WITH PROVOCATIVE SHOWS like Sex and the City, “The Sopranos,” Curb Your Enthusiasm, and “Six Feet Under,” the HBO channel has become one of the biggest players for its parent company, Time Warner, Inc.

Over the last five years its biggest successes have helped the network steadily draw in new subscribers and increase its earnings by 50 percent. But with the loss of two of its biggest hits–“Sex and the City” is wrapped up and “The Sopranos” begins its penultimate season Sunday–HBO has begun to rethink its business plan.

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