Richard Plepler is stepping down as chairman and CEO of HBO after almost three decades heading up the premium cable network.<\/b>
\nRichard Plepler is stepping down as chairman and CEO of HBO after almost three decades heading up the premium cable network, announcing the news to staff in a memo Thursday.
The now-exiting HBO chief has been with the \u201cHome Box Office\u201d network since 1992, rising to the role of co-president in 2007 and then to his current position as chairman and CEO in 2013.
The news of Plepler\u2019s exit comes one day after the Wall Street Journal reported AT&T \u2014 which purchased HBO\u2019s parent company, Time Warner, in a merger last year \u2014 and WarnerMedia are considering combining HBO and Turner Entertainment into a single unit, along with the upcoming streaming service, and are in talks with former NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt to oversee it.
The day before, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Greenblatt was being eyed for a top role at WarnerMedia.
\u201cIn the past weeks, I\u2019ve thought a lot about the incredible journey of this company in the nearly 28 years that I have been blessed to be here,\u201d Plepler wrote in his letter to HBO employees. \u201cIt\u2019s a journey of great pride and accomplishment because so many of you, and many others before us, have made HBO a cultural and business phenomenon. Thanks to all of you, we are today churning on all cylinders both creatively and as a business. Thanks to all of you, I can move on to the next chapter of my life knowing that the best team in the industry remains here to carry on our continued progress and success. As I have said before, this is the team of teams.\u201d
Also Read: Bob Greenblatt in Talks With WarnerMedia to Head Up Combined HBO and Turner (Report)
\u201cI look forward over the coming weeks to thanking as many of you as I can for the thousands of contributions big and small that have made \u2018this thing of ours,\u2019 to quote Tony Soprano, so special,\u201d he continued. \u201cI have told [WarnerMedia CEO] John [Stankey], who has been nothing but gracious since we spoke, that I would work closely with him to assure a seamless and organic transition.\u201d
\u201cRichard is one of the most successful executives in our industry and I have been fortunate to have his support over the last months,\u201d Stankey said in a statement to TheWrap. \u201cHis vision, energy and passion helped to elevate HBO\u2019s brand to what it has become today. Richard\u2019s impact to our business and on the passionate viewers of HBO\u2019s enduring programming will continue to be felt for years.\u201d
A representative for WarnerMedia declined TheWrap\u2019s request for comment on the possibility Greenblatt will take over, following news of Plepler\u2019s exit.
Read Plepler\u2019s memo in full below.<\/p>\n