In this July 17, 2014 file photo, Gary Glasberg executive producer/showrunner of "NCIS" appears at the "NCIS: New Orleans" panel at the CBS 2014 Summer TCA in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) --
The executive producer of TV's "NCIS" and creator of "NCIS: New Orleans" has died. CBS says in a statement that Gary Glasberg died in his sleep Wednesday. He was 50.
Glasberg joined "NCIS" as a producer and writer in 2009 and became its showrunner in 2011. He launched the New Orleans version of the show in 2014.
CBS Television President David Stapf said Glasberg "brought kindness, integrity and class to everything he did."
Glasberg's other television credits include "Shark," ''The Mentalist," ''Crossing Jordan" and "Bones."
He is survived by his wife, Mimi Schmir, and their two sons, Dash and Eli. Glasberg is also survived by his father and sister. A memorial service is planned for next month.
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
