Exhibit 4.3
Meredith Corporation
$50,000,000 6.70% Senior Notes,
Series L, due July 13, 2013
$25,000,000 7.19% Senior Notes,
Series M, due July 13, 2014
______________
Note Purchase
Agreement
_____________
Dated as of July 13, 2009
A/73051641.7/0718998-0000340837
|
|
SECTION 1.AUTHORIZATION OF NOTES
|
|
|
SECTION 2.SALE AND PURCHASE OF
NOTES
|
|
|
SECTION 4.CONDITIONS TO CLOSING
|
|
|
|
Representations
and Warranties
|
|
|
|
|
Purchase
Permitted By Applicable Law, Etc
|
|
|
|
|
Payment of
Special Counsel Fees
|
|
|
|
|
Changes in
Corporate Structure
|
|
|
|
|
Amendment of
2008 Note Purchase Agreement
|
|
|
|
|
Proceedings and
Documents
|
|
|
|
SECTION 5.REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF
THE COMPANY
|
|
|
|
Organization;
Power and Authority
|
|
|
|
|
Organization
and Ownership of Shares of Subsidiaries;
Affiliates
|
|
|
|
|
Compliance with
Laws, Other Instruments, Etc
|
|
|
|
|
Governmental
Authorizations, Etc
|
|
|
|
|
Litigation;
Observance of Agreements, Statutes and Orders
|
|
|
|
|
Title to
Property; Leases
|
|
|
|
|
Private
Offering by the Company
|
|
|
|
|
Use of
Proceeds; Margin Regulations
|
|
|
|
|
Existing Debt;
Future Liens
|
|
|
|
|
Foreign Assets
Control Regulations, Etc
|
|
|
|
|
Status under
Certain Statutes
|
|
|
|
SECTION 6.REPRESENTATIONS OF THE
PURCHASER
|
|
|
SECTION 7.INFORMATION AS TO THE
COMPANY
|
|
|
|
Financial and
Business Information
|
|
|
|
SECTION 8.PAYMENT AND PREPAYMENT OF THE
NOTES
|
|
|
|
Optional
Prepayments with Make-Whole Amount
|
|
|
|
Allocation of
Partial Prepayments
|
|
|
|
SECTION 9.AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
|
|
|
|
Maintenance of
Properties
|
|
|
|
|
Payment of
Taxes and Claims
|
|
|
|
|
Guaranty by
Subsidiaries; Liens
|
|
|
|
SECTION 10.NEGATIVE COVENANTS
|
|
|
|
Transactions
with Affiliates
|
|
|
|
|
Mergers,
Consolidations and Sales of Assets
|
|
|
|
|
Limitation on
Sale-and-Leaseback Transactions
|
|
|
|
Termination of
Pension Plans
|
|
|
|
|
Terrorism
Sanctions Regulations
|
|
|
|
SECTION 11.EVENTS OF DEFAULT
|
|
|
SECTION 12.REMEDIES ON DEFAULT,
ETC
|
|
|
|
No Waivers or
Election of Remedies, Expenses, Etc
|
|
|
|
SECTION 13.REGISTRATION; EXCHANGE;
SUBSTITUTION OF NOTES
|
|
|
|
Transfer and
Exchange of Notes
|
|
|
|
SECTION 14.PAYMENTS ON NOTES
|
|
|
SECTION 16.SURVIVAL OF REPRESENTATIONS AND
WARRANTIES; ENTIRE AGREEMENT
|
|
|
SECTION 17.AMENDMENT AND WAIVER
|
|
|
|
Solicitation of
Holders of Notes
|
|
|
|
|
Notes Held by
Company, etc
|
|
|
|
SECTION 19.REPRODUCTION OF
DOCUMENTS
|
|
|
SECTION 20.CONFIDENTIAL
INFORMATION
|
|
|
SECTION 21.SUBSTITUTION OF
PURCHASER
|
|
|
|
Payments Due on
Non-Business Days
|
|
|
|
|
Jurisdiction
and Process; Waiver of Jury Trial
|
|
Schedule
A
Information Relating to Purchasers
*
Schedule B Defined
Terms
Schedule 5.3
Disclosure
Materials
Schedule 5.4
Subsidiaries of the Company and Ownership of Subsidiary
Stock
Schedule 5.5 Financial
Statements
Schedule 5.14 Use
of Proceeds
Schedule 5.15 Existing
Debt
|
|
|
|
Form of 6.70%
Senior Note, Series L, due July 13, 2013
|
|
|
|
|
Form of 7.19%
Senior Note, Series M, due July 13, 2014
|
|
|
|
|
Form of Opinion
of Special Counsel for the Company
|
|
|
|
|
Form of Opinion
of General Counsel for the Company
|
|
|
|
|
Form of Opinion
of Special Counsel for the Purchasers
|
Material
Schedules and Exhibits (those marked with *) are included in this
filing
MEREDITH
CORPORATION
1716 Locust Street
Des Moines, Iowa
50309
$50,000,000 6.70% Senior Notes,
Series L, due July 13, 2013
$25,000,000 7.19% Senior Notes,
Series M, due July 13, 2014
Dated as of July 13, 2009
To Each of the
Purchasers listed in
Schedule A
hereto:
Meredith Corporation, an Iowa corporation (the
“ Company ”), agrees with each of the purchasers
whose names appear at the end hereof (each, a “
Purchaser ” and, collectively, the “
Purchasers ”) as follows:
The Company will authorize the issue and sale
of
(a) $50,000,000
aggregate principal amount of its 6.70% Senior Notes, Series L, due
July 13, 2013 (the “ Series L Notes ”, such
term to include any such notes issued in substitution therefore
pursuant to Section 13); and
(b) $25,000,000
aggregate principal amount of its 7.19% Senior Notes, Series M, due
July 13, 2014 (the “ Series M Notes ”, such term
to include any such notes issued in substitution therefore pursuant
to Section 13).
The term “ Notes ”
as used in this Agreement shall include,
collectively, the Series L Notes and Series M Notes. The
Series L Notes and Series M Notes shall be substantially in the
respective forms set forth in Exhibits 1-A and 1-B in each
case with such changes therefrom, if any, as may be approved by the
Purchasers and the Company. Certain capitalized and
other terms used in this Agreement are defined in Schedule B;
and references to a “Schedule” or an
“Exhibit” are, unless otherwise specified, to a
Schedule or an Exhibit attached to this Agreement.
|
|
SALE AND
PURCHASE OF NOTES.
|
Subject to the terms and conditions of this
Agreement, the Company will issue and sell to each Purchaser and
each Purchaser will purchase from the Company, at the Closing
provided for in Section 3, Notes in the principal amount and
of the Series specified opposite such Purchaser’s name in
Schedule A at the purchase price of 100% of the principal
amount and of the Series thereof. The Purchasers’
obligations hereunder are several and not joint obligations, and no
Purchaser shall have any liability to any Person for the
performance or non-performance of any obligation by any other
Purchaser hereunder.
The sale and purchase of the Notes to be
purchased by each Purchaser shall occur at the offices of Bingham
McCutchen LLP, 399 Park Avenue, New York, New York at 10:00 a.m. at
a closing (the “ Closing ”) on July 13, 2009 or
on such other Business Day thereafter on or prior to July 28, 2009
as may be agreed upon by the Company and the
Purchasers. At the Closing the Company will deliver to
each Purchaser the Notes to be purchased by such Purchaser in the
form of a single Note (or such greater number of Notes in
denominations of at least $100,000 as such Purchaser may request)
dated the date of the Closing and registered in such
Purchaser’s name (or in the name of its nominee), against
delivery by such Purchaser to the Company or its order of
immediately available funds in the amount of the purchase price
therefor by wire transfer of immediately available funds for the
account of the Company to account number 0289646226 at Wells Fargo
Bank N.A., San Francisco, CA, USA ABA #121000248. If at
the Closing the Company shall fail to tender such Notes to any
Purchaser as provided above in this Section 3, or any of the
conditions specified in Section 4 shall not have been
fulfilled to such Purchaser’s satisfaction, such Purchaser
shall, at its election, be relieved of all further obligations
under this Agreement, without thereby waiving any rights such
Purchaser may have by reason of such failure or such
nonfulfillment.
Each Purchaser’s obligation to purchase
and pay for the Notes to be sold to such Purchaser at the Closing
is subject to the fulfillment to such Purchaser’s
satisfaction, prior to or at the Closing, of the following
conditions:
Section 4.1
Representations and
Warranties .
The representations and warranties of the
Company in this Agreement shall be correct when made and at the
time of the Closing.
Section 4.2
Performance; No
Default .
The Company shall have performed and complied
with all agreements and conditions contained in this Agreement
required to be performed or complied with by it prior to or at the
Closing, and after giving effect to the issue and sale of the Notes
(and the application of the proceeds thereof as contemplated by
Section 5.14), no Default or Event of Default shall have
occurred and be continuing.
Section 4.3
Compliance
Certificates .
(a) Officer’s
Certificate . The Company shall have delivered to
such Purchaser an Officer’s Certificate, dated the date of
the Closing, certifying that the conditions specified in
Sections 4.1, 4.2 and 4.9 have been fulfilled.
(b)
Secretary’s Certificate . The Company shall
have delivered to such Purchaser a certificate of its Secretary or
Assistant Secretary, dated the date of Closing, certifying as to
the resolutions attached thereto and other corporate proceedings
relating to the authorization, execution and delivery of the Notes
and this Agreement.
Section 4.4
Opinions of Counsel
.
Such Purchaser shall have received opinions in
form and substance satisfactory to such Purchaser, dated the date
of the Closing (a) from Sidley Austin LLP, special counsel for
the Company, covering the matters set forth in Exhibit 4.4(a)
and (b) from John S. Zieser, Esq., Chief Development Officer,
General Counsel and Secretary of the Company, covering the matters
set forth in Exhibit 4.4(b) and covering such other matters
incident to the transactions contemplated hereby as such Purchaser
or its counsel may reasonably request (and the Company hereby
instructs its counsel to deliver such opinion to the Purchasers)
and (c) from Bingham McCutchen LLP, the Purchasers’
special counsel in connection with such transactions, substantially
in the form set forth in Exhibit 4.4(c) and covering such
other matters incident to such transactions as such Purchaser may
reasonably request.
Section 4.5
Purchase Permitted By Applicable
Law, Etc .
On the date of the Closing, such
Purchaser’s purchase of Notes shall (a) be permitted by the
laws and regulations of each jurisdiction to which such Purchaser
is subject, without recourse to provisions (such as
section 1405(a)(8) of the New York Insurance Law) permitting
limited investments by insurance companies without restriction as
to the character of the particular investment, (b) not violate any
applicable law or regulation (including, without limitation,
Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System) and (c) not subject such Purchaser to any tax,
penalty or liability under or pursuant to any applicable law or
regulation, which law or regulation was not in effect on the date
hereof. If requested by such Purchaser, such Purchaser
shall have received an Officer’s Certificate certifying as to
such matters of fact as such Purchaser may reasonably specify to
enable such Purchaser to determine whether such purchase is so
permitted.
Section 4.6
Sale of Other Notes
.
Contemporaneously with the Closing, the Company
shall sell to each other Purchaser, and each other Purchaser shall
purchase, the Notes to be purchased by it at the Closing as
specified in Schedule A.
Section 4.7
Payment of Special Counsel
Fees .
Without limiting the provisions of
Section 15.1, the Company shall have paid on or before the
Closing the fees, charges and disbursements of the
Purchasers’ special counsel referred to in Section 4.4
to the extent reflected in a statement of such counsel rendered to
the Company at least one Business Day prior to the
Closing.
Section 4.8
Private Placement
Number .
A Private Placement Number issued by Standard
& Poor’s CUSIP Service Bureau (in cooperation with the
SVO) shall have been obtained for each Series of the
Notes.
Section 4.9
Changes in Corporate
Structure .
The Company shall not have changed its
jurisdiction of incorporation or been a party to any merger or
consolidation, or succeeded to all or any substantial part of the
liabilities of any other entity, at any time following the date of
the most recent financial statements referred to in
Schedule 5.5.
Section 4.10
Amendment of 2008 Note Purchase
Agreement.
The Company shall have delivered to the
Purchasers’ special counsel on or before the date of the
Closing a fully executed copy of Amendment No. 1 to the 2008 Note
Purchase Agreement certified by a Responsible Officer as being
true, correct and complete.
Section 4.11
Funding Instructions
.
At least three Business Days prior to the date
of the Closing, each Purchaser shall have received written
instructions, signed by a Responsible Officer on letterhead of the
Company confirming the information specified in the second sentence
of Section 3 including (i) the name and address of the transferee
bank, (ii) such transferee bank’s ABA number, and (iii) the
account name and number into which the purchase price for the Notes
is to be deposited.
Section 4.12
Proceedings and
Documents .
All corporate and other proceedings in
connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and
all documents and instruments incident to such transactions shall
be satisfactory to such Purchaser and its special counsel, and such
Purchaser and its special counsel shall have received all such
counterpart originals or certified or other copies of such
documents as such Purchaser or such special counsel may reasonably
request.
|
|
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE
COMPANY.
|
The Company represents and warrants to each
Purchaser that:
Section 5.1
Organization; Power and
Authority .
The Company is a corporation duly organized,
validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its
jurisdiction of incorporation, and is duly qualified as a foreign
corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which
such qualification is required by law, other than those
jurisdictions as to which the failure to be so qualified or in good
standing could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company
has the corporate power and authority to own or hold under lease
the properties it purports to own or hold under lease, to transact
the business it transacts and proposes to transact, to execute and
deliver this Agreement and the Notes and to perform the provisions
hereof and thereof.
Section 5.2
Authorization, Etc
.
This Agreement and the Notes have been duly
authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the
Company, and this Agreement constitutes, and upon execution and
delivery thereof each Note will constitute, a legal, valid and
binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company
in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be
limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of
creditors’ rights generally and (ii) general principles of
equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in
a proceeding in equity or at law).
This Agreement, the documents, certificates or
other writings delivered to the Purchasers by or on behalf of the
Company in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and
identified in Schedule 5.3, and the financial statements listed in
Schedule 5.5, in each case, delivered to the Purchasers prior
to July 13, 2009 (this Agreement and such documents, certificates
or other writings and such financial statements being referred to,
collectively, as the “ Disclosure Documents ”),
taken as a whole, do not contain any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances
under which they were made, it being understood that no
representation or warranty is made with respect to the projections
included therein other than that they are based on assumptions and
calculated in a manner the Company believed and believes as of the
date thereof and hereof to be reasonable. Except as
disclosed in the Disclosure Documents, since March 31, 2009, there
has been no change in the financial condition, operations,
business, properties or prospects of the Company or any Subsidiary
except changes that individually or in the aggregate could not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect. To the best knowledge and belief of senior
management of the Company, there is no fact known to the Company
that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect
that has not been set forth herein or in the Disclosure
Documents.
Section 5.4
Organization and Ownership of
Shares of Subsidiaries; Affiliates .
(a) Schedule 5.4
contains (except as noted therein) complete and correct lists
(i) of the Company’s Subsidiaries, showing, as to each
Subsidiary, the correct name thereof, the jurisdiction of its
organization, and the percentage of shares of each class of its
capital stock or similar equity interests outstanding owned by the
Company and each other Subsidiary, (ii) of the
Company’s Affiliates, other than Subsidiaries, and
(iii) of the Company’s directors and senior
officers.
(b) All of the
outstanding shares of capital stock or similar equity interests of
each Subsidiary shown in Schedule 5.4 as being owned by the
Company and its Subsidiaries have been validly issued, are fully
paid and nonassessable and are owned by the Company or another
Subsidiary free and clear of any Lien (except as otherwise
disclosed in Schedule 5.4).
(c) Each Subsidiary
identified in Schedule 5.4 is a corporation or other legal
entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under
the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, and is duly qualified
as a foreign corporation or other legal entity and is in good
standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is
required by law, other than those jurisdictions as to which the
failure to be so qualified or in good standing could not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect. Each such Subsidiary has the
corporate or other power and authority to own or hold under lease
the properties it purports to own or hold under lease and to
transact the business it transacts and proposes to
transact.
(d) No Subsidiary is a
party to, or otherwise subject to any legal, regulatory,
contractual or other restriction (other than the agreements listed
on Schedule 5.4 and customary limitations imposed by corporate
law or similar statutes) restricting the ability of such Subsidiary
to pay dividends out of profits or make any other similar
distributions of profits to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
that owns outstanding shares of capital stock or similar equity
interests of such Subsidiary.
Section 5.5
Financial Statements
.
The Company has delivered to each Purchaser
copies of the financial statements of the Company and its
Subsidiaries listed on Schedule 5.5. All of said
financial statements (including in each case the related schedules
and notes) fairly present in all material respects the consolidated
financial position of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the
respective dates specified in such Schedule and the consolidated
results of their operations and cash flows for the respective
periods so specified and have been prepared in accordance with GAAP
consistently applied throughout the periods involved except as set
forth in the notes thereto (subject, in the case of any interim
financial statements, to normal year-end
adjustments). The Company and its Subsidiaries do not
have any Material liabilities that are not disclosed on such
financial statements or otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure
Documents.
Section 5.6
Compliance with Laws, Other
Instruments, Etc .
The execution, delivery and performance by the
Company of this Agreement and the Notes will not
(i) contravene, result in any breach of, or constitute a
default under, or result in the creation of any Lien in respect of
any property of the Company or any Subsidiary under, any indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, loan, purchase or credit agreement, lease,
corporate charter or by-laws, or any other agreement or instrument
to which the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or by which the
Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties may
be bound or affected, (ii) conflict with or result in a breach of
any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any order, judgment,
decree, or ruling of any court, arbitrator or Governmental
Authority applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary or (iii)
violate any provision of any statute or other rule or regulation of
any Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any
Subsidiary.
Section 5.7
Governmental Authorizations,
Etc .
No consent, approval or authorization of, or
registration, filing or declaration with, any Governmental
Authority is required in connection with the execution, delivery or
performance by the Company of this Agreement or the
Notes.
Section 5.8
Litigation; Observance of
Agreements, Statutes and Orders .
(a) There are no
actions, suits, investigations or proceedings pending or, to the
knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the
Company or any Subsidiary or any property of the Company or any
Subsidiary in any court or before any arbitrator of any kind or
before or by any Governmental Authority that, individually or in
the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(b) Neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary is in default under any term of any
agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is
bound, or any order, judgment, decree or ruling of any court,
arbitrator or Governmental Authority or is in violation of any
applicable law, ordinance, rule or regulation (including without
limitation Environmental Laws or the USA Patriot Act) of any
Governmental Authority, which default or violation, individually or
in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all
tax returns that are required to have been filed in any
jurisdiction, and have paid all taxes shown to be due and payable
on such returns and all other taxes and assessments levied upon
them or their properties, assets, income or franchises, to the
extent such taxes and assessments have become due and payable and
before they have become delinquent, except for any taxes and
assessments (a) the amount of which is not individually or in the
aggregate Material or (b) the amount, applicability or validity of
which is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate
proceedings and with respect to which the Company or a Subsidiary,
as the case may be, has established adequate reserves in accordance
with GAAP. The Company knows of no basis for any other
tax or assessment that could reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect. The charges, accruals and
reserves on the books of the Company and its Subsidiaries in
respect of federal, state or other taxes for all fiscal periods are
adequate. The federal income tax liabilities of the
Company and its Subsidiaries have been finally determined (whether
by reason of completed audits or the statute of limitations having
run) for all fiscal years up to and including the fiscal year ended
June 30, 2004.
Section 5.10
Title to Property;
Leases .
The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and
sufficient title to their respective properties that individually
or in the aggregate are Material, including all such properties
reflected in the most recent audited balance sheet referred to in
Section 5.5 or purported to have been acquired by the Company
or any Subsidiary after said date (except as sold or otherwise
disposed of in the ordinary course of business), in each case free
and clear of Liens prohibited by this Agreement. All
leases that individually or in the aggregate are Material are valid
and subsisting and are in full force and effect in all material
respects.
Section 5.11
Licenses, Permits, Etc
.
(a) The Company and
its Subsidiaries own or possess all licenses, permits, franchises,
authorizations, patents, copyrights, proprietary software, service
marks, trademarks and trade names, or rights thereto, that
individually or in the aggregate are Material, without known
conflict with the rights of others which could reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(b) To the best
knowledge of the Company, no product or service of the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries infringes in any material respect any
license, permit, franchise, authorization, patent, copyright,
proprietary software, service mark, trademark, trade name or other
right owned by any other Person which infringement could reasonably
be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(c) To the best
knowledge of the Company, there is no Material violation by any
Person of any right of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with
respect to any patent, copyright, proprietary software, service
mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned or used by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries which violation could reasonably
be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 5.12
Compliance with ERISA
.
(a) The Company and
each ERISA Affiliate have operated and administered each Plan in
compliance with all applicable laws except for such instances of
non-compliance as have not resulted in and could not reasonably be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither
the Company nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred any liability
pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax
provisions of the Code relating to employee benefit plans (as
defined in section 3 of ERISA), and no event, transaction or
condition has occurred or exists that could reasonably be expected
to result in the incurrence of any such liability by the Company or
any ERISA Affiliate, or in the imposition of any Lien on any of the
rights, properties or assets of the Company or any ERISA Affiliate,
in either case pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or to such
penalty or excise tax provisions or to the Pension Funding Rules or
section 4068 of ERISA, other than such liabilities or Liens as
would not be individually or in the aggregate Material.
(b) The present value
of the aggregate benefit liabilities under each of the Plans
subject to Title IV of ERISA (other than Multiemployer Plans),
determined as of the end of such Plan’s most recently ended
plan year on the basis of the actuarial assumptions specified for
funding purposes in such Plan’s most recent actuarial
valuation report, did not exceed the aggregate current value of the
assets of such Plan allocable to such benefit liabilities by more
than $1,000,000 in the case of any single Plan and by more than
$1,000,000 in the aggregate for all Plans. The term
“benefit liabilities” has the meaning specified in
section 4001 of ERISA and the terms “current
value” and “present value” have the meaning
specified in section 3 of ERISA.
(c) The Company and
its ERISA Affiliates have not incurred withdrawal liabilities (and
are not subject to contingent withdrawal liabilities) under
section 4201 or 4204 of ERISA in respect of Multiemployer
Plans that individually or in the aggregate are
Material.
(d) The expected
postretirement benefit obligation (determined as of the last day of
the Company’s most recently ended fiscal year in accordance
with Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 106,
without regard to liabilities attributable to continuation coverage
mandated by section 4980B of the Code) of the Company and its
Subsidiaries is not Material or has otherwise been disclosed in
footnote 7 of the Company’s most recent audited financial
statements.
(e) The execution and
delivery of this Agreement and the issuance and sale of the Notes
hereunder will not involve any transaction that is subject to the
prohibitions of section 406 of ERISA or in connection with
which a tax could be imposed pursuant to
section 4975(c)(1)(A)-(D) of the Code. The
representation by the Company to each Purchaser in the first
sentence of this Section 5.12(e) is made in reliance upon and
subject to the accuracy of such Purchaser’s representation in
Section 6.2 as to the sources of the funds used to pay the
purchase price of the Notes to be purchased by such
Purchaser.
(f) Neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary maintains any Non-U.S. Pension
Plan.
Section 5.13
Private Offering by the
Company .
Neither the Company nor anyone acting on its
behalf has offered the Notes or any similar Securities for sale to,
or solicited any offer to buy any of the same from, or otherwise
approached or negotiated in respect thereof with, any Person other
than the Purchasers and not more than two other Institutional
Investors (as defined in clause (c) of the definition of such
term), each of which has been offered the Notes at a private sale
for investment. Neither the Company nor anyone acting on
its behalf has taken, or will take, any action that would subject
the issuance or sale of the Notes to the registration requirements
of section 5 of the Securities Act or the registration
requirements of any securities or blue sky laws of any applicable
jurisdiction.
Section 5.14
Use of Proceeds; Margin
Regulations .
The Company will apply the proceeds of the sale
of the Notes as set forth in Schedule 5.14. No part
of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes hereunder will be used,
directly or indirectly, for the purpose of buying or carrying any
margin stock within the meaning of Regulation U of the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System (12 CFR 221), or for the
purpose of buying or carrying or trading in any Securities under
such circumstances as to involve the Company in a violation of
Regulation X of said Board (12 CFR 224) or to involve any broker or
dealer in a violation of Regulation T of said Board (12 CFR
220). Margin stock does not constitute more than 5.0% of
the value of the consolidated assets of the Company and its
Subsidiaries and the Company does not have any present intention
that margin stock will constitute more than 5.0% of the value of
such assets. As used in this Section, the terms
“margin stock” and “purpose of buying or
carrying” shall have the meanings assigned to them in said
Regulation U.
Section 5.15
Existing Debt; Future
Liens .
(a) Except as
described therein, Schedule 5.15 sets forth a complete and
correct list of all outstanding Debt of the Company and its
Subsidiaries as of June 30, 2009 (including a description of the
obligors and obligees, principal amount outstanding and collateral
therefor, if any, and Guaranty therefor, if any), since which date
there has been no material change in the amounts, interest rates,
sinking funds, installment payments or maturities of the Debt of
the Company or its Subsidiaries, except to the extent described in
such schedule. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is
in default and no waiver of default is currently in effect, in the
payment of any principal or interest on any Debt of the Company or
such Subsidiary and no event or condition exists with respect to
any such Debt of the Company or any Subsidiary that would permit
(or that with notice or the lapse of time, or both, would permit)
one or more Persons to cause such Debt to become due and payable
before its stated maturity or before its regularly scheduled dates
of payment.
(b) Except as
disclosed in Schedule 5.15, neither the Company nor any
Subsidiary has agreed or consented to cause or permit in the future
(upon the happening of a contingency or otherwise) any of its
property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, to be subject to
a Lien not permitted by Section 10.4.
(c) Neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary is a party to, or otherwise subject to
any provision contained in any instrument evidencing Debt of the
Company or such Subsidiary, any agreement relating thereto or any
other agreement (including, but not limited to, its charter or
other organizational document) which limits the amount of, or
otherwise imposes restrictions on the incurring of, Debt of the
Company, except as specifically indicated in Schedule
5.15.
Section 5.16
Foreign Assets Control
Regulations, Etc .
(a) Neither the sale
of the Notes by the Company hereunder nor its use of the proceeds
thereof will violate the Trading with the Enemy Act, as amended, or
any of the foreign assets control regulations of the United States
Treasury Department (31 CFR, Subtitle B, Chapter V, as amended) or
any enabling legislation or executive order relating
thereto.
(b) Neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary (i) is a Person described or designated
in the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List of
the Office of Foreign Assets Control or in section 1 of the
Anti-Terrorism Order or (ii) engages in any dealings or
transactions with any such Person. The Company and its
Subsidiaries are in compliance, in all material respects, with the
USA Patriot Act.
(c) No part of the
proceeds from the sale of the Notes hereunder will be used,
directly or indirectly, for any payments to any governmental
official or employee, political party, official of a political
party, candidate for political office, or anyone else acting in an
official capacity, in order to obtain, retain or direct business or
obtain any improper advantage, in violation of the United States
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, assuming in all
cases that such Act applies to the Company.
Section 5.17
Status under Certain
Statutes .
Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is
subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended, the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005, as
amended, the ICC Termination Act of 1995, as amended, or the
Federal Power Act, as amended.
Section 5.18
Notes Rank Pari Passu
.
The obligations of the Company under this
Agreement and the Notes rank at least pari passu in right of
payment with all other senior unsecured Debt (actual or contingent)
of the Company, including, without limitation, all senior unsecured
Debt of the Company described in Schedule 5.15
hereto.
Section 5.19
Environmental Matters
.
(a) Neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary has knowledge of any claim or has
received any notice of any claim, and no proceeding has been
instituted raising any claim against the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or any of their respective real properties now or
formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them or other assets,
alleging any damage to the environment or violation of any
Environmental Laws, except, in each case, such as could not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
(b) Neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary has knowledge of any facts which would
give rise to any claim, public or private, of violation of
Environmental Laws or damage to the environment emanating from,
occurring on or in any way related to real properties now or
formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them or to other
assets or their use, except, in each case, such as could not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
(c) Neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary has stored any Hazardous Materials on
real properties now or formerly owned, leased or operated by any of
them and has not disposed of any Hazardous Materials in a manner
contrary to any Environmental Laws in each case in any manner that
could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
(d) All buildings on
all real properties now owned, leased or operated by the Company or
any Subsidiary are in compliance with applicable Environmental
Laws, except where failure to comply could not reasonably be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
|
|
REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PURCHASER.
|
Section 6.1
Purchase for
Investment .
Each Purchaser severally represents that it is
purchasing the Notes for its own account or for one or more
separate accounts maintained by such Purchaser or for the account
of one or more pension or trust funds and not with a view to the
distribution thereof, provided that the disposition of such
Purchaser’s or their property shall at all times be within
such Purchaser’s or their control. Each Purchaser
understands that the Notes have not been registered under the
Securities Act and may be resold only if registered pursuant to the
provisions of the Securities Act or if an exemption from
registration is available, except under circumstances where neither
such registration nor such an exemption is required by law, and
that the Company is not required to register the Notes.
Section 6.2
Source of Funds
.
Each Purchaser severally represents that at
least one of the following statements is an accurate representation
as to each source of funds (a “ Source ”) to be
used by such Purchaser to pay the purchase price of the Notes to be
purchased by such Purchaser hereunder:
(a) the Source is an
“insurance company general account” (as the term is
defined in the United States Department of Labor’s Prohibited
Transaction Exemption (as further defined in Schedule B, “
PTE ”) 95-60) in respect of which the reserves and
liabilities (as defined by the annual statement for life insurance
companies approved by the NAIC (the “ NAIC Annual
Statement ”)) for the general account contract(s) held by
or on behalf of any employee benefit plan together with the amount
of the reserves and liabilities for the general account contract(s)
held by or on behalf of any other employee benefit plans maintained
by the same employer (or affiliate thereof as defined in PTE 95-60)
or by the same employee organization in the general account do not
exceed 10% of the total reserves and liabilities of the general
account (exclusive of separate account liabilities) plus surplus as
set forth in the NAIC Annual Statement filed with such
Purchaser’s state of domicile; or
(b) the Source is a
separate account that is maintained solely in connection with such
Purchaser’s fixed contractual obligations under which the
amounts payable, or credited, to any employee benefit plan (or its
related trust) that has any interest in such separate account (or
to any participant or beneficiary of such plan (including any
annuitant)) are not affected in any manner by the investment
performance of the separate account; or
(c) the Source is
either (i) an insurance company pooled separate account,
within the meaning of PTE 90-1, or (ii) a bank collective
investment fund, within the meaning of PTE 91-38 and, except as
disclosed by such Purchaser to the Company in writing pursuant to
this clause (c), no employee benefit plan or group of plans
maintained by the same employer or employee organization
beneficially owns more than 10% of all assets allocated to such
pooled separate account or collective investment fund;
or
(d) the Source
constitutes assets of an “investment fund” (within the
meaning of Part V of PTE 84-14 (the “ QPAM Exemption
”)) managed by a “qualified professional asset
manager” or “QPAM” (within the meaning of Part V
of the QPAM Exemption), no employee benefit plan’s assets
that are included in such investment fund, when combined with the
assets of all other employee benefit plans established or
maintained by the same employer or by an affiliate (within the
meaning of section V(c)(1) of the QPAM Exemption) of such
employer or by the same employee organization and managed by such
QPAM, exceed 20% of the total client assets managed by such QPAM,
the conditions of Part I(c) and (g) of the QPAM Exemption are
satisfied, neither the QPAM nor a person controlling or controlled
by the QPAM (applying the definition of “control” in
section V(e) of the QPAM Exemption) owns a 5% or more interest
in the Company and (i) the identity of such QPAM and
(ii) the names of all employee benefit plans whose assets are
included in such investment fund have been disclosed to the Company
in writing pursuant to this clause (d); or
(e) the Source
constitutes assets of a “plan(s)” (within the meaning
of section IV of PTE 96-23 (the “ INHAM Exemption
”)) managed by an “in-house asset manager” or
“INHAM” (within the meaning of Part IV of the INHAM
Exemption), the conditions of Part I(a), (g) and (h) of the INHAM
Exemption are satisfied, neither the INHAM nor a person controlling
or controlled by the INHAM (applying the definition of
“control” in section IV(d) of the INHAM Exemption) owns
a 5% or more interest in the Company and (i) the identity of such
INHAM and (ii) the name(s) of the employee benefit plan(s) whose
assets constitute the Source have been disclosed to the Company in
writing pursuant to this clause (e); or
(f) the Source is a
governmental plan; or
(g) the Source is one
or more employee benefit plans, or a separate account or trust fund
comprised of one or more employee benefit plans, each of which has
been identified to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause
(g); or
(h) the Source does
not include assets of any employee benefit plan (within the meaning
of ERISA) or plan (within the meaning of section 4975 of the Code),
other than an employee benefit plan or plan exempt from the
coverage of ERISA and section 4975 of the Code.
As used in this Section 6.2, the terms
“employee benefit plan,” “governmental
plan,” and “separate account” shall have the
respective meanings assigned to such terms in section 3 of
ERISA.
|
|
INFORMATION
AS TO THE COMPANY.
|
Section 7.1
Financial and Business
Information .
The Company shall deliver to each holder of
Notes that is an Institutional Investor:
(a) Quarterly
Statements - within 60 days (or such shorter period as is 15
days greater than the period applicable to the filing of the
Company’s Quarterly Report of Form 10-Q (the “ Form
10-Q ”) with the SEC) after the end of each quarterly
fiscal period in each fiscal year of the Company (other than the
last quarterly fiscal period of each such fiscal year), duplicate
copies of:
(1) a consolidated
balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries as at the end of
such quarter, and
(2) consolidated
statements of income, changes in shareholders’ equity and
cash flows of the Company and its Subsidiaries for such quarter and
(in the case of the second and third quarters) for the portion of
the fiscal year ending with such quarter,
setting forth
in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding
periods in the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail,
prepared in accordance with GAAP applicable to quarterly financial
statements generally, and certified by a Senior Financial Officer
as fairly presenting, in all material respects, the financial
position of the companies being reported on and their results of
operations and cash flows, subject to changes resulting from
year-end adjustments, provided that delivery within the time
period specified above of copies of the Company’s Form 10-Q
prepared in compliance with the requirements therefor and filed
with the SEC shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this
Section 7.1(a), provided, further , that the Company
shall be deemed to have made such delivery of such Form 10-Q if it
shall have timely made such Form 10-Q available on
“EDGAR” and on its home page on the worldwide web (at
the date of this Agreement located
at: http//www.meredith.com) and shall have given each
Purchaser prior notice of such availability on EDGAR and on its
home page in connection with each delivery (such availability and
notice thereof being referred to as “ Electronic
Delivery ”);
(b) Annual
Statements - within 105 days (or such shorter period as is 15
days greater than the period applicable to the filing of the
Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “ Form
10-K ”) with the SEC) after the end of each fiscal year
of the Company, duplicate copies of:
(1) a consolidated
balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries, as at the end of
such year, and
(2) consolidated
statements of income, changes in shareholders’ equity and
cash flows of the Company and its Subsidiaries, for such
year,
setting forth
in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous
fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, prepared in accordance with
GAAP, and accompanied by:
(A) an
opinion thereon of independent public accountants of recognized
national standing, which opinion shall state that such financial
statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial
position of the companies being reported upon and their results of
operations and cash flows and have been prepared in conformity with
GAAP, and that the examination of such accountants in connection
with such financial statements has been made in accordance with
generally accepted auditing standards, and that such audit provides
a reasonable basis for such opinion in the circumstances,
and
(B) a
certificate of such accountants stating that they have reviewed
this Agreement and stating further whether, in making their audit,
they have become aware of any condition or event that then
constitutes a Default or an Event of Default, and, if they are
aware that any such condition or event then exists, specifying the
nature and period of the existence thereof (it being understood
that such accountants shall not be liable, directly or indirectly,
for any failure to obtain knowledge of any Default or Event of
Default unless such accountants should have obtained knowledge
thereof in making an audit in accordance with generally accepted
auditing standards or did not make such an audit),
provided that the delivery within the time period
specified above of the Company’s Form 10-K for such fiscal
year (together with the Company’s annual report to
shareholders, if any, prepared pursuant to Rule 14a-3 under the
Exchange Act) prepared in accordance with the requirements therefor
and filed with the SEC, together with the accountant’s
certificate described in clause (B) above (the “
Accountants’ Certificate ”), shall be deemed to
satisfy the requirements of this Section 7.1(b),
provided, further, that the Company shall be deemed to have
made such delivery of such Form 10-K if it shall have timely made
Electronic Delivery thereof, in which event the Company shall
separately deliver, concurrently with such Electronic Delivery, the
Accountants’ Certificate;
(c) SEC and Other
Reports - promptly upon their becoming available, one copy of
(i) each financial statement, report, notice or proxy
statement sent by the Company or any Subsidiary to its principal
lending banks as a whole (excluding information sent to such banks
in the ordinary course of administration of a bank facility, such
as information relating to pricing and borrowing availability) or
to its public Securities holders generally, and (ii) each
regular or periodic report, each registration statement (without
exhibits except as expressly requested by such holder), and each
prospectus and all amendments thereto filed by the Company or any
Subsidiary with the SEC and of all press releases and other
statements made available generally by the Company or any
Subsidiary to the public concerning developments that are
Material;
(d) Notice of
Default or Event of Default - promptly, and in any event within
five days after a Responsible Officer becoming aware of the
existence of any Default or Event of Default or that any Person has
given any notice or taken any action with respect to a claimed
default hereunder or that any Person has given any notice or taken
any action with respect to a claimed default of the type referred
to in Section 11(f), a written notice specifying the nature
and period of existence thereof and what action the Company is
taking or proposes to take with respect thereto;
(e) ERISA
Matters - promptly, and in any event within five days after a
Responsible Officer becoming aware of any of the following, a
written notice setting forth the nature thereof and the action, if
any, that the Company or an ERISA Affiliate proposes to take with
respect thereto:
(1) with respect to
any Plan, any reportable event, as defined in section 4043(c)
of ERISA and the regulations thereunder, for which notice thereof
has not been waived pursuant to such regulations as in effect on
the date hereof; or
(2) the taking by the
PBGC of steps to institute, or the threatening by the PBGC of the
institution of, proceedings under section 4042 of ERISA for
the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer,
any Plan, or the receipt by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of a
notice from a Multiemployer Plan that such action has been taken by
the PBGC with respect to such Multiemployer Plan; or
(3) any event,
transaction or condition that could result in the incurrence of any
liability by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate pursuant to Title I
or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax provisions of the Code
relating to employee benefit plans, or in the imposition of any
Lien on any of the rights, properties or assets of the Company or
any ERISA Affiliate pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA, the Pension
Funding Rules, or such penalty or excise tax provisions, if such
liability or Lien, taken together with any other such liabilities
or Liens then existing, could reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect;
(f) Notices from
Governmental Authority - promptly, and in any event within 30
days of receipt thereof, copies of any notice to the Company or any
Subsidiary from any federal or state Governmental Authority
relating to any order, ruling, statute or other law or regulation
that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect; and
(g) Requested
Information — with reasonable promptness, such other data
and information relating to the business, operations, affairs,
financial condition, assets or properties of the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries (including, but without limitation, actual copies
of the Company’s Form 10-Q and Form 10-K) or relating to the
ability of the Company to perform its obligations hereunder and
under the Notes as from time to time may be reasonably requested by
any such holder of Notes.
Section 7.2
Officer’s
Certificate .
Each set of financial statements delivered to a
holder of Notes pursuant to Section 7.1(a) or
Section 7.1(b) shall be accompanied by a certificate of a
Senior Financial Officer setting forth (which, in the case of
Electronic Delivery of any such financial statements, shall be by
separate concurrent delivery of such certificate to each holder of
Notes):
(a) Covenant
Compliance - the information (including detailed calculations)
required in order to establish whether the Company was in
compliance with the requirements of Section 10.2 through
Section 10.6 hereof, inclusive, during the quarterly or annual
period covered by the statements then being furnished (including
with respect to each such Section, where applicable, the
calculations of the maximum or minimum amount, ratio or percentage,
as the case may be, permissible under the terms of such Sections,
and the calculation of the amount, ratio or percentage then in
existence); and
(b) Event of
Default - a statement that such Senior Financial Officer has
reviewed the relevant terms hereof and has made, or caused to be
made, under his or her supervision, a review of the transactions
and conditions of the Company and its Subsidiaries from the
beginning of the quarterly or annual period covered by the
statements then being furnished to the date of the certificate and
that such review shall not have disclosed the existence during such
period of any condition or event that constitutes a Default or an
Event of Default or, if any such condition or event existed or
exists (including, without limitation, any such event or condition
resulting from the failure of the Company or any Subsidiary to
comply with any Environmental Law), specifying the nature and
period of existence thereof and what action the Company shall have
taken or proposes to take with respect thereto.
The Company shall permit the representatives of
each holder of Notes that is an Institutional Investor:
(a) No Default
- if no Default or Event of Default then exists, at the expense of
such holder and upon reasonable prior notice to the Company, to
visit the principal executive office of the Company, to discuss the
affairs, finances and accounts of the Company and its Subsidiaries
with the Company’s officers, and (with the consent of the
Company, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld) its
independent public accountants, and (with the consent of the
Company, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld) to visit
the other offices and properties of the Company and each
Subsidiary, all at such reasonable times and as often as may be
reasonably requested in writing, but not more frequently than twice
in any twelve month period; and
(b) Default -
if a Default or Event of Default then exists, at the expense of the
Company, to visit and inspect any of the offices or properties of
the Company or any Subsidiary, to examine all their respective
books of account, records, reports and other papers, to make copies
and extracts therefrom, and to discuss their respective affairs,
finances and accounts with their respective officers and
independent public accountants (and by this provision the Company
authorizes said accountants to discuss the affairs, finances and
accounts of the Company and its Subsidiaries), all at such times
and as often as may be requested.
|
|
PAYMENT AND
PREPAYMENT OF THE NOTES.
|
Section 8.1
Required Payment
.
(a) Series L
Notes . The Series L Notes shall not be subject to
scheduled principal prepayments. The entire unpaid
principal amount of the Series L Notes shall be paid by the Company
on July 13, 2013 at par, together with accrued interest thereon,
but without payment of the Make-Whole Amount or any
premium.
(b) Series M
Notes . The Series M Notes shall not be subject to
scheduled principal prepayments. The entire unpaid
principal amount of the Series M Notes shall be paid by the Company
on July 13, 2014 at par, together with accrued interest thereon,
but without payment of the Make-Whole Amount or any
premium.
Section 8.2
Optional Prepayments with
Make-Whole Amount .
The Company may, at its option, upon notice as
provided below, prepay at any time all, or from time to time any
part of, any Series of Notes (if no Event of Default then exists)
or the Notes without regard to Series (if an Event of Default then
exists), in an amount not less than 10% of the aggregate principal
amount of the Notes then outstanding (or the entire outstanding
amount of any Series being prepaid in full if such amount is less
than 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then
outstanding) in the case of a partial prepayment, at 100% of the
principal amount so prepaid, together with interest accrued thereon
to the date of such prepayment, and the Make-Whole Amount
determined for the prepayment date with respect to such principal
amount. The Company will give each holder of Notes
written notice of each optional prepayment under this
Section 8.2 not less than 30 days and not more than 60 days
prior to the date fixed for such prepayment. Each such
notice shall specify such date, the aggregate principal amount and
the Series of the Notes to be prepaid on such date, the principal
amount of each Note held by such holder to be prepaid (determined
in accordance with Section 8.4), and the interest to be paid
on the prepayment date with respect to such principal amount being
prepaid, and shall be accompanied by a certificate of a Senior
Financial Officer as to the estimated Make-Whole Amount due in
connection with such prepayment (calculated as if the date of such
notice were the date of the prepayment), setting forth the details
of such computation. Two Business Days prior to such
prepayment, the Company shall deliver to each holder of Notes of
the Series to be prepaid a certificate of a Senior Financial
Officer specifying the calculation of such Make-Whole Amount as of
the specified prepayment date.
Section 8.3
Change in Control
.
(a) Notice of
Change in Control or Control Event . The Company
will, within five Business Days after any Responsible Officer has
knowledge of the occurrence of any Change in Control or Control
Event, give written notice of such Change in Control or Control
Event to each holder of Notes unless notice in respect of such
Change in Control (or the Change in Control contemplated by such
Control Event) shall have been given pursuant to subparagraph (b)
of this Section 8.3. If a Change in Control has
occurred, such notice shall contain and constitute an offer to
prepay the Notes, on a pro rata basis in respect of all Notes of
all Series outstanding at such time, as described in subparagraph
(c) of this Section 8.3 and shall be accompanied by the certificate
described in subparagraph (g) of this Section 8.3.
(b) Condition to
Company Action . The Company will not take any
action that consummates or finalizes a Change in Control unless
(i) at least 30 days prior to such action it shall have given
to each holder of Notes written notice containing and constituting
an offer to prepay the Notes, on a pro rata basis in respect
of all Notes of all Series outstanding at such time, as described
in subparagraph (c) of this Section 8.3, accompanied by the
certificate described in subparagraph (g) of this Section 8.3,
and (ii) contemporaneously with such action, it prepays all
Notes required to be prepaid in accordance with this
Section 8.3.
(c) Offer to Prepay
Notes . The offer to prepay Notes contemplated by
subparagraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 8.3 shall be an
offer to prepay, in accordance with and subject to this
Section 8.3, all, but not less than all, of the Notes of each
Series held by each holder (in this case only, “
holder ” in respect of any Note registered in the name
of a nominee for a disclosed beneficial owner shall mean such
beneficial owner) on a date specified in such offer (the “
Proposed Prepayment Date ”). If such
Proposed Prepayment Date is in connection with an offer
contemplated by subparagraph (a) of this Section 8.3, such
date shall be not less than 30 days and not more than
120 days after the date of such offer (if the Proposed
Prepayment Date shall not be specified in such offer, the Proposed
Prepayment Date shall be the first Business Day after the
45th day after the date of such offer).
(d) Acceptance
. A holder of Notes may accept the offer to prepay made
pursuant to this Section 8.3 by causing a notice of such acceptance
to be delivered to the Company not later than 15 days after
receipt by such holder of the most recent offer of
prepayment. A failure by a holder of Notes to respond to
an offer to prepay made pursuant to this Section shall be deemed to
constitute a rejection of such offer by such holder.
(e) Prepayment
. Prepayment of the Notes to be prepaid pursuant to this
Section 8.3 shall be at 100% of the principal amount of such
Notes, together with interest on such Notes accrued to the date of
prepayment. The prepayment shall be made on the Proposed
Prepayment Date except as provided in subparagraph (f) of this
Section 8.3.
(f) Deferral
Pending Change in Control . The obligation of the
Company to prepay Notes pursuant to the offers required by
subparagraph (c) and accepted in accordance with
subparagraph (d) of this Section 8.3 is subject to the
occurrence of the Change in Control in respect of which such offers
and acceptances shall have been made. In the event that
such Change in Control has not occurred on the Proposed Prepayment
Date in respect thereof, the prepayment shall be deferred until,
and shall be made on, the date on which such Change in Control
occurs. The Company shall keep each holder of Notes
reasonably and timely informed of (i) any such deferral of the
date of prepayment, (ii) the date on which such Change in
Control and the prepayment are expected to occur, and
(iii) any determination by the Company that efforts to effect
such Change in Control have ceased or been abandoned (in which case
the offers and acceptances made pursuant to this Section 8.3 in
respect of such Change in Control shall be deemed
rescinded).
(g) Officer’s
Certificate . Each offer to prepay the Notes
pursuant to this Section 8.3 shall be accompanied by a
certificate, executed by a Senior Financial Officer of the Company
and dated the date of such offer, specifying: (i) the Proposed
Prepayment Date; (ii) that such offer is made pursuant to this
Section 8.3; (iii) the principal amount and Series of
each Note offered to be prepaid; (iv) the interest that would
be due on each Note offered to be prepaid, accrued to the Proposed
Prepayment Date; (v) that the conditions of this Section 8.3
have been fulfilled; and (vi) in reasonable detail, the nature
and date or proposed date of the Change in Control.
(h) Certain
Definitions . “ Change in Control
” shall be deemed to have occurred if any person (as such
term is used in section 13(d) and section 14(d)(2) of the
Exchange Act as in effect on the date of the Closing) or related
persons constituting a group (as such term is used in
Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of
the Closing), other than members of the Meredith Family,
(1) become
the “beneficial owners” (as such term is used in
Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of
the Closing), directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the total
voting power of all classes then outstanding of the Company’s
Voting Stock, or
(2) acquire
after the date of the Closing (x) the power to elect, appoint or
cause the election or appointment of at least a majority of the
members of the board of directors of the Company, through
beneficial ownership of the capital stock of the Company or
otherwise, or (y) all or substantially all of the properties and
assets of the Company.
(i) the
execution by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates
of any agreement or letter of intent with respect to any proposed
transaction or event or series of transactions or events which,
individually or in the aggregate, may reasonably be expected to
result in a Change in Control,
(ii) the
execution of any written agreement which, when fully performed by
the parties thereto, would result in a Change in Control,
or
(iii) the
making of any written offer by any person (as such term is used in
section 13(d) and section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act as
in effect on the date of the Closing) or related persons
constituting a group (as such term is used in Rule 13d-5 under the
Exchange Act as in effect on the date of the Closing) to the
holders of the common stock of the Company, which offer, if
accepted by the requisite number of holders, would result in a
Change in Control.
All calculations contemplated in this
Section 8.3 involving the capital stock of any Person shall be
made with the assumption that all convertible Securities of such
Person then outstanding and all convertible Securities issuable
upon the exercise of any warrants, options and other rights
outstanding at such time were converted at such time and that all
options, warrants and similar rights to acquire shares of capital
stock of such Person were exercised at such time.
Section 8.4
Allocation of Partial
Prepayments .
In the case of each partial prepayment of the
Notes pursuant to Section 8.2, the principal amount of the
Notes to be prepaid shall be allocated among all such Notes being
prepaid at the time outstanding in proportion, as nearly as
practicable, to the respective unpaid principal amounts thereof not
theretofore called for prepayment. All partial
prepayments made pursuant to Section 8.3 shall be applied only
to the Notes of the holders who have elected to participate in such
prepayment.
Section 8.5
Maturity; Surrender,
Etc .
In the case of each prepayment of Notes pursuant
to this Section 8, the principal amount of each Note to be
prepaid shall mature and become due and payable on the date fixed
for such prepayment (which shall be a Business Day), together with
interest on such principal amount accrued to such date and the
applicable Make-Whole Amount, if any. From and after
such date, unless the Company shall fail to pay such principal
amount when so due and payable, together with the interest and
Make-Whole Amount, if any, as aforesaid, interest on such principal
amount shall cease to accrue. Any Note paid or prepaid
in full shall be surrendered to the Company and cancelled and shall
not be reissued, and no Note shall be issued in lieu of any prepaid
principal amount of any Note.
Section 8.6
Purchase of Notes
.
The Company will not and will not permit any
Affiliate to purchase, redeem, prepay or otherwise acquire,
directly or indirectly, any of the outstanding Notes except
(a) upon the payment or prepayment of the Notes in accordance
with the terms of this Agreement and the Notes or (b) pursuant
to an offer to purchase made by the Company or an Affiliate pro
rata to the holders of all Notes at the time outstanding upon the
same terms and conditions. Any such offer shall provide
each holder with sufficient information to enable it to make an
informed decision with respect to such offer, and shall remain open
for at least 30 days. If the holders of more than 50% of
the principal amount of the Notes then outstanding accept such
offer, the Company shall promptly notify the remaining holders of
such fact and the expiration date for the acceptance by holders of
Notes of such offer shall be extended by the number of days
necessary to give each such remaining holder at least 15 days from
its receipt of such notice to accept such offer. The
Company will promptly cancel all Notes acquired by it or any
Affiliate pursuant to any payment, prepayment or purchase of Notes
pursuant to any provision of this Agreement and no Notes may be
issued in substitution or exchange for any such Notes.
Section 8.7
Make-Whole Amount
.
The term “ Make-Whole Amount
” means, with respect to any Note of any Series, an amount
equal to the excess, if any, of the Discounted Value of the
Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to the Called Principal
of such Note of such Series over the amount of such Called
Principal, provided that the Make-Whole Amount may in no
event be less than zero. For the purposes of determining
the Make-Whole Amount, the following terms have the following
meanings:
“ Called Principal ” means,
with respect to any Note of any Series, the principal of such Note
that is to be prepaid pursuant to Section 8.2 or has become or
is declared to be immediately due and payable pursuant to
Section 12.1, as the context requires.
“ Discounted Value ” means,
with respect to the Called Principal of any Note of any Series, the
amount obtained by discounting all Remaining Scheduled Payments
with respect to such Called Principal from their respective
scheduled due dates to the Settlement Date with respect to such
Called Principal, in accordance with accepted financial practice
and at a discount factor (applied on the same periodic basis as
that on which interest on such Series of the Notes is payable)
equal to the Reinvestment Yield with respect to such Called
Principal.
“ Reinvestment Yield ” means,
with respect to the Called Principal of any Note of any Series, the
sum of (a) 0.50% per annum plus (b) the yield to maturity implied
by (i) the yields reported, as of 10:00 a.m. (New York City
time) on the second Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with
respect to such Called Principal, on the display designated as
“Page PX1” (or such other display as may replace
Page PX1) on Bloomberg Financial Markets for the most recently
issued actively traded U.S. Treasury securities having a maturity
equal to the Remaining Average Life of such Called Principal as of
such Settlement Date, or (ii) if such yields are not reported
as of such time or the yields reported as of such time are not
ascertainable (including by way of interpolation), the Treasury
Constant Maturity Series Yields reported, for the latest day for
which such yields have been so reported as of the second Business
Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called
Principal, in Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (519) (or
any comparable successor publication) for actively traded U.S.
Treasury securities having a constant maturity equal to the
Remaining Average Life of such Called Principal as of such
Settlement Date. Such implied yield will be determined,
if necessary, by (1) converting U.S. Treasury bill quotations
to bond-equivalent yields in accordance with accepted financial
practice and (2) interpolating linearly between (A) the
actively traded U.S. Treasury security with the maturity closest to
and greater than such Remaining Average Life and (B) the
actively traded U.S. Treasury security with the maturity closest to
and less than such Remaining Average Life. The
Reinvestment Yield shall be rounded to the number of decimal places
as appears in the interest rate of the applicable Note.
“ Remaining Average Life ”
means, with respect to any Called Principal of any Series of Notes,
the number of years (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth year)
obtained by dividing (i) such Called Principal into
(ii) the sum of the products obtained by multiplying
(a) the principal component of each Remaining Scheduled
Payment with respect to such Called Principal by (b) the
number of years (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth year) that
will elapse between the Settlement Date with respect to such Called
Principal and the scheduled due date of such Remaining Scheduled
Payment.
“ Remaining Scheduled Payments
” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Series
of Notes, all payments of such Called Principal and interest
thereon that would be due after the Settlement Date with respect to
such Called Principal if no payment of such Called Principal were
made prior to its scheduled due date, provided that if such
Settlement Date is not a date on which interest payments are due to
be made under the terms of the Notes of such Series, then the
amount of the next succeeding scheduled interest payment will be
reduced by the amount of interest accrued to such Settlement Date
and required to be paid on such Settlement Date pursuant to
Section 8.2 or 12.1.
“ Settlement Date ” means,
with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the date on which
such Called Principal is to be prepaid pursuant to Section 8.2
or has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable
pursuant to Section 12.1, as the context requires.
The Company covenants that so long as any of the
Notes are outstanding:
Section 9.1
Compliance with Law
.
Without limiting Section 10.9, the Company will,
and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws,
ordinances or governmental rules or regulations to which each of
them is subject, including, without limitation, ERISA, the USA
Patriot Act, and applicable laws in respect of Non-U.S. Pension
Plans and all Environmental Laws, and will obtain and maintain in
effect all licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and other
governmental authorizations necessary to the ownership of their
respective properties or to the conduct of their respective
businesses, in each case to the extent necessary to ensure that
non-compliance with such laws, ordinances or governmental rules or
regulations or failures to obtain or maintain in effect such
licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and other governmental
authorizations could not, individually or in the aggregate,
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
The Company will, and will cause each of its
Subsidiaries to, maintain, with financially sound and reputable
insurers, insurance with respect to their respective properties and
businesses against such casualties and contingencies, of such
types, on such terms and in such amounts (including deductibles,
co-insurance and self-insurance, if adequate reserves are
maintained with respect thereto) as is customary in the case of
entities of established reputations engaged in the same or a
similar business and similarly situated.
Section 9.3
Maintenance of
Properties .
The Company will, and will cause each of its
Subsidiaries to, maintain and keep, or cause to be maintained and
kept, their respective properties in good repair, working order and
condition (other than ordinary wear and tear), so that the business
carried on in connection therewith may be properly conducted at all
times; provided that this Section shall not prevent the
Company or any Subsidiary from discontinuing the operation and the
maintenance of any of its properties if such discontinuance is
desirable in the conduct of its business and the Company has
concluded that such discontinuance could not, individually or in
the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
Section 9.4
Payment of Taxes and
Claims .
The Company will, and will cause each of its
Subsidiaries to, file all tax returns required to be filed in any
jurisdiction and to pay and discharge all taxes shown to be due and
payable on such returns and all other taxes, assessments,
governmental charges, or levies imposed on them or any of their
properties, assets, income or franchises, to the extent the same
have become due and payable and before they have become delinquent
and all claims for which sums have become due and payable that have
or might become a Lien on properties or assets of the Company or
any Subsidiary, provided that neither the Company nor any
Subsidiary need pay any such tax, assessment, charge, levy or claim
if (i) the amount, applicability or validity thereof is
contested by the Company or such Subsidiary on a timely basis in
good faith and in appropriate proceedings, and the Company or a
Subsidiary has established adequate reserves therefor in accordance
with GAAP on the books of the Company or such Subsidiary or
(ii) the nonpayment of all such taxes, assessments, charges,
levies and claims in the aggregate could not reasonably be expected
to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 9.5
Corporate Existence,
Etc .
Subject to Section 10.5, the Company will at all
times preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate
existence. Subject to Section 10.5, the Company
will at all times preserve and keep in full force and effect the
corporate existence of each of its Subsidiaries (unless merged into
the Company or a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary) and all rights and
franchises of the Company and its Subsidiaries unless, in the good
faith judgment of the Company, the termination of or failure to
preserve and keep in full force and effect such corporate
existence, right or franchise could not, individually or in the
aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
Section 9.6
Notes to Rank Pari
Passu .
The Notes and all other obligations under this
Agreement of the Company are and at all times shall remain direct
and unsecured obligations of the Company ranking pari passu
as against the assets of the Company with all other
Notes