In this Jan. 11, 2015 file photo, performers John Legend, left, and Common pose in the press room after the award for best original song “Glory” in a film for “Selma” at the 72nd annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif. The pair will perform their Oscar-nominated song “Glory” at the Academy Awards. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) --
Common and John Legend will perform their Oscar-nominated song "Glory" at the Academy Awards.
The song is from the civil rights drama "Selma" and is among the five nominees for best song. The other four are "Everything Is Awesome," from "The Lego Movie"; "Grateful," from "Beyond the Lights"; "I'm Not Gonna Miss You," from "Glen Campbell … I'll Be Me"; and "Lost Stars," from "Begin Again."
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also announced Tuesday that "Let It Go" songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez are writing an original number for host Neil Patrick Harris. The pair won the best-song Oscar last year for the ubiquitous "Frozen" song.
The 87th Oscars will be held Feb. 22 in Los Angeles.
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
