Casey Bloys, HBO’s chief executive, has a reputation in the entertainment industry as an effective programmer and an easy-going executive who stays abreast of what’s going on.
All of this made his appearance at a press conference on Thursday, in which he discussed his role at the center of a media storm, quite noticeable.
Mr. Bloys confirmed his involvement in an attempt to create fake Twitter accounts to respond to television critics who had negative views about HBO programs. And yes, he said, it was “a very, very stupid idea to vent my frustration.”
The comments, made at an event focused on the network’s upcoming shows, came a day after Rolling Stone reported on Twitter about Mr. Bloys’ efforts to push back against critics. The article caught the attention of much of the entertainment industry, and several rival executives privately pondered how the HBO executive could be so thin-skinned. New York Magazine described it as a “mini-scandal” that “may be the funniest thing to happen to the media in years.”
In its article, Rolling Stone said that Mr. Bloys and Kathleen McCaffrey, another HBO executive, began discussing the Twitter plan starting in June 2020. (Twitter has since been renamed X.)
“Who can go on a mission,” Mr. Bloys wrote to his colleague, according to the report. He asked to find a “mole” who would “stay at arm’s length” from HBO executives. “We just need someone to make her point and make her feel bad,” he wrote, referring to one critic.
A former HBO employee created a fake Twitter profile and began responding to critics, the article said.
Rolling Stone came across the text messages while reporting on a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by a former employee, Sully Temori, who ran the network along with two executives and several producers of the now-canceled show “The Idol,” where he worked. sued.
Rolling Stone reported that the posts to critics — as well as anonymous comments to entertainment trade publication Deadline — were dated from June 2020 to April 2021.
“Think about 2020 and 2021, I’m working from home and spending an unhealthy amount of time scrolling through Twitter,” Mr Bloys said on Thursday.
“I apologize to the people mentioned in the leaked emails and texts,” he continued. “Of course no one wants to be part of history that they have nothing to do with.”
Executives at HBO, as at other networks that specialize in prestige television, heavily consider critical response as a benchmark in deciding whether or not to renew a show. The channel has a history of populating critics’ favorites lists and has been a dominant player in televised awards shows.
“I want people to love them,” Mr. Bloys said Thursday, referring to the network’s offerings. “I want you all to love them. It’s very important to me what you all think of the shows.”
Mr Bloys then suggested that he had deviated from the fake Twitter account’s tactics and instead addressed critics directly via the direct message button.
“As many of you know, I have made progress in using DMs over the last few years,” Mr. Bloys said. “So now when I have a problem with something in a review or have a problem with something I see, I DM many of you, and many of you are kind enough to reach out to me in the back and forth set. And I think that’s probably a much healthier approach.”