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Exhibit
10.1
ASSET PURCHASE
AGREEMENT
This ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT
(this “ Agreement ”) is dated as of August 6,
2007, by and between Renard Communications Corp. (“
Seller ”) and EBC Buffalo, Inc. (“ Buyer
”).
R E C I T A L
S
Seller holds licenses, and or
authorizations (collectively, the “ Licenses ”)
issued by the Federal Communications Commission (“ FCC
”) for Class A television station WMBQ-CA, Channel 46,
Manhattan, New York (Facility ID 14322) with a corresponding
digital authorization for Channel 10 (WMBQ-LD) (Facility ID 168457)
and WBQM-LP, Channel 3, Brooklyn, New York (Facility ID 22797),
(the “ Stations ”).
Seller has filed for
authority to have the Stations go silent (the “ Silent
Applications ”). These Silent Applications remain pending
before the FCC, and Seller is in the process of locating new sites
for the Stations to resume permanent on-air operations to ensure
the Stations will not be off the air for twelve
(12) consecutive months.
Seller owns or holds certain
other assets that are used or useful in the business and operations
of the Stations (collectively with the Licenses, the “
Assets ”).
Seller desires to sell,
transfer and assign to Buyer, and Buyer desires to purchase,
acquire and assume from Seller, the Assets for the price and on the
terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in
consideration of these premises and other good and valuable
consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby
acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound,
agree as follows:
AGREEMENTS
In consideration of the above
recitals and of the mutual agreements and covenants contained in
this Agreement, Buyer and Seller, intending to be bound legally,
agree as follows:
SECTION 1. PURCHASE AND SALE OF
ASSETS
1.1 Agreement to Sell and
Buy . Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this
Agreement, upon the consummation of the purchase and sale (the
“ Closing ”), Seller hereby agrees to sell,
transfer, assign and deliver to Buyer on the date of the Closing
(the “ Closing Date ”), free and clear of debts,
security interests, liens and encumbrances, other than liens for
taxes not yet due and payable, and Buyer agrees to purchase from
Seller:
(a) The FCC Licenses,
construction permits and, other instruments of authorization, if
any;
(b) Technical information and
data, engineering records, files, and computer disks used by Seller
in connection with the Stations, and any and all records required
by the FCC to be kept by the Seller concerning the
Stations;
(c) Intangible property
rights and interests owned by Seller and used or useful in the
business and operations of the Stations;
(d) Each contract listed on
Schedule 1.1(d) hereto and any other contract entered into
by Seller between the date of this Agreement and the Closing Date
that Buyer agrees in writing to assume; and
(e) The tangible personal
property listed on Schedule 1.1(e) hereto including all of
Seller’s right, title and interest in and to all express and
implied warranties of third parties that are transferable and
continue in effect following the Closing with respect to the
tangible personal property listed on Schedule 1.1(e) , and
all equipment used or to be used to construct and operate the
Modified Station Facilities (as defined herein); and
(f) All warranties and
guarantees from lessors, vendors, suppliers, manufacturers or other
third parties, and all rights, refunds, recoveries, counterclaims,
rights to offset, choses in action and claims against third
parties, in any case only to the extent related to an asset being
assigned to Buyer.
1.2 Excluded Assets .
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 1.1 of this
Agreement, the following properties and assets of Seller shall be
retained by Seller and shall not be included within the meaning of
the term “Assets”:
(a) All assets of Seller
located on the premises of the Stations, but not used in the
operation of the Stations, which are listed on Schedule
1.2(a) ;
(b) The cash or cash
equivalents; records of Seller relating to tax matters and
partnership matters; insurance policies and rights and claims
thereunder; accounts receivable; and all claims, rights and
interest in and to any refunds for federal, state or local income
or other taxes or fees of any nature whatsoever for periods prior
to the Closing Date.
1.3 Purchase Price .
The purchase price for the Assets shall be Eight Million Dollars
($8,000,000.00) (the “ Purchase Price ”) payable
as follows:
(a) At the Closing, Buyer
shall deliver Six Million Dollars ($6,000,000.00) (the “
Closing Payment ”) by federal wire transfer of
immediately available funds, of which $400,000.00 shall be
delivered from the Deposit described in Section 1.4 below.
Seller shall deliver wire instructions to Buyer and Escrow Agent at
least two (2) business days prior to the Closing
Date.
