In this May 20, 2012 file photo, director Michael Haneke speaks during a press conference for "Love" at the 65th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, file)
BERLIN (AP) --
Austrian film director Michael Haneke, an Academy Award and two-time Palme d'Or winner, has compared the Hollywood sexual harassment scandal to a "witch hunt" that has ushered in a "new, men-hating puritanism."
The director of "Amour" and "The White Ribbon" told Austrian daily Kurier that the #MeToo movement's "hysteria of prematurely denouncing" others was "disgusting."
He said what especially bothered him was the "complete spitefulness without any reflection and the blind rage, which is not based on facts but … destroys the lives of people whose crimes have not been proven."
Haneke said, "people are been killed in the media, lives and careers destroyed."
Several European film figures have expressed doubt about the American #MeToo movement including film star Catherine Deneuve and actor Liam Neeson.
Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.
The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.
The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.
DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.
"While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.
The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.
The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.
DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More
