In this Thursday, May 18, 2017 file photo, actress Uma Thurman poses for photographers during the photo call for the Un Certain Regard jury, at the 70th international film festival, Cannes, southern France. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
PRAGUE (AP) --
An annual international film festival in the western Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary is kicking off with awards for Oscar-nominated actress Uma Thurman, Academy Award winner Casey Affleck and film composer James Newton Howard.
Affleck, who won his first Oscar this year for his role in "Manchester by the Sea," and Thurman, nominated for an Oscar in 1994 for best supporting actress in "Pulp Fiction," will both receive the festival president's award Friday on the opening night of the festival's 52nd edition.
Howard, who created music for over 130 movies — including "The Hunger Games" and "Batman Begins" — will be honored for his outstanding contribution to world cinema.
The festival's grand jury will consider 12 movies for the top prize, the Crystal Globe, at event that runs through July 8.
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