(b) At the Closing, Buyer
shall deliver to Seller a secured promissory note in the amount of
Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00) (the “ Note
”) for the balance of the Purchase Price. The Note,
substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, shall have a
three (3)-year term with interest accruing at a rate of six percent
(6%) per annum and shall require monthly payments of interest
only, commencing one month after the Closing Date and continuing on
the
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corresponding day of each month
thereafter, with the principal due and payable three years after
the Closing Date. Buyer’s monetary obligation under the Note
shall be secured by a security interest granted to Seller in the
Assets related solely to WBQM-LP, Brooklyn, NY including the
proceeds from a future sale, if any, of that Station. The Assets
related to WMBQ-CA, Manhattan, NY will not be part of this security
agreement. The security interest granted to Seller shall be
documented in a security agreement substantially in the form of
Exhibit B hereto (the “ Security Agreement
”), to be executed and delivered by Buyer to Seller at
Closing.
1.4 Deposit . Within
three (3) days of the execution of this Agreement, Buyer will
deliver to the Sugarman Law Firm, LLP (the “ Escrow
Agent ”) a cash deposit in the amount of Four Hundred
Thousand Dollars ($400,000.00) (the “ Deposit ”)
to be held in escrow by the Escrow Agent pursuant to the terms of
an Escrow Agreement executed simultaneously herewith by and among
Buyer, Seller, and the Escrow Agent (the “ Escrow
Agreement ”). Upon the Closing, the Deposit shall be paid
to Seller and applied as a partial payment of the Purchase Price,
and all interest earned on the Deposit shall be paid to Buyer. In
the event Buyer shall fail or refuse to perform its obligations to
close hereunder or Buyer is otherwise in material breach of its
obligations hereunder, Escrow Agent immediately shall deliver the
Deposit to Seller as liquidated damages, which shall be the sole
remedy of Seller for such breach. In the event that the sale of the
Assets contemplated by this Agreement is not consummated and Buyer
is not in default under this Agreement, the Deposit, and all
interest accrued thereon, immediately shall be returned to
Buyer.
1.5 Prorations . The
Closing Payment shall be increased or decreased as required to
effectuate the proration of the revenue and expenses of the
Stations as of the Closing Date. All revenue and all expenses
arising from the operation the Stations, including business and
license fees, utility charges, real and personal property taxes and
assessments levied against the Assets, annual regulatory fees
imposed by the FCC, and similar prepaid and deferred items, shall
be prorated between Buyer and Seller in accordance with Generally
Accepted Accounting Principles and the principle that Seller shall
be entitled to all revenue and shall be responsible for all
expenses, costs, and obligations allocable to the period prior to
the Closing Date and Buyer shall be entitled to all revenue and
shall be responsible for all expenses, costs, and obligations
allocable to the period on and after the Closing Date. Seller and
Buyer shall cooperate and use commercially reasonable efforts to
agree upon such proration of the Stations’ revenue and
expenses as soon as practicable prior to the Closing Date. Any
adjustment to the Closing Payment pursuant to this Section 1.5
will, insofar as feasible, be determined and paid on the Closing
Date, with final settlement and payment by the appropriate party no
later than sixty (60) days following the Closing
Date.
1.6 Assignment and
Assumption . As of the Closing Date, Seller shall assign and
Buyer shall assume and undertake to pay, discharge, and perform all
obligations and liabilities of Seller with respect to the Stations
and Assets insofar as they relate to the time on and after the
Closing Date. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing,
Seller shall assign and Buyer shall assume and perform all
obligations on and after the Closing Date under the license
agreements and other agreements set forth in Schedule 1.1(d)
(the “ Contracts ”). Buyer shall not assume any
other obligations or liabilities of Seller.
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SECTION 2. REPRESENTATIONS AND
WARRANTIES OF SELLER
Seller represents and
warrants to Buyer as follows:
2.1 Organization, Standing
and Authority . Seller is a corporation duly organized and
validly existing under the laws of the State of New York. Seller
has all requisite authority to own, lease and operate its Assets
and to conduct the business of the Stations as now being conducted.
Seller has all requisite power and authority to execute and deliver
this Agreement and the documents contemplated hereby and to perform
and comply with all of the terms, covenants, and conditions to be
performed and complied with by Seller hereunder and
thereunder.
2.2 Authorization and
Binding Obligation . The execution, delivery, and performance
of this Agreement by Seller have been duly authorized by all
necessary actions on the part of Seller. This Agreement constitutes
the legal, valid, and binding obligation of Seller, enforceable
against Seller in accordance with its terms, except as the
enforceability of this Agreement may be affected by bankruptcy,
insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights
generally and by judicial discretion in the enforcement of
equitable remedies.
