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    Former Trump aide Hope Hicks to work at Fox company

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1557 Views
    In this Feb. 27, 2018 photo, White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, one of President Trump's closest aides and advisers, arrives to meet behind closed doors with the House Intelligence Committee, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

    By David Bauder, Media Writer

    NEW YORK (AP) --

    President Trump's former communications chief Hope Hicks is taking on a similar role at the new Fox company, meaning she'll supervise messaging at her former boss' favorite television network.

    The new company, being created by the shedding of many of 21st Century Fox's entertainment assets to the Walt Disney Co., will include Fox News Channel, the Fox broadcasting network, several local Fox stations and Fox Sports.

    Hicks' hiring was announced Monday by Viet Dinh, chief legal and policy officer. Hicks, who left the White House on March 29, will be based in Los Angeles.

    Hicks had a mostly behind-the-scenes role at the White House. But she was one of the president's most trusted aides, and had worked for him at his real estate company before Trump was elected president.

    It's not immediately clear how much of a role Hicks, 29, will have at the New York-based Fox News, where communications has been run for several years by Irena Briganti. It seems to deepen the relationship between Fox News and the White House, where former Fox News executive Bill Shine is the communications director.

    Trump gives the bulk of his television interviews to Fox News.

    White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted that Fox won't find anyone smarter or more talented than Hicks. "So happy for my friend," she tweeted. "They are beyond lucky to have you."

    Dinh also announced the hiring of Danny O'Brien from General Electric as head of government affairs for the new company. O'Brien is a longtime Washington hand who was staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and chief of staff to three senators.

    The new company is expected to get an official name and begin operations early next year.

    Julie Henderson and Nathaniel Brown, the communications team at 21st Century Fox, aren't moving to the new company.

    Tags:FoxHope Hicks



    DirecTV calls off acquisition of rival Dish, possibly ending a yearslong pursuit

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    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

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