Ma Anand Sheela, spokeswoman for the controversial Osho spiritual movement in the 1980's, speaks to her fans in New Delhi, India, Friday, Nov. 1, 2019. Ma Anand Sheela, who helped controversial Indian mystic Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh set up a commune in Oregon in the 1980’s and was a subject of the hit series Wild Wild Country, will star in a new documentary filmed during her first trip to India in 34 years. (AP Photo/ Krithika Varagur)
By Krithika Varagur
NEW DELHI (AP) --
Ma Anand Sheela, who helped controversial Indian mystic Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh set up a commune in Oregon in the 1980s and was a subject of the hit Netflix series Wild Wild Country, will star in a new documentary shot during her first trip to India in 34 years.
Netflix India announced the documentary on Friday as she ended her monthlong India tour. Top Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar is producing the film.
Ma Sheela is a former convicted felon who directed one of the largest bioterror attacks in U.S. history in 1984, in which more than 750 people were given food poisoning in an attempt to influence local elections by preventing them from voting.
"I have nothing to apologize for," she told the AP when asked about her past.
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
