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INVESTOR RIGHTS AGREEMENT

Investors Rights Agreement

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TRIBUNE CO | EGI-TRB, L.L.C. | GREATBANC TRUST COMPANY

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Title: INVESTOR RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Governing Law: Delaware     Date: 4/5/2007
Industry: PBLSHG     Sector: SERVIC

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Exhibit 10

Exhibit 10.12

[EXECUTION COPY]

INVESTOR RIGHTS AGREEMENT

by and among

TRIBUNE COMPANY,

EGI-TRB, L.L.C.

and

GREATBANC TRUST COMPANY,

solely as trustee of the

TRIBUNE EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP TRUST

which forms a part of the

TRIBUNE EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN

Dated as of April 1, 2007

 



INVESTOR RIGHTS AGREEMENT

This INVESTOR RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is entered this 1st day of April, 2007, by and among Tribune Company, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), EGI-TRB, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company (“EGI-TRB”), and GreatBanc Trust Company, not in its individual or corporate capacity, but solely as trustee (the “ESOP Fiduciary”) of the Tribune Employee Stock Ownership Trust, which forms a part of the Tribune Employee Stock Ownership Plan (the “ESOP” and together with EGI-TRB, the “Initial Shareholders”).

W I T N E S S E T H :

WHEREAS, concurrently herewith, EGI-TRB, the ESOP, Tesop Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Merger Sub”), and the Company have entered into that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of April 1, 2007 (the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which Merger Sub, a wholly owned subsidiary of the ESOP, will be merged with and into the Company, with the Company surviving the Merger (the “Merger”), on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein.

WHEREAS, concurrently herewith, the Company and EGI-TRB have entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “EGI Purchase Agreement”) pursuant to which EGI-TRB has, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the EGI Purchase Agreement, agreed to purchase (i) (a) 1,470,588 shares of Common Stock prior to consummation of the Merger and (b) a $200 million unsecured subordinated exchangeable promissory note in the form attached as an exhibit thereto, and (ii) (y) a $225 million unsecured subordinated promissory note in the form attached as an exhibit thereto and (z) a warrant to purchase 43,478,261 shares of Common Stock of the Company immediately following consummation of the Merger (the “Warrant”) pursuant to a warrant agreement in the form attached as an exhibit thereto (the “Warrant Agreement”).

WHEREAS, concurrently herewith, the ESOP Fiduciary, on behalf of the ESOP, and the Company have entered into an Equity Purchase Agreement (the “ESOP Purchase Agreement”) pursuant to which the ESOP has, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the ESOP Purchase Agreement, agreed to purchase 8,928,571 shares of Common Stock prior to consummation of the Merger (the “ESOP Purchase”).

WHEREAS, the Company and each of the Initial Shareholders have entered into this Agreement for purposes, among others, of (a) establishing the composition of the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”), (b) granting to the Shareholders (as defined herein) certain rights in connection with the sale or transfer of Shares (as defined herein) and (c) granting to the Shareholders certain other rights, including information rights, with respect to the Company, in each case, upon consummation of the Merger.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties (as defined herein) hereby agree as follows:

 



ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS

Section 1.1             Definitions.  When used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

(a)           “Additional Financing” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.4.

(b)           “Affiliate” shall mean, with respect to a Person, another Person who, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person, including, without limitation, any general partner, officer, director, or manager of such Person; provided, however, that no Person for whom the ESOP Fiduciary serves as trustee shall be deemed to be an Affiliate of the ESOP Fiduciary.

(c)           “Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

(d)           “Annual Budget” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.1.

(e)           “Board” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

(f)            “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

(g)           “Common Stock” shall mean the common stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company.

(h)           “Company” shall have the meaning set forth in Preamble.

(i)            “Convertible Securities” shall mean any evidences of indebtedness, shares or other securities directly or indirectly convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, but excluding Options.

(j)            “Effective Date” shall mean the date of consummation of the Merger.

(k)           “EGI Purchase Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

(l)            “EGI Transferee” shall mean any direct or indirect Affiliate of EGI-TRB, Equity Group Investments, L.L.C. or Samuel Zell, and any senior employee of Equity Group Investments, L.L.C. and any direct or indirect Affiliate thereof.

(m)          “EGI-TRB” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

(n)           “EGI-TRB Director” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.1.

(o)           “ESOP” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

(p)           “ESOP Fiduciary” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

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(q)           “ESOP Loan Agreement” shall mean the Loan Agreement, dated as of the date of the ESOP Purchase, by and between the Company and the ESOP Fiduciary.

(r)            “ESOP Pledge Agreement” shall mean the Stock Pledge Agreement, dated as of the date of the ESOP Purchase, by and between the Company and the ESOP Fiduciary.

