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    U.K. tops Rockie Award nominations with 44, including 27 for BBC

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1427 Views
    DP Mark MacEwen lensing BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, which was nominated in the Environmental and Wildlife category of the 2020 Rockie Awards International Program Competition.
    BANFF, ALBERTA, Canada --

    The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) has unveiled the full list of nominees for the 2020 Rockie Awards International Program Competition, recognizing excellence in television and digital media from around the world. The Rockies Program Competition ceremony will stream live on Monday, June 15. 

    The Rockie Awards International Program Competition is one of the largest awards programs of its kind, juried by a panel of 150 international industry professionals and covering all major genres. The Rockie Awards Grand Jury chooses the coveted Grand Jury Prize, selected from the top-scoring programs across the entire field of nominees. This year’s Grand Jury includes: Kathleen Finch, chief lifestyle brands officer, Discovery, Inc., Lisa Godfrey, VP, original content, Corus Entertainment Inc., Devin Griffin, general manager, BET+, BET Networks, Paul Mortimer, head of digital channels and acquisitions, ITV, Jill Offman, managing director, Viacom International Studios UK and EVP Comedy Central & Paramount Network International, and Linda Simensky, head of PBS KIDS Content, PBS KIDS.

    This year’s in-person Banff World Media Festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 health crisis; however, in addition to the Rockie Awards virtual program, the festival team is working on new ways to connect, inform, inspire and serve the global media industry.

    “Although we are not able to gather in-person, this year’s virtual Rockie Awards will, as ever, be a place to honor outstanding creative work,” said Jenn Kuzmyk, executive director of the Banff World Media Festival, adding, “We will also take this opportunity to recognize the challenges that are being experienced within our sector and the role that our industry continues to play by uniting global audiences, informing, entertaining and giving comfort during extraordinarily difficult times.”

    In addition to the $25,000 Rogers Prize for Excellence in Canadian Content, awarded to the top Canadian production, 26 awards are bestowed in the category streams of Documentary & Factual, Arts & Entertainment, Children & Youth, Scripted and new this year, Podcast.

    Leading nominations by company are:  

    • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) – 27 nominations
    • Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) –12 nominations
    • Sky – 8 nominations 
    • National Geographic – 6 nominations
    • HBO – 5 nominations
    • ARTE France and Yle – 4 nominations each

    Leading nominations by country are: 

    • The UK – 44 nominations
    • USA – 43 nominations 
    • Canada – 37 nominations
    • Belgium – 7 nominations
    • France – 6 nominations
    • Germany – 6 nominations 
    • Japan – 5 nominations

    For the full list of nominees, click here.

     

    Tags:Banff World Media FestivalBBCRockie Awards International Program Competition



    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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