Terry Bryant appears during a hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court, Wednesday, March 28, 2018, in Los Angeles. Bryant, who is charged with stealing Frances McDormand's Oscar statuette at an Academy Awards after-party, appeared in court but the quick resolution to the case that was expected did not emerge. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
LOS ANGELES (AP) --
The man charged with stealing Frances McDormand's Oscar statuette at an Academy Awards after-party appeared in court Wednesday but the quick resolution to the case that was expected did not emerge.
Terry Bryant wore a gray pinstriped suit instead of the blue jail jumpsuit of his previous court appearance and smiled politely throughout the very brief hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Bryant had been found eligible for so-called early disposition — a relaxing of legal formalities intended to bring a quick resolution to some cases.
But he remains charged with felony grand theft and faces up to three years in prison.
Bryant's attorney Daniel Brookman says Bryant's not-guilty plea stands. He insists this is "not a prison case" and expects a deal by the next hearing on May 1.
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
