• by Wayne Friedman , December 22, 2009

Former HBO senior executive Chris Albrecht has been hired as president/CEO of pay-cable TV service Starz LLC.

Albrecht, who was chairman/CEO of HBO from 2002 to 2007, led the cable network to some of its most productive years. He replaces Robert Clasen, who is retiring, and has been CEO of Starz since 2006. Most recently, Albrecht ran Foresee Entertainment.

Under Albrecht, HBO brought online such high-profile shows as "Sex and the City," "The Sopranos," "Six Feet Under," "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel," "Deadwood," "Band of Brothers" and "Entourage." He left the company in 2007, following an arrest in Las Vegas involving an alleged incident with a woman.

Greg Maffei, Liberty Media president and CEO, stated: "With his extensive experience and success in creating compelling original content and building a premium pay channel, Chris is a recognized visionary in the creative community and uniquely qualified to lead Starz into the future."

Albrecht will take control of all Starz divisions, Starz Entertainment, Overture Films, Anchor Bay Entertainment and Film Roman, starting Jan. 1. He had already been in talks with Starz, developing a drama about the fashion industry.

A 20-year HBO veteran, Albrecht also held the post of president, HBO Independent Productions, developing the broadcast network series "Martin" and "Everybody Loves Raymond." Before HBO, Albrecht spent five years at International Creative Management.

Starz offers 16 movie channels under its Starz and Encore brands, which have approximately 17 million and 31 million subscribers, respectively.