Frank Biondi Dies at 74; Headed Major Entertainment Companies

Frank Biondi Jr., whose financial and managerial expertise helped earn him the chief executive jobs at three entertainment giants — HBO, Viacom and Universal Studios — died Monday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 74. His daughter Anne Simonds said the cause was bladder cancer. Unlike some of the men he worked for, Biondi was not flashy. Rather, he was a quiet dealmaker known for giving savvy financial presentations and allowing executives beneath him the freedom to do their work without his...