In this Oct. 27, 2017 photo, Kevin Spacey presents the award for excellence in television at the BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) --
Los Angeles County prosecutors are investigating allegations of a 2016 sexual assault by Kevin Spacey for possible criminal charges.
Spokesman Greg Risling said Wednesday that a district attorney's task force on sexual misconduct had received the case.
Sheriff's spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said detectives in the department's Malibu-area station started the investigation in May. Nishida says the allegations stem from an October 2016 incident.
It's the second Spacey case the task force is considering. The first dates to 1992 and could prove impossible to prosecute because of statutes of limitations.
Spacey spokeswoman Laura Johnson did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
The Academy Award-winning actor has lost several roles since he was first publicly accused of sexual misconduct in October.
He's also under investigation in six cases in London.
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
