Not unlike “The Sopranos,” HBO kept its leadership in the family by elevating a team of executives headed by Bill Nelson to plug the holes created by former CEO Chris Albrecht’s spectacular meltdown last month.
Nelson, previously the pay-TV channel’s chief operating officer, was named chairman and CEO, while Harold Akselrad, Eric Kessler and Richard Plepler were all appointed co-presidents of the network.
The four executives have a combined 83 years experience at HBO, and their promotions are in keeping with the view at parent company Time Warner that “HBO has been on a hot streak, and these are the guys that have been there delivering the hits,” said one source.
Under the new structure, Akselrad will manage HBO’s legal and business affairs, film acquisitions and technology groups as well as continuing in his role as the network’s general counsel. Kessler, who has been active in developing HBO’s digital strategy and is responsible for about $3 billion in affiliate and international sales annually, will oversee marketing and worldwide distribution.
Plepler, who is a close friend of Time Warner heir apparent Jeff Bewkes, will have responsibility for HBO’s corporate communications and programming activities.
Plepler’s elevation represents the most intriguing of the group given that after “The Sopranos” ends its run on Sunday, “Entourage” will represent the only legacy show left from HBO’s string of original programming hits that transformed the network from a movie channel into a creative powerhouse.
HBO – and by extension Time Warner – is essentially expecting an executive who hails from the public relations side of the business to re-create the network’s programming slate at one of the most critical junctures in its history. And at a time when rival Showtime, with hits such as “Weeds,” “Dexter” and “The Tudors,” is gaining popularity.
But Plepler isn’t exactly going into the job green – he was an integral part of HBO’s programming-planning committee.
As one source noted, “He’s a strategy guy and understands the HBO brand better than anyone at the network. He knows what programming will fit best with the HBO brand.”
And Plepler won’t exactly be alone in making the programming calls. HBO also said yesterday that it promoted Michael Lombardo to lead the programming group and operations on the West Coast.
Time Warner has in the past named creative types and finance types to lead HBO. Nelson, like Bewkes before him, hails from the financial. Former CEO Albrecht was a creative guy, as was Michael Fuchs, whose tenure at HBO preceded Bewkes’.
Albrecht resigned from his post last month after he was arrested in Las Vegas on assault charges.