correctly just minutes after the segment when we went into the studio. Also, a look around the large CBS studio, and after the jump, TVNewser takes you into the control room with director Mike Mancini, EP Zev Shalev and the rest of the crew as the reveal takes place:



Click continued to see the control room as Smith was surprised by Radcliffe with his clue…

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Their competitive streaks may run wide and deep, but at the political conventions they’re only steps from each other. So when his broadcast ended, Early Show anchor Harry Smith dropped in on Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts.

“You know, it’s a big family out here,” Roberts said. “Harry Smith. How did we score this interview?

“Might be an exclusive,” Smith said. “I just came over to tell Robin how great she looks. She looks so great.”

“So we gave him time,” Roberts said.

Smith has no problem cozying up to anchors from other networks. He’s married to NBC Sports reporter Andrea Joyce.

And today’s drop-in was a continuation of morning show “unity,” sort of. Yesterday, TVNewser spotted Early EP Zev Shalev chatting with Today show EP Jim Bell.

• Earlier: Wednesday’s TVNewser interview with Harry Smith from the floor of the DNC…

Sometime around 3amET, the cable and broadcast networks will be making the move to Invesco Field, to set up for Sen. Barack Obama‘s acceptance speech.

The move was described to us as a “disaster,” by an insider today, but it has to be done. ABC News political director David Chalian said it will be like, “covering two different Democratic Conventions.”

NBC anchor Brian Williams tells TVNewser, although it will be a, “logistical challenge,” it has been done before. “Everyone has got to remember Kennedy did it in Los Angeles,” he said. “But this will be something.”

CBS Early Show EP Zev Shalev told TVNewser this morning he’s happy with the anchor handling the duties. “We’re blessed by a guy who can talk off the cuff,” he said of Harry Smith. “He’s experienced and terrific.”

And although Shalev said it’s, “going to be a big challenge,” he said, “It’s why I like television.”

Tomorrow will have Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, 80,000 people in the crowd and staging that has been described as resembling an “ancient Greek temple” (and described to us as looking like the White House Rose Garden). Any guesses on ratings for tomorrow night?