HBO Sports "executive search" to find a replacement for longtime department president Ross Greenburg went all the way from Sixth Avenue, across Seventh Avenue and then over to Broadway and the main offices of rival prime cable network Showtime.
Word circulating throught the boxing world Thursday morning, and something that was then confirmed by two former Showtime boxing executives, is that Greenburg's big shoes will be filled by his former rival, Showtime's Ken Hershman.
The more you think about it, this lateral move across midtown Manhattan is a compliment from HBO to Hershman and Showtime, the latter network always working with a smaller boxing budget than does the richer HBO.(Credit for the "scoop" goes to the website of trade publication, Broadcasting & Cable.)
"It's a done deal, like Theo Epstein leaving the Red Sox and going to take over the lowly Chicago Cubs," one ex-Showtime suit told me. "I don't when Theo starts at the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field but Hershman reports for duty at HBO in January."
Hershman was a valued employee at Showtime as the guy buying or not boxing events and as the brains behind the Super Middleweight Tournament. Hershman fits in Greenburg's post because he also handled sports programming not connected to boxing or mixed martial arts such as "Inside The NFL."
It remains to be seen whether Hershman will bring in his own guy or seek to retain the services of Kery Davis at HBO. The expectation is the Hershman will want to select his own loyal lieutenant for the job now held down by Dartmouth Law School grad Davis. It's possible that Davis will move to a different job at HBO, perhaps in the legal department, as he is well regarded by colleagues.
A new face in the HBO hierarchy is young writer Peter Owen Nelson, who was hired in August. He has been preparing a book about Manny Pacquiao trainer Coach Freddie Roach.
HERE'S HBO PRESS RELEASE, IN TOTO:
NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2011 – Veteran sports television executive Ken Hershman will join HBO in January 2012 as President, HBO Sports, it was announced today by Michael Lombardo, President, HBO Programming, to whom he will report. Hershman will be responsible for the strategic direction and overseeing the HBO Sports division, including the boxing franchise and HBO Pay-Per-View®. The HBO Sports portfolio includes the Emmy®-winning journalism program “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel”; the Peabody Award-winning Legends & Legacies documentary unit; and the groundbreaking reality series “Hard Knocks” and the “24/7” franchise.
“Richard [Plepler, HBO co-president] and I believe that Ken is a perfect fit for HBO Sports,” said Lombardo. “He has a deep and thorough understanding of the sport of boxing and that background will be invaluable as he transitions to his role at HBO. Ken has demonstrated a capacity to think outside the box, and the combination of his experience and reputation make him the ideal executive addition to HBO’s already stellar sports department.”
Hershman joins HBO from Showtime, where he had been the executive vice president & general manager, Sports & Event Programming, since Oct. 2003. Hershman started at Showtime in 1992 as counsel, Showtime Networks, Inc. and moved into a senior programming role in Sports and Events in Jan. 2001. Prior to that, he served as senior vice president, associate general counsel for Showtime Networks Inc., a position he held since Feb. 1997.
Says Hershman, "Working at Showtime was an amazing experience, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have developed countless friendships and relationships across the organization. While I am sure that I will miss them all, I am excited by the opportunity to join the team at HBO and contribute to one of television’s most dynamic companies.”
Regarded in the sports television community as a proven innovator, Hershman is a graduate of the Fordham University School of Law, where he was a member of the International Law Journal and received his B.A. degree with distinction from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. in 1985.
Hershman will begin his new duties at HBO on Jan. 9, 2012.
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