Business

A new Starz turn

With the hiring of former HBO whiz Chris Albrecht, Starz is hoping to be in ascendance.

Liberty Media’s pay-TV and movie division tapped Albrecht, who is credited with transforming Time Warner’s HBO from a movie channel into an original programming powerhouse, as new president and CEO.

The move lands Albrecht back at the top of a television channel after nearly two years. He was behind brand-making hits including “The Sopranos,” “Sex and the City” and “Six Feet Under,” but was ousted in 2007 after being charged with assaulting his girlfriend.

Following in HBO’s footsteps, Starz has been making more forays into original programming in recent years. It’s trying to increase its cachet with cable subscribers and compete with other premium channels.

Starz has rolled out the sitcom “Head Case” and “Crash,” a drama based on the Oscar-winning movie. In January, it will debut “Spartacus: Blood and Sand,” a series about the slave who led a rebellion against Rome.

Still, Starz and its sister network, Encore, are known primarily for feature films. Starz has exclusive deals with Disney and Sony Pictures that give it first pay-TV rights to their new releases. It also has non-exclusive deals for theatrical titles from the other major studios.

“Starz is known primarily as a movie brand,” Albrecht said in an interview with The Post. “I don’t think that’s enough in this day and age.”

However, Albrecht said his goal isn’t to duplicate HBO. Rather, he believes he can create a brand for Starz that will differentiate it from its premium TV competitors.

“There already is an HBO and it’s a brand and a category leader,” Albrecht said. “Likewise, Showtime has done a good job. The job here and the fun challenge is finding a unique niche for Starz.”

While Albrecht said original programming is important, he also struck a cautious tone when it comes to costs, which will go up if Starz decides to invest more in creating shows.

“Original programming is a tool that you need to do at the right level of investment,” he said. “We are mid-stream in some projects and scheduling strategy.”

Albrecht, who will assume his new role as president and CEO of Starz on Jan. 1, is returning to pay TV after a short stint as head of media and entertainment at talent firm IMG Global. Albrecht, who spent two decades at the top of HBO, was forced to resign days after he pleaded no contest to choking his girlfriend after a boxing match in Las Vegas.

Albrecht is replacing Starz chief Bob Clasen, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Besides the pay-TV network, Albrecht will also oversee Starz’s Overture Films, Anchor Bay Entertainment and Film Roman.

holly.sanders@nypost.com