2.3 Absence of Conflicting
Agreements . Subject to obtaining the consent of the FCC to
assign the FCC License from Seller to Buyer (the “ FCC
Consent ”), and subject to obtaining the consent of
parties to the Contracts where required under such Contracts, the
execution, delivery and the performance of this Agreement and the
documents contemplated hereby (with or without the giving of
notice, the lapse of time, or both): (i) will not conflict
with, result in a breach of, or constitute a default under, any
law, judgment, order, ordinance, injunction, decree, rule,
regulation, or ruling of any court or governmental instrumentality
with jurisdiction over any Seller; (ii) will not conflict
with, constitute grounds for termination of, result in a breach of,
constitute a default under, or accelerate or permit the
acceleration of any performance required by the terms of, any
agreement, instrument, license, or permit to which any Seller is a
party or by which any Seller may be bound; and (iii) will not
create any claim, liability, mortgage, lien, pledge, condition,
charge, or encumbrance of any nature whatsoever upon the
Assets.
2.4 FCC Licenses and
Station Operation . The FCC Licenses listed in Schedule
2.4(a) have been validly issued and are in full force and
effect, and Seller is the authorized legal holder thereof. There
are no other material permits, licenses or authorizations that have
been issued by any governmental agency relating to the Stations.
The FCC Licenses comprise all of the authorizations required by the
FCC for the operation of the Stations. The Seller represents and
warrants that the stations are currently off the air, and has filed
applications with the FCC requesting authority to remain silent as
it searches for replacement transmitter sites. Seller has no
knowledge or reason to believe these silent application
applications will not be granted. At no point have either of the
Stations been off the air for twelve consecutive months. Seller, at
its sole expense, will locate new suitable transmitter sites for
the Stations, such that the 74 dBu FCC contour of WMBQ-CA will
cover no less than 5.2 million people, the 62 dBu FCC contour
of WBQM-LP will cover no less than 3.8 million people and the
initial base rent exclusive of utilities, rent escalator clauses,
or other ancillary charges for either station will not exceed more
than Eight Thousand Dollars ($8,000.00) per month, provided,
however, that any such site relocation must be approved in writing
by Buyer. With the consent of Buyer, the Seller will
file
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applications with the FCC requesting
authority to operate from these sites (the “ Modified
Facilities Applications ”), and will fully prosecute
these applications, including but not limited to, the filing of any
requests for Special Temporary Authority (“ STA
”), if so requested by Buyer. In addition, Seller will have
ordered as of the Closing Date, at its sole expense, all equipment
necessary to operate the Modified Facilities, which is set forth on
Schedule 1.1(e) . Seller has no knowledge of any
displacement or interference that would materially affect the
currently authorized operations of the Stations, or the authorized
digital operations of WMBQ-LD on Channel 10 (the “ Digital
Permit ”). While the license renewal application for
WMBQ-CA remains pending, Seller is not aware of any issue, problem,
or pending complaint that would result in the FCC not granting the
renewal application, and Seller will diligently and actively
prosecute the WMBQ-CA license renewal application at the FCC.
Except as otherwise set forth, there is not pending or, to
Seller’s knowledge, threatened any action by the FCC to
revoke, cancel, rescind, modify or refuse to renew in the ordinary
course the FCC Licenses or the Digital Permit. There is not now
pending at the FCC any issued or outstanding, or to Seller’s
knowledge, threatened, complaint, Notice of Violation, Notice of
Apparent Liability or Forfeiture relating to Seller or the
Stations. Except as otherwise set forth herein, each of the
Stations has been operated in compliance in all material respects
with its FCC License, the Communications Act of 1934, as amended
(the “Act” ), and the rules, regulations and
policies of the FCC (the “FCC Rules” ). Seller
has filed all reports, fees and statements for the Stations
required to be filed by Seller with the FCC. Seller shall ensure
that the Stations are operating as of the Closing Date.
Seller’s operation of the Stations’ transmission
facilities do not and will not violate in any material respect any
regulation, law or rights of any person or legal entity.
2.5 Consents . Except
for the FCC Consent and the consent, if any, of the transmitter
sites of the Modified Facilities, no consent, approval, permit or
authorization of, or declaration to or filing with, any
governmental or regulatory authority, or any other third party, is
required to (i) consummate this Agreement and the transactions
contemplated hereby or (ii) permit Seller to assign or
transfer the Assets to Buyer.
2.6 Contracts . All of
the Contracts are in full force and effect and valid, binding and
enforceable in accordance with their terms, except as such
enforceability may be affected by bankruptcy, insolvency or similar
laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by judicial
discretion in the enforcement of equitable remedies. There is not
under any Contract any material default thereunder by Seller or, to
Seller’s knowledge, by any other party thereto.
