In this July 24, 2014 file photo, Market Basket assistant managers Mike Forsyth, left, and John Surprenant, second from left, hold signs while posing with employees in Haverhill, Mass. A documentary “We the People: The Market Basket Effect” will be shown in select Boston area theaters April 14, 2016. (AP Photo)
BOSTON (AP) --
A documentary on one of the most remarkable work stoppages in U.S. labor history will hit the big screen in Boston.
"We the People: The Market Basket Effect" will be shown in select Boston area theaters April 14. The distributor, FilmBuff, says it will also be released on-demand.
The documentary chronicles the feud within the family that owns and operates the Market Basket grocery chain and an ensuing 2014 walkout by employees loyal to ousted CEO Arthur T. Demoulas.
Market Basket employees had walked off the job not for better pay or benefits, but solely because they wanted their boss back. The standoff ended with Demoulas' reinstatement.
Producer Nick Buzzell says he was "blown away" by the walkout. Actor and Massachusetts native Michael Chiklis narrates the film.
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
