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    Actress-writer Waithe: Films fall short of ethnic equality

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments2038 Views
    This combination photo shows Lena Waithe (left) at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Grants Banquet in Beverly Hills on Aug. 9, 2018, and Hannah Gadsby at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 17, 2018. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

    By Lynn Elber, Television Writer

    LOS ANGELES (AP) --

    Hollywood is falling short of ethnic equality despite black-led films including "Black Panther," actress and award-winning writer Lena Waithe said.

    There are "a million 'La La Lands' every year. How often do we get a 'Moonlight'? How often do we get 'Black Panther'?" she said. "What to me will be true equality is when 'Black Panther' comes out and it's just like 'Captain America.'"

    Waithe, an actress and Emmy-winning screenwriter with the streaming comedy "Master of None" who was in the film "Ready Player One," joined in conversation with comedian Hannah Gadsby at an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences lunch.

    The event marked the launch of an academy initiative aimed at creating opportunities for female filmmakers to network and celebrate inclusiveness. It included presentation of a newly established Academy Gold Fellowship to young filmmaker Geeta Malik, writer-director of the award-winning online short "Aunty Gs" and films including "Beast" and "Troublemaker."

    Music legend and activist Annie Lennox also spoke at the event, making a case for "global feminism" to support women and girls in crisis worldwide.

    Gadsby, the Australian comic who made a splash with her standup special "Nanette," said her autism has made her acutely aware of screen characters who are relegated to the "periphery" of the action.

    She said television has become a "Trojan horse" that brings such sidelined characters into the forefront of stories.

    Tags:Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesAnnie LennoxHannah GadsbyLena Waithe



    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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