Naegle Named President of HBO Entertainment

By Jon Lafayette

HBO, looking to regain its position as a hot programming network, named Sue Naegle as president of HBO Entertainment.

Ms. Naegle has been co-head of the television department at United Talent Agency. She was responsible for packaging TV series including “Six Feet Under” and “True Blood” for HBO, as well as the broadcast network series “Men in Trees,” “The Bernie Mac Show,” “Aliens in America” and “Swingtown.”

Last year HBO lost CEO Chris Albrecht as well as its signature series “The Sopranos.” The network has tried a number of new shows that flopped, including “Tell Me That You Love Me” and “John From Cincinnati,” and recently opted not to air another series, “12 Miles of Bad Road,” after spending $25 million to produce six episodes.

Although the buzz around the networks’ shows is down, HBO has maintained its subscriber base, which generates a profit that is estimated to exceed $1 billion annually.

After Mr. Albrecht’s exit, following an altercation with his girlfriend after a boxing match in Las Vegas, Bill Nelson was named CEO, Richard Plepler was promoted to co-president of HBO responsible for programming and Michael Lombardo was named president of the programming group and West Coast operations.

Last month Carolyn Strauss, who had shepherded many of HBO’s hits as president of HBO Entertainment, said she wanted to step down from the network. Ms. Naegle will be taking her spot.

“Series programming has long been at the heart and soul of HBO’s program lineup,” Mr. Nelson said in a statement. “To bring in someone of Sue’s caliber to oversee a new generation of HBO programming is truly exciting.”

“We just think it’s a perfect fit,” Mr. Plepler and Mr. Lombardo said in a joint statement. “Sue has great taste, superb relationships in the creative community and an innate sense of what makes a great HBO show. We are thrilled to welcome her into the family.”

“I am delighted to be joining the team at HBO,” said Ms. Naegle in a statement. “I work in television, but I’m also a great fan of television.

“At UTA, I was part of an amazing team dedicated to helping writers fulfill their creative ambitions,” she continued. “HBO has always set the standard for excellence in programming and as the leading place for artists to do what they do best. The opportunity to be a part of that process, from development to execution, was something I could not pass up.”