The industry in which Mr. Plepler thrived has been destabilized recently by the entry of big-spending digital rivals like Netflix and Amazon. Mr. Plepler joined HBO as a public relations official in 1992, some years after serving as an aide to Christopher J. Dodd, then a United States senator from Connecticut. Before long, Mr. Plepler oversaw HBO’s communications department, but his position was greater than his title suggested. He moved into the role of co-president in 2007, after the network’s chief executive at the time, Chris Albrecht, resigned after being accused of assaulting his girlfriend. Mr. Plepler became chief executive in 2013 and continued to show a knack for picking material that pleased critics while also delivering the occasional cheap thrill.

Source: New York Times February 28, 2019 22:40 UTC