Montreal: Astral Distribution has renewed an agreement with u.s. pay-tv network Home Box Office assigning Astral the Canadian television rights to hbo movies and programs.

The agreement was announced Jan. 19 by Stephen Greenberg, senior vice-president of Astral Entertainment Group, and Charles Schreger, vice-president, HBO Enterprises.

hbo movie titles include And the Band Played On, Barbarians at the Gate and The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom. A number of hbo comedy specials are also in the mix.

In other news from Astral, the company announced a $28.5 million public share offering of 1.5 million class a non-voting common shares at $19 per share.

Richardson Greenshields and Midland Walwyn Capital are underwriting 1.25 million shares of the new issue plus an additional 250,000 non-voting shares held by Astral management personnel. Concurrent with the public offering, Toronto-based Rogers Communications is purchasing 250,000 of the new shares.

David Novek, Astral vice-president, corporate communications, says proceeds will be used to finance Astral’s compact disc and duplicating operation in Boca Raton, Florida, set to open this spring, and for the upgrading and expansion of technical facilities in Montreal.

In addition, AstralTech has announced three senior management appointments.

Pierre Leger, former director with Via Rail’s communications and audio-visual service, has been named director of the AstralTech Video Post-Production Centre, effective immediately.

The centre’s former director, industry veteran Gary Teltscher, has been named to the newly created post of director, technical services. Teltscher becomes responsible for all technical operations, including the laboratory, dubbing studio and the video post-production center.

Louis L’Homme will become director of the AstralTech film lab when current director, Henri Martineau, retires later this year.