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    PBS to mark its 50th anniversary with “American Portrait”

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments2217 Views
    Paula Kerger, president and CEO at PBS, speaks at the executive session during the PBS Winter 2020 TCA Press Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020, in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)
    PASADENA, Calif. (AP) --

    PBS will mark its 50th year with an exploration of what it means to be an American in a rancorous period.

    "At a time when our country feels perhaps the fabric is becoming a bit frayed, we felt it was important for us to step back and really look at who we are," PBS chief executive Paula Kerger told a TV critics meeting Friday. 

    Her perception in traveling throughout the country, she said, "is what binds us together is so much more apparent than what separates us." 

    "PBS American Portrait," is the network's most ambitious multi-platform project yet and aims to foster a nationwide discussion about America and its people, said programming chief Perry Simon. It will encompass a variety of working parts, starting with video, photo and other content from the public and including a web miniseries, local and national art exhibits and a documentary series airing in January 2021.

    Participants are being asked to share their stories, filling in the blanks for such "conversation starters" as "I was raised to believe" and "What keeps me up at night," PBS said in announcing the project.

    Americans can submit content on PBS' website, with community and local leaders called on to encourage people in their circle to share their stories.

    The digital miniseries will launch in spring 2020, available to PBS Digital Studios' subscribers on platforms including YouTube and Facebook Watch.

    Tags:American PortraitPaula KergerPBS



    DirecTV calls off acquisition of rival Dish, possibly ending a yearslong pursuit

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    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

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