2.7 Tangible Personal
Property . Seller has good title to each item of tangible
personal property included in the Assets owned by Seller, and none
of the tangible personal property owned by Seller is subject to any
security interest, mortgage, pledge, conditional sales agreement,
or other lien or encumbrance. All items of transmitting equipment
included in the Assets (i) have been maintained in all
material respects in a manner consistent with generally accepted
standards of good engineering practice, and (ii) permit the
Stations to operate in compliance with the terms of the facilities
authorized and specified in the Modified Facilities Applications
(either by STA or granted construction permit), the rules and
regulations of the FCC, and with all other applicable federal and
state rules and regulations, except for such noncompliance that
could not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect
on the business or operation of the Stations.
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2.8 Sufficiency and
Condition of Assets . The Assets (i) constitute all the
assets and properties used or held for use in connection with the
operation of the Stations, and (ii) constitute all the assets
and properties the use or benefit of which are reasonably necessary
for the operation of the Station. All the Assets will be on the
Closing Date, in the case of tangible assets and properties, in
good operating condition and repair (ordinary wear and tear
excepted) and the same condition as they are on the date of this
Agreement and have been maintained in accordance with standard
industry practice. Seller owns or has a valid license for, or
otherwise has a valid right to use, all the Assets. All tangible
assets and properties included in the Assets are in Seller’s
possession or under its control.
2.9 Real Leased
Property . Seller is not assigning any owned real property to
Buyer under this Agreement. Seller has provided true and accurate
copies of all license agreements or leases under which Seller is
the licensee/lessee of real property used or held for use in
connection with the operation of the Stations. Seller has good and
valid licensee/lease interests in all such properties under any
such license or lease agreements. Seller has been, or as of the
Closing Date, will be, in peaceable possession (or remedied any
claims relating thereto) of the property covered by each such
license/lease agreement since the commencement of the original term
of such license agreement. Seller is not in breach of or in default
under, nor has any event occurred which (with or without the giving
of notice or the passage of time or both) would constitute a
default by Seller under any of such license/lease agreements, and
Seller has not received any notice from, or given any notice to,
any licensor indicating that Seller or such licensor/lessor is in
breach of or in default under any of such license agreements. To
the knowledge of Seller, the licensor/lessor under such
license/lease agreements is not in breach thereof or in default
thereunder. Seller has full right and power to occupy or possess,
as the case may be, all the property covered by each such
license/lease agreement.
2.10 Environmental
Matters .
(a) Seller has received no
written notice of any investigation or inquiry by any governmental
entity under any Applicable Environmental Laws (as defined below)
relating to the ownership or operation of the Assets or the
Stations. To the knowledge of Seller: (i) Seller has not
disposed of any hazardous material (as defined below) on any of the
Assets, and (ii) no condition exists on any of the Assets
which would subject Seller or the Assets to any remedial
obligations under any Applicable Environmental Laws.
(b) For purposes of this
Agreement, “Applicable Environmental Laws” means any
and all Applicable Laws pertaining to health, safety, or the
environment in effect in any and all jurisdictions in which the
Assets are located or in which Seller has conducted operations of
the Station, including, without limitation, the Clear Air Act, as
amended, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and
Liability Act of 1980, as amended, the Rivers and Harbors Act of
1899, as amended, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as
amended, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, as
amended, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as
amended, the Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended, the Toxic
Substances Control Act, as amended, the Superfund Amendments and
Reauthorization Act of 1986, as amended, the Hazardous Materials
Transportation Act, as amended, and other environmental
conservation or protection laws. For purposes of this Agreement,
the term “hazardous material” means (i) any
substance which is listed or defined as a hazardous
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substance, hazardous constituent, or
solid waste pursuant to any Applicable Environmental Laws and
(ii) petroleum (including crude oil and any fraction thereof),
natural gas, and natural gas liquids.
2.11 Compliance .
Except as otherwise set forth herein, Seller is in compliance with
the FCC Licenses and all federal and state laws, rules and
regulations applicable or relating to the ownership or operation by
Seller of the Stations and/or the Assets, except for such
non-compliance which could not be reasonably expected to have a
material adverse effect on the business or operations of the
Stations or the Assets.
2.12 Absence of
Litigation . There is no litigation, proceeding or
investigation pending or, to Seller’s knowledge, threatened
against it in any federal, state or local court or before any
administrative agency or arbitrator, or before any other tribunal
duly authorized to resolve disputes, and which seeks to enjoin or
to prohibit or otherwise to question the validity of any action
taken or to be taken by Seller pursuant to or in connection with
this Agreement.
2.13 Absence of Certain
Change . Since January 1, 2007 there has not been any
event or condition that might reasonably be expected to result in a
material adverse effect on Seller, the Assets or the
Stations.
2.14 Tax Matters .
Seller has (and as of the Closing Date will have) (i) duly
filed all material, federal, state, and local tax returns for the
Stations required to be filed by or with respect to it with the IRS
or other applicable taxing authority, (ii) paid all material
taxes due, or claimed by any taxing authority to be due, from or
with r
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