This combination photo shows actress Holly Hunter at the 29th annual Producers Guild Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 20, 2018, left, and actor Ted Danson at the NBC 2019/2020 Upfront in New York on May 13, 2019. NBC announced that Hunter and Danson will star in a comedy set in the world of local politics. (AP Photo)
LOS ANGELES (AP) --
Holly Hunter will star opposite Ted Danson in an upcoming NBC comedy set in the world of local politics.
The network said Wednesday that Hunter will play a liberal Los Angeles city councilwoman in the series from writer-producers Tina Fey and Robert Carlock.
Hunter's character is a veteran politician who's suspicious of Danson's newly elected mayor, a wealthy businessman who's never served in government.
Hunter is an Academy Award winner for the 1993 film "The Piano" and has three other Oscar nominations. She's also worked extensively in TV, most recently in the HBO series "Succession," and received six Emmy nods.
Danson stars in NBC's comedy "The Good Place," which is in its final season.
An air date for the untitled series wasn't announced.
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
