In this Aug. 28, 2015 file photo, Deborah Cox attends the 2015 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif. Lifetime TV's "The Balancing Act" will feature several Broadway productions this summer, including a visit to Cox who is on tour with “The Bodyguard.” "The Balancing Act" launchs its third season Aug. 8. (Photo by Paul A. Hebert/Invision/AP, File)
By Mark Kennedy, Drama Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --
Lifetime TV's "The Balancing Act" will feature several Broadway productions this summer, including behind-the-curtain peeks on "An American in Paris," ''Finding Neverland" and "The King and I."
The shows will be included in a six-part "Broadway Balances America" series that offers viewers a look at the cast and crew who make the shows possible. "The Balancing Act" will launch its third season Aug. 8.
The episodes, sponsored by Broadway Across America, will also include visits to "The Illusionists – Live from Broadway," ''The Little Mermaid" and Deborah Cox on tour with "The Bodyguard."
The show is also available on Apple TV, Amazon and Roku.
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
