At HBO, veterans rise to the top

June 05, 2007, By Claudia Eller and Meg James, Los Angeles Times

“In choosing a new HBO chief executive, Time Warner Inc. on Tuesday opted for corporate stability over bringing an outsider into the famously insular cable network. Last month the media giant was forced to find a replacement for former Chief Executive Chris Albrecht when he was fired after assaulting his girlfriend in Las Vegas.

But instead of bringing in a creative visionary like Albrecht, the force behind such iconic programs as ‘The Sopranos’ and ‘Sex and the City,’ Time Warner promoted five senior business veterans who have worked largely behind the scenes at HBO. None have the big personality, the high profile or the programming expertise of their predecessor, leading some to wonder whether the management arrangement might be temporary…

Both Simon and David Milch, executive producer of ‘John From Cincinnati,’ which premieres Sunday, said Plepler had helped shape their projects.

‘He has done everything possible to make sure that my work is seen by as many people as possible,’ Milch said. Yet some in Hollywood worried about navigating HBO’s crowded executive suites. ‘Who do you call?’ one agent asked. ‘Before, it was pretty clear.’ [more]