Hollywood
Taylor Swift joins ‘The Voice’ as adviser
MUMBAI: Pop star Taylor Swift is all set to join the seventh season of NBC’s reality singing competition The Voice as a guest mentor, according to media reports.
Swift, 24, is said to be taking part in an episode as an advisor to the contestants. She will be part of mentors that will include Stevie Nicks, Gavin Rossdale, country music vocal group Little Big Town, and Alicia Keys. She will serve in the same capacity that Coldplay singer Chris Martin aided the show in its sixth season, advising contestants across all four teams.
This will not be the first time that the singer will be seen on the show. She was a guest performer in the fourth season and was featured in a segment of the episode.
Swift will also be performing with The Voice coaches Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and newcomers Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams, according to the Huffington Post.
She will also be working with veterans Adam Levine and Blake Shelton, as well as new coaches Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams, who were added to the lineup for the upcoming season.
The seventh season of The Voice will premiere on 22 September. Swift’s appearance will coincide with the release of her fifth album, “1989,” which has been touted to be the singer’s first “official pop album.”
Hollywood
WBD sets April 23 vote on $110bn Paramount Skydance merger
Investor approval key step, but regulators loom over mega media deal
NEW YORK: Warner Bros. Discovery has set April 23 as the date for shareholders to vote on its proposed $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance, marking a crucial step in one of the biggest media deals in recent years.
The all-cash transaction offers WBD shareholders $31 per share, a hefty 147 per cent premium to its unaffected stock price, signalling strong intent to push the deal across the finish line. The company’s board has unanimously backed the merger and is urging investors to vote in favour.
Even if shareholders give the green light, the deal is far from done. Regulators in the United States and Europe are expected to scrutinise the merger closely, weighing concerns around competition and potential price impacts for consumers.
To keep investors on side, WBD has built in a safety net. If the deal is not completed by September 30, shareholders will receive a quarterly “ticking fee” of $0.25 per share until closure.
The proposed merger would significantly reshape the media landscape, combining the assets of Warner Bros. Discovery with those linked to Paramount Global and Skydance Media. It would also cement the growing influence of David Ellison, who has been steering Skydance’s aggressive expansion strategy.
“The WBD Board has been guided by the singular principle of securing a transaction that maximises the value of our iconic assets and delivers as much certainty as possible to our shareholders,” said Warner Bros. Discovery board chair Samuel A. Di Piazza Jr.. “This historic transaction will expand consumer choice and create new opportunities for creative talent.”
Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive officer David Zaslav added that the company is working closely with its counterpart to close the deal and unlock value for stakeholders.
With investor backing likely but regulatory hurdles ahead, the proposed merger is shaping up to be a defining moment for the global entertainment industry, where scale, content and competition are increasingly intertwined.