(s)           “ESOP Purchase” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

(t)            “ESOP Purchase Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

(u)           “Excluded Transactions” shall mean (a) the issuance of shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities as a dividend or distribution on Shares, (b) the issuance of shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities by reason of a stock split, split-up or other distribution on shares of Common Stock, (c) the issuance of shares of Common Stock or Options to employees or directors of, or consultants or advisors to, the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to a compensatory plan, agreement or arrangement approved by the Board or (d) the issuance of shares of Common Stock or Convertible Securities upon the exercise of Options or upon the conversion or exchange of Convertible Securities, in each case, provided such issuance is pursuant to the terms of such Option or Convertible Security.

(v)           “Fully-Exercising Shareholder” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.2.

(w)          “General Notice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.2.

(x)            “Independent Director” shall have the meaning set forth in the Company’s By-laws in effect from time to time.

(y)           “Initial Directors” shall mean the persons initially designated as directors on the Effective Date, including the directors designated in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.1 hereof.

(z)            “Initial Shareholders” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

(aa)         “Joinder” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.6.

(bb)         “Merger” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

(cc)         “Merger Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

(dd)         “Merger Sub” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

(ee)         “Option” shall mean any right, option or warrant to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire Common Stock or Convertible Securities.

(ff)           “Other Shareholder” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.2.

(gg)         “Parties” shall mean the parties to this Agreement.

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(hh)         “Permitted Transferees” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.3.

(ii)           “Person” shall mean an individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association, trust, unincorporated organization, entity or group.

(jj)           “Qualified Public Offering” shall mean a firm commitment underwritten public offering of the Common Stock to the public with gross proceeds to the Company of not less than $250 million, pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

(kk)         “Sale of the Company” shall mean either (a) a merger or consolidation in which (i) the Company is a constituent party or (ii) a subsidiary of the Company is a constituent party and the Company issues shares of its capital stock pursuant to such merger or consolidation, except any such merger or consolidation involving the Company or a subsidiary pursuant to which the shares of capital stock of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation continue to represent, or are converted into or exchanged for shares of capital stock that represent, immediately following such merger or consolidation, at least a majority, by voting power, of the capital stock of (A) the surviving or resulting corporation or (B) if the surviving or resulting corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of another corporation immediately following such merger or consolidation, the parent corporation of such surviving or resulting corporation (provided that, for purposes of this definition, all Shares issuable upon exercise of rights, options or warrants to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire Shares or securities convertible into Shares, which are outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation or upon conversion of convertible securities outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation shall be deemed to be outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation and, if applicable, converted or exchanged in such merger or consolidation on the same terms as the actual outstanding Shares are converted or exchanged), (b) the sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition, in a single transaction or series of related transactions, by the Company or any subsidiary of the Company of all or substantially all the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, or the sale or disposition (whether by merger or otherwise) of one or more subsidiaries of the Company if substantially all of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole are held by such subsidiary or subsidiaries, except where such sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition is to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company or (c) a Stock Sale.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, a “Sale of the Company” shall not include the Merger or any other transaction contemplated by the Merger Agreement.

(ll)           “Sale Notice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.2.

(mm)       “Shareholder” or “Shareholders” shall mean (and this Agreement shall bind and create rights in) the Initial Shareholders and any other transferee to which (a) any Shares are permitted by this Agreement to be issued or Transferred or (b) any Warrants are assigned, in each case, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.  Each of the foregoing Persons shall remain a Shareholder as long as he, she or it continues to own Shares or Warrants in the Company.

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(nn)         “Shares” shall mean (a) the shares of Common Stock acquired by the Initial Shareholders as a result of the Merger and the ESOP Purchase or otherwise, (b) the shares of Common Stock issued upon conversion of the Warrant and (c) any Common Stock issued with respect to the securities referred to in clauses (a) and (b) by way of stock dividend or stock split or in connection with a combination of shares, recapitalization, merger, consolidation or other reorganization.  “Shares” shall also include shares or other interests in any successor to the Company, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise.

(oo)         “Stock Sale” shall mean a transac­tion or series of related transactions in which a Person, or a group of related Persons, acquires from Shareholders of the Company capital stock and other voting securities representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the out­standing voting power of the Company.

(pp)         “Transfer” or “Transferred” shall mean to directly or indirectly sell, assign, give, mortgage, pledge, hypothecate, issue, bequeath or in any manner encumber or dispose of, or permit to be sold, assigned, encumbered, attached or otherwise disposed of in any manner, whether voluntarily, involuntarily or by operation of law, with or without consideration other than as part of a distribution of Shares by the ESOP to a participant of the ESOP as may be required by the terms thereof.

