Friends Blog To HBO Chief’s Defense, Slam Press

Ari Emanuel on the press “who dug up a 16 year old incident, dusted off the cobwebs covering it, and suddenly created ‘a pattern’ of behavior that required the delivery of Chris’ head on a platter” and how Albrecht’s track record should speak for itself:

Chris Albrecht, like the rest of us, is not a perfect person. But he is a brilliant executive who helped turn HBO from a place to watch movies, stand-up comedy, and boxing into the home for some of the most creative and challenging original programming in the history of television. He has an amazing eye for talent, the ability to nurture that talent, and the patience to let outside-the-box shows find their audience. Without him, we wouldn’t have had The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Six Feet Under, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, or Everyone Loves Raymond (which HBO produced).

We probably would’ve left that last one off. As far as HBO being an “old boys” club, Emanuel testifies it is not: “Just ask Carolyn Strauss, Sheila Nevins, or any of the other high-powered female executives who work there.”

EARLIER:

HBO’s Chief Gets Whacked

HBO Chief Takes Leave After Alleged Beating Of Girlfriend In Vegas: Memo

Launch a social media campaign that will build your brand and deliver results in our online Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting June 7. Speakers include Abigail Cusick (Bravo Digital), Gregory Galant (Sawhorse Media), Alex Leo (Thomson Reuters Digital), Jim Tobin (Ignite Social Media), and many more. Read the reviews.