"survivor" has consistently been one of the top 20 most watched shows through its first 23 seasons. probst acknowledged that kelly kahl, the current president of cbs, had been a significant proponent of the show. when "survivor" had launched, kahl, then vice-president of scheduling, took a risk and moved the show's second season to thursdays in competition with nbc's "friends". "survivor" won viewership numbers over "friends", giving kahl significant sway within cbs to continue supporting "survivor".