Will Starz Face PR Challenges With Hire of Former HBO CEO Chris Albrecht?

So far the answer is a resounding no. Albrecht, who led HBO into original programming with hits like “The Sopranos” and “Sex and the City,” left the company in 2007 after he was arrested in Las Vegas and charged with assaulting his girlfriend. Now he has joined HBO competitor Starz as president and chief executive.

Of the many stories covering the move, some have not mentioned Albrecht’s run in with the law, and those that did mentioned it briefly. “I applaud Starz’s decision. This is America and everyone deserves a second chance,” said Middleberg Communications principal Jim Dowd, who works with a number of TV clients, including MTV, A&E, Animal Planet and IFC.

Feren Communications handles PR for Starz programming and declined to comment as they do not handle corporate PR for the company.

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