Coda

HBO Finagles Naegle

New York — HBO has tapped a new head of series and specials, naming United Talent Agency executive Sue Naegle as president HBO Entertainment.

Naegle, who has spent the past 16 years at UTA, most recently as partner and co-head of its television department, is scheduled to begin her new job, overseeing all of the premium network’s original series and specials, later this month in Los Angeles. She will report to Michael Lombardo, president, programming group and West Coast operations, HBO.

Naegle succeeds Carolyn Strauss, who resigned her position last month.

At UTA, Naegle worked with HBO on Six Feet Under and the upcoming vampire show, True Blood, a lineage that made her a front-runner for the position. Her credits also include packaging ABC’s Men In Trees and the Fox sitcom The Bernie Mac Show.

Naegle began her career in the UTA mailroom in 1994, before becoming an agent. She was named co-head of the TV department and partner in 1999.

“We just think it’s a perfect fit,” said HBO co-president Richard Plepler and Lombardo in a joint statement. “Sue has great taste, superb relationships in the creative community and an innate sense of what makes a great HBO show.”

Naegle said she was intrigued by the prospects of joining the premium network. “HBO has always set the standard for excellence in programming and as the leading place for artists to do what they do best,” she said in a statement. “The opportunity to be a part of that process from development to execution was something I could not pass up.”

— Mike Reynolds

Concurrent: Mondo Mondor

Duluth, Ga. — Concurrent Computer hired telecommunications-industry veteran Dan Mondor as CEO, replacing Gary Trimm, who is retiring and will resign from the video-on-demand systems vendor’s board of directors.

Trimm, who was appointed CEO in mid-2004, will continue to serve as a part-time consultant following his retirement, according to the company. In a statement, Concurrent chairman Steve Nussrallah said, “Gary Trimm did an excellent job turning the business around and built a strong foundation that we believe Dan Mondor will be able to capitalize upon.”

Mondor previously held senior executive positions with Mitel Network Solutions, Nortel Networks and Siemens. Most recently, he was president of Mitel, with responsibility over United States operations. At Nortel, Mondor was vice president and general manager of Nortel’s global cable business.

— Todd Spangler

Reeling to The Max

New York — Documentary Channel will air 21 films from the Imax library of movies including the Tom Cruise-narrated Space Station as part of a deal between IMAX distributor Northstar Media and the network.

The multiyear agreement calls for the 12 million-subscriber Documentary Channel to exclusively distribute the “IMAX XXI Film package,” which includes such films as the Tom Hanks-narrated Magnificent Desolation, T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous and China: The Panda Adventure, said DOC president Tom Neff.

The films have a combined estimated total of more than $600 million in gross box office receipts, including three of the top 10 largest grossing films in IMAX history.

“IMAX has an unparalleled reputation with both the film industry and general public for producing extraordinary, awe-inspiring film experiences and Documentary Channel is proud to be the network to bring these spectacular films to North American television audiences for the first time,” says Neff. “They have been transferred to high def with meticulous care, and DOC is thrilled with the opportunity of unveiling these films on television.”

— R. Thomas Umstead

Intelsat Chair Beaming Out

New York — Joseph Wright, chairman of Intelsat, the world’s largest provider of fixed satellite services, has resigned, effective May 1, and will be succeeded by Raymond Svider, a managing partner of BC Partners, Intelsat’s majority shareholder. BC Partners won a bidding war to acquire Intelsat for $5 billion last year.

— Linda Moss

Library Books History Deal

New York — In a multimedia partnership, History will offer historical content from the Library of Congress’s collections on its linear TV networks and Web site.

As part of the arrangement, Americans will have access to the library’s collections via a variety of History brands.

It will also bring historical content to over 200,000 teachers across the country that use the channel’s branded educational materials in their classrooms, according to the partnership announced by James Billington, Librarian of Congress, and Abbe Raven, president and CEO of A&E Television Networks.

— Linda Moss

Amdocs Buys Supplier of Comcast

St. Louis — Amdocs acquired Jacobs Rimell, a provider of fulfillment solutions for cable operators, for approximately $45 million in cash.

The Jacobs Rimell system will be integrated into Amdocs’ operations support system offering, which is based on its prior acquisitions of DST Innovis and Cramer Systems Group. Comcast is a current customer of Jacobs Rimell and Amdocs, and Amdocs said the acquisition will expand its relationship with the operator.

— Todd Spangler

In Memoriam

Gary Morrison, director of account services for Tribune Media Services, died last week following a brain aneurysm that occurred on a business flight from Dallas to Chicago, Tribune said. He was 42.

Morrison, who joined Tribune Media Services 10 years ago, served as head of account services of the company’s marketing services unit. He also held leadership positions on the chapter boards of CTAM Carolinas and WICT Greater Texas.