It’s the ultimate premium channel. The one that separates the haves from the have nots—at least when it comes to cable packages. HBO or Home Box Office is the pinnacle of cable television. Ok, maybe I’m going a bit far, but I remember how excited I was when one day HBO was suddenly part of my family’s cable package. The cable company made a mistake, and I was now able to watch all kinds of great movies in the comfort of my own home (and without having my mom take me to Blockbuster). Of course, HBO, which is based in New York City, isn’t just about movies. Their original programming is one of the key reasons that they have more than 40 million subscribers in the US. HBO’s series past and present include Arliss, Sex and the City, Entourage, The Sopranos, Fraggle Rock, and plenty of others. Then there are their documentaries and sports coverage. It’s why people pay extra for HBO (and Cinemax, its sister station): high quality programming without commercials.

Do You Get HBO?

What many people don’t realize about HBO is the role that they’ve played in the history of cable and satellite television. TV used to be free. Then people started paying for cable with packages of channels. Then HBO came along and people started paying extra for individual channels. It almost sounds like the evolution towards paid content that we’re seeing on the Internet; however, I’m not sure that anyone is constantly innovating like HBO has done in the television industry. They were the first to transmit digitally. The first to encrypt their satellite signal. The first to broadcast in HD. The first to offer premium video on demand. HBO knows what their customers want before they want it, so they’re continually able to stay ahead of other premium channels. It will be exciting to see how HBO transforms as more and more content moves online.

Now, what if you want to be a part of the future of HBO? You’ll have to head over to their Jobs page, which is hosted by Time Warner, their parent company. Right now there are 44 openings, and a few of them look well suited to new and recent grads. Unfortunately the Time Warner applicant tracking systems is a total piece of crap, so I can’t link you directly to positions. You should look out for the following job titles: Broadcast Installation Technician, HBO Sports – Production Associate, Project Coordinator, Digital Media Coordinator, CRO Assistant, HBO/DGA Television Directing Fellowship Program, On-Air Planner, and Freelance Production Designer – Off-Air Creative Services. It’s hard to say which of these positions are truly entry level and which require a couple years of experience, but all of them should be worth looking at. You can apply online, by finding the specific job listings on HBO’s Jobs page.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• HBO.com
• Jobs at HBO (Time Warner Site)
• About HBO
• HBO’s FAQs
• HBO on Wikipedia

Did you get HBO growing up?

We've identified HBO as having career opportunities in the following categories:

• all employers
• design
• engineering
• information technology
• interactive media
• New York
• production
• sports
• television
• video

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