Comedy Central has given the green light to “The Gong Show with Dave Attell,” a re-creation of the classic variety series. The show is scheduled to kick off on July 17.

Robert Schlesinger has been named deputy opinion editor at U.S. News & World Report, a new position at the magazine. Schlesinger previously worked as a freelancer and a blogger.

Allure magazine has named Agnes Chapski vice president and publisher, taking over for Nancy Berger Cardone, who’s now vice president and publisher of Gourmet. Chapski has been associate publisher at Vanity Fair.

Thomas H. Hartman has been named vice president of corporate sales at Condé Nast Media Group, effective May 12. Hartman was most recently the vice president and publisher of Gourmet.

ABC has signed president Stephen McPherson to a new contract, the terms of which haven’t been made public. Under McPherson’s watch ABC has moved from No. 4 to the No. 2 broadcast network among viewers 18-49, on the strength of shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Dancing with the Stars.”

Larry Olevitch has been promoted to senior vice president of local media sales for NBC’s Local media group, effective immediately. Olevitch was previously vice president of sales for the NBC owned-and-operated station WTVJ.

CBS Television Stations has named Rick Baran executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective May 19. Baran had spent the previous five-and-a-half years as an executive with Tyco International.

Actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg has agreed to host the 62nd Annual Tony Awards on CBS on June 15. This is the first time hosting the show for Goldberg, who in her career has won a Grammy, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, an Emmy and a Tony.

The San Diego Union-Tribune has let go three executives, according to the San Diego Reader, including: Chris Jennewein, vice president of internet operations, Ron James, daily manager of SignOnSanDiego, and Jim Drummond, another executive with SignOnSanDiego.

Boston Globe reporter Charlie Savage, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2007 for his coverage of the Bush Administration, has left the paper and will join The New York Times later this month. Savage worked out of the Globe’s Washington, D.C., bureau.

Scott Caristo has been named senior vice president and group director of Arnold Worldwide’s business leadership group, in charge of GlaxoSmithKline’s accounts. Caristo joins from Ogilvy, where he was a senior partner.

Entertainment marketing agency Octagon Marketing has named Chris Monaco vice president of its music and entertainment group, reporting to senior vice president Jeff Ehrenkranz. Monaco has previously held positions with Allied Domecq PLC and Pernod Ricard USA.

Jacqui Rossinsky has been promoted to executive vice president of network operations at Interep NetSolutions, Interep’s network sales division. Rossinsky was previously head of Interep’s re-direct initiative.