Network programming chiefs typically are glib, self-assured guys who can rattle on about demographics or development deals even when the sky is falling. ABC Entertainment president Jamie Tarses, by contrast, looked a little battered during an interview last week, taking long, contemplative pauses before answering even seemingly simple questions. There was the weight of the world in those pauses--or, just as burdensome, the weight of a relentless Hollywood lobbying campaign against her, a stream of rumors that after a season of dismal ratings, she'll soon be out of a job.
"It has been stressful," Tarses acknowledged, scrunched into a leather chair...