(qq)         “Transferring Shareholder” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.2.

(rr)           “Warrant” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

(ss)         “Warrant Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

(tt)           “Zell Family Group” shall mean Samuel Zell and his spouse, lineal ancestors and descendants (whether natural or adopted), and any trust or retirement account primarily for the benefit of Samuel Zell and/or his spouse, lineal ancestors and descendants.

ARTICLE II
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Section 2.1             Size and  Composition of the Board.  Upon and following the Effective Date, each Shareholder agrees that in any election of directors of the Company, such Shareholder shall vote, or cause to be voted, all shares of Common Stock and any other voting securities of the Company owned by such Shareholder, or over which such Shareholder has voting control, and shall take all other necessary or desirable actions within such Shareholder’s control (whether in the capacity of a Shareholder, director, member of a Board committee or officer of the Company or otherwise, and including, without limitation, attendance at meetings in person or by proxy for purposes of obtaining a quorum and execution of written consents in lieu of meetings), and the Company shall take all necessary or desirable actions within its control (including, without limitation, calling special Board and shareholder meetings), so that:

(a)           the Initial Directors shall serve as directors until the third (3rd) annual election following consummation of the Merger;

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(b)           there shall be two (2) directors designated by EGI-TRB (each an “EGI-TRB Director”);

(c)           there shall be one (1) director who shall be the Company’s chief executive officer; provided that if for any reason the chief executive officer of the Company shall cease to serve in such capacity, each Shareholder shall take all other necessary or desirable actions within such Shareholder’s control (whether in the capacity of a Shareholder, director, member of a Board committee or officer of the Company or otherwise, and including, without limitation, attendance at meetings in person or by proxy for purposes of obtaining a quorum and execution of written consents in lieu of meetings), and the Company shall take all necessary or desirable actions within its control, to (i) remove the former chief executive officer of the Company from the Board if such person has not resigned as a member of the Board and (ii) elect or appoint such person’s replacement as chief executive officer of the Company as a director;

Section 2.2             Removal of EGI-TRB Directors.  Subject to any limitation in the Company’s By-laws, each Shareholder agrees that it shall take all other necessary or desirable actions within such Shareholder’s control (whether in the capacity of a Shareholder, director, member of a Board committee or officer of the Company or otherwise), and the Company shall take all necessary or desirable actions within its control, to ensure that no EGI-TRB Director elected or appointed as a member of the Board pursuant to Section 2.1 may be removed from office unless such removal is directed or approved by EGI-TRB (in its sole and absolute discretion).

Section 2.3             Written Consent.  All Shareholders agree to execute any written consents required to perform the obligations under Sections 2.1 and 2.2 of this Agreement, and the Company agrees at the request of any Party entitled to designate directors to call a special meeting of shareholders for the purpose of electing directors.

Section 2.4             No Liability for Election or Appointment of Recommended Directors.  No Party, nor any Affiliate of any such Party, shall have any liability as a result of designating a person for election or appointment as a Board member or committee member for any act or omission by such designated person in his or her capacity as a Board member or committee member, as applicable, nor shall any Party have any liability as a result of voting for any such designee in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

Section 2.5             Compensation of Board.  Upon and following the Effective Date, the Company agrees to reimburse all members of the Board for their actual and reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Board and all committees thereof, and otherwise incurred in fulfilling their duties as Board members or committee members, as applicable, and pay such reasonable compensation to members of the Board as the Board shall from time to time determine.

Section 2.6             No Other ESOP Obligations.  For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Article II shall require the ESOP or its participants to vote in any manner on matters other than the election of directors.

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Section 2.7             Termination.  Subject to Article IX, the rights of EGI-TRB under Sections 2.1 and 2.2 shall continue for so long as EGI-TRB and its Permitted Transferees hold in the aggregate at least ten percent (10%) of the outstanding Shares (including for purposes of this Section 2.7, Shares subject to the Warrant) on a fully diluted basis.

ARTICLE III
TRANSFERS

Section 3.1             Transfer of Shares.  Subject to Article VI, upon and following the Effective Date, no Shareholder shall Transfer its Shares, except (a) pursuant to the provisions of Section 3.2, (b) pursuant to a Transfer of not more than two percent (2%) of the outstanding Common Stock (on a fully diluted basis) to any transferee or (c) to a Permitted Transferee; provided that in no event shall any Transfer of Shares pursuant to Section 3.2 be made for any consideration other than cash payable upon consummation of such Transfer or in installments over time and no Shares may be pledged (except for a pledge of Shares by a transferee to secure indebtedness to the transferor thereof hereunder).  In connection with any transfer pursuant to Section 3.2, no Shareholder shall consummate any Transfer until thirty (30) calendar days after delivery to the Company and the other Shareholders of such Shareholder’s Sale Notice, unless the parties to the Transfer have been finally determined pursuant to this Article III prior to the expiration of such thirty (30) calendar day period.

Section 3.2             Co-Sale Rights.  Subject to Section 3.1, upon and following the Effective Date, at least thirty (30) calendar days prior to any Transfer of Shares, the transferring Shareholder (the “Transferring Shareholder”) shall deliver a written notice (the “Sale Notice”) to the Company and the other Shareholders (the “Other Shareholders”) specifying in reasonable detail the identity of the prospective transferee(s), the number of Shares to be Transferred and the terms and conditions of the Transfer.  The Other Shareholders may elect to participate in such Transfer as sellers at the same price per share and on the same terms by delivering written notice to the Transferring Shareholder within thirty (30) calendar days after delivery of the Sale Notice.  If any Other Shareholders have elected to participate in such Transfer, the Transferring Shareholder and such Other Shareholders shall be entitled to sell in the contemplated Transfer, at the same price and on the same terms, a number of Shares equal to the result of (a) an amount equal to (i) the percentage of Shares owned by such Person (including for these purposes, in the case of the holder of the Warrant, the Shares underlying the Warrant) divided by (ii) the aggregate percentage of Shares owned by the Transferring Shareholder and the Other Shareholders participating in such sale (including for these purposes, in the case of the holder of the Warrant, the Shares underlying the Warrant) multiplied by (b) the number of Shares to be sold in the contemplated Transfer.

Each Transferring Shareholder shall use reasonable best efforts to obtain the agreement of the prospective transferee(s) to the participation of the Other Shareholders in any contemplated Transfer, and no Transferring Shareholder shall Transfer any of its Shares to any prospective transferee if such prospective transferee(s) declines to allow the participation of the Other Shareholders.  Each Shareholder transferring Shares pursuant to this Section 3.2 shall pay its pro rata share (based on the number of Shares to be Transferred) of the expenses incurred by the Company and the Transferring Shareholder in connection with such Transfer and shall be obligated to join on a pro rata basis (based on the number of Shares to be Transferred) in any

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indemnification or other obligations that the Transferring Shareholder agrees to provide in connection with such transfer (other than any such obligations that relate specifically to a particular Shareholder, such as indemnification with respect to representations and warranties given by a Shareholder regarding such Shareholder’s title to and ownership of Shares; provided that no holder shall be obligated in connection with such Transfer to agree to indemnify or hold harmless the prospective transferee(s) with respect to an amount in excess of the net cash proceeds paid to such holder in connection with such Transfer).

Section 3.3             Permitted Transfers.  Subject to Article VI, the restrictions set forth in this Article III shall not apply with respect to any Transfer of Shares (a) by any Shareholder to or among its Affiliates, (b) by EGI-TRB to or among any EGI Transferee or (c) by EGI-TRB to or among any member of the Zell Family Group (collectively referred to herein as “Permitted Transferees”); provided that the restrictions contained in this Article III and Article VI shall continue to be applicable to such Shares after any such Transfer.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Party hereto shall avoid the provisions of this Agreement by making one or more transfers to one or more Permitted Transferees and then disposing of all or any portion of such party’s interest in any such Permitted Transferee.

Section 3.4             ESOP Provisions.  Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as a restriction upon the ESOP’s ability to Transfer its Shares if such Transfer is required by the exercise of the Trustee’s fiduciary duty to the ESOP and its participants.

Section 3.5             Transfers in Violation of Agreement.  Any Transfer or attempted Transfer of any Shares in violation of any provision of this Agreement shall be void, and the Company shall not record such Transfer on its books or treat any purported transferee of such Shares as the owner of such shares for any purpose.

Section 3.6             Joinder.  Upon and following the Effective Date, prior to Transferring any Shares (other than pursuant to a Qualified Public Offering or Sale of the Company) to any Person, the Transferring Shareholder shall cause the prospective transferee to be bound by this Agreement and to execute and deliver to the Company and the other Shareholders a joinder in the form of Exhibit A hereto (a “Joinder”).

Section 3.7             Legend.  Upon and following the Effective Date, each certificate evidencing Shares and each certificate issued in exchange for or upon the transfer of any Shares (if such shares remain Shares after such transfer) shall be stamped or otherwise imprinted with a legend in substantially the following form:

“The securities represented by this certificate are subject to an Investor Rights Agreement dated as of April 1, 2007, among the issuer of such securities (the “Company”) and certain of the Company’s shareholders, as amended and modified from time to time.  A copy of such Investor Rights Agreement shall be furnished without charge by the Company to the holder hereof upon written request.”

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