In this Monday, Jan. 15, 2018 file photo, host Anthony Anderson speaks at the 49th annual NAACP Image Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) --
The NAACP Image Awards will be televised live for the first time from the Dolby Theatre.
NAACP and TV One officials announced Thursday that the 50th awards ceremony will be televised on the cable network at the venue in Hollywood, California, on March 30. The event will spotlight the contributions of the NAACP and the organization's impact on the community.
NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson called the award's 50th anniversary a "major milestone in bringing visibility" to the achievements of the African-Americans in entertainment, literature and the arts.
Along with the live telecast, TV One will air the announcement of nominees. The date for nominations has not been announced.
Last year, Ava DuVernay was named entertainer of the year. Hit series "black-ish" and "Power" won multiple awards.
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
