Register

    2 helicopters carrying reality show team crash in Argentina, 10 dead

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments757 Views
    A man stands near one of two helicopters that crashed near Villa Castelli in the La Rioja province of Argentina, Monday, March 9, 2015. (AP Photo/Jose Alamo)
    LA RIOJA, Argentina (AP) --

    Two helicopters carrying passengers filming a popular European reality show crashed Monday in a remote area of northwest Argentina, killing eight French citizens and two Argentines, authorities said.

    The helicopters crashed while flying near Villa Castelli in La Rioja province, about 727 miles (1,170 kilometers) northwest of Buenos Aires, La Rioja Secretary of Security Cesar Angulo told television station TN. All 10 people on board both aircraft were killed.

    "An explosion occurred and it's believed that they must have collided," said Angulo. "Aeronautical experts will have to determine that."

    La Rioja police commissary Fabian Gordillo told state news agency Telam that the dead included two Argentine pilots and eight French citizens. The Argentine pilots were identified as Juan Carlos Castillo and Roberto Abate. The identities of the Frenchmen were not released.

    The mayor of Villa Castelli, Andres Navarrete, said the French nationals were part of a team filming the reality show "Dropped," a survivalist program with several versions across Europe.

    "The causes of the crash are not known," Navarrete told radio station Cadena 3. "The helicopters hit the ground and we have this tragedy."

    Angulo said one of the helicopters belonged to La Rioja province and the other belonged to the neighboring province of Santiago del Estero.

    Several after-hours calls to various departments within the municipality of Villi Castelli were not answered.

    Tags:helicopter crashreality show



    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

    MySHOOT Profiles


    Add A Comment