HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Why is a television network getting into the movie business? CBS Corp. president and CEO Leslie Moonves says, why not?

"We are a content company," Moonves said at a 10-year, 20-installment anniversary party for "Survivor," a television series that changed CBS's fortunes and helped take the broadcaster from worst to first in TV's Nielsen ratings. "Be it 'Survivor,' be it 'CSI,' be it 'Dexter,' be it 'Vampire Diaries,' we are a content company, and film was the next step for us."

In addition to the CBS broadcast network, CBS Corp. also owns Showtime and co-owns The CW.

The company's first film release, "Extraordinary Measures," hits theaters today. It's emblematic of the films the company intends to make, movies with budgets roughly a quarter of the $200 million spent on special-effects-heavy "Avatar."

Even with Harrison Ford in a lead role, Moonves said "Measures" cost just $32 million.

"The next one with J. Lo cost $34 [million], so we've still stayed within our boundaries," he said. Jennifer Lopez stars with Alex O'Loughlin ("Three Rivers") in "The Back-Up Plan," due in theaters April 16. It will be the second of what's expected to be no more than six CBS Films releases per year. "There's low risk and big reward. We're not going to do 'Transformers' or 'Pirates of the Caribbean.' "

By making movies, CBS Films also feeds its other businesses. After movies run in theaters, they'll move to Showtime for their premium cable premiere. Ads for the films can run on CBS-owned TV and radio stations and appear on CBS-owned billboards in major media markets. A behind-the-scenes special about the movie aired Saturday afternoon on KDKA, a CBS-owned and -operated station.

Moonves said the film division is run as a tight ship with only 35 executives, limiting its overhead.

"We have not built this massive infrastructure," he said, "which has been important."

Now the movies just have to deliver.

"The biggest challenge is getting hit movies," Moonves said.

CBS Films will do that, he said, by "hopefully putting quality up there on the board and having people be patient with us. So far, I'm really pleased."

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