HBO's CEO, Richard Plepler, is leaving after 27 years and scores of Emmys

Richard Plepler, the gregarious chief executive of HBO and one of the most influential executives in entertainment, abruptly stepped down on Thursday. His decision came eight months after AT&T acquired Time Warner, the network’s corporate home, in an $85.4 billion deal.

Plepler found he had less autonomy after the merger, according to two people familiar with his thinking.

HBO, under his watch, won more than 160 Emmys for series like “Game of Thrones,” “Big Little Lies” and “Veep.” From his office at the network’s Manhattan headquarters overlooking Bryant Park,  Plepler, 60, had a strong hand in creating what is often referred to