Showtime's Perennial Struggle to Capture That HBO Aura - New York Times

Showtime's Perennial Struggle to Capture That HBO Aura - New York Times: "But now Mr. Moonves, who will become chief executive of the broadcast and TV production units of Viacom next year, hopes to do what no Viacom executive has yet been able to do: turn Showtime into a hit maker to rival HBO.
It remains to be seen if he can find the same magic for Showtime that he used to overhaul CBS and make it the No. 1 broadcast network.
So far, Mr. Moonves professes confidence in Showtime management, which has generated buzz for some shows. Yet Showtime has been unable to increase subscriptions significantly; its 13.5 million subscribers are dwarfed by HBO's 28 million.
'I am a huge admirer of what HBO did,' Mr. Moonves said in a telephone interview. 'For the first time in many years Showtime is beginning to play in the same territory.'"