HBO's Richard Plepler, tastemaker behind TV hits like 'Game of Thrones, quits

HBO Chairman and CEO Richard Plepler is quitting after 27 years molding the premium cable network into the industry's tastemaker with such shows as "Game of Thrones," "Silicon Valley" and "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver."

Plepler's exit had been in the works for nearly a month and follows AT&T's takeover last year of Time Warner, which had been the parent company of HBO, CNN and Warner Bros. studio. The Dallas-based telecommunications giant is