REGISTRATION RIGHTS
AGREEMENT
This Registration
Rights Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is entered
into as of June 23, 2008 between RHI Entertainment, Inc., a
Delaware corporation (the “ Corporation ”), and
KRH Investments LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“
KRH ”). The Corporation and KRH are parties to the
Limited Liability Company Operating Agreement of RHI Entertainment
Holdings II, LLC (“ Holdings II ”), dated
June 23, 2008 (the “ LLC Agreement
”).
The parties agree
as follows:
1.
Defined Terms; Interpretation.
(a)
Defined Terms . The following terms shall have the following
meanings in this Agreement:
“
Adverse Effect ” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2(a)(vi) of this Agreement.
“
Affiliate ” has the meaning set forth in the LLC
Agreement.
“
Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble
of this Agreement.
“
Board ” means the Board of Directors of the
Corporation.
“
Business Day ” means a day other than a Saturday,
Sunday, federal holiday or other day on which commercial banks in
New York, New York are authorized or required by law to
close.
“
CEO ” means the Chief Executive Officer of the
Corporation.
“
CFO ” means the Chief Financial Officer of the
Corporation.
“
Common Stock ” shall mean the Corporation’s
common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and any securities into
which such shares may hereinafter be reclassified.
“
Control ” (including the terms
“Controlling,” “Controlled by” and
“under common Control with”), with respect to the
relationship between or among two or more Persons, means the
possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause
the direction of the affairs or management of a Person, whether
through the ownership of voting securities, as trustee or executor,
by contract or otherwise.
“
Corporation ” has the meaning set forth in the
preamble of this Agreement.
“
Director ” means a member of the Board.
“
Equity Interests ” means, with respect to the
Corporation, any and all shares of capital stock in the Corporation
or securities convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for,
such shares, and options, warrants or other rights to acquire such
shares.
“
Exchange Act ” means the Securities and Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder, as the same may be amended from time to
time.
“
Governmental Authority ” means any nation or
government, any state or other political subdivision thereof, and
any entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory
or administrative functions of or pertaining to
government.
“
Group ” has the meaning set forth in
Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act.
“
IPO ” means an initial primary sale by the Corporation
of shares of Common Stock to the public in an offering pursuant to
an effective registration statement (other than a registration
statement on Form S-4 or S-8 or any similar or successor form)
filed under the Securities Act, so that after giving effect to such
offering, such shares of Common Stock are listed on one or more
nationally recognized exchanges or quoted on one or more automated
quotation systems, including the NYSE or NASDAQ,
respectively.
“
KRH ” has the meaning set forth in the
Preamble.
“
KRH Registrable Securities ” has the meaning set forth
in Section 2(a)(i)(1) of this Agreement.
“
LLC Act ” means the Delaware Limited Liability Company
Act, 6 Del.C. §§ 18-101, et seq. , as it
may be amended from time to time, and any successor to such
statute.
“
LