This photo provided by New York Fire Department shows FDNY Firefighter Michael R. Davidson of Engine Company 69. Davidson was killed after a massive fire broke out at a building in the Harlem section of New York, Thursday, March 22, 2108, where a movie directed by Edward Norton was being shot. Davidson, a 15-year department veteran is survived by a wife and four children. (New York Fire Department via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) --
A firefighter who was killed battling a fire on a New York City movie set has been posthumously promoted to lieutenant.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro announced firefighter Michael Davidson's promotion on Saturday.
Davidson died early Friday after suffering severe smoke inhalation in the burning basement of a Harlem building where the movie "Motherless Brooklyn" was being filmed.
The film adaptation of the Jonathan Lethem novel of the same name stars Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Willem Dafoe and Alec Baldwin.
Davidson was a 15-year Fire Department veteran with a wife and four young children.
Nigro called Davidson "a natural-born leader" and said his promotion to lieutenant was well-deserved.
Davidson had passed the test for lieutenant in 2015 and was on the list for promotion.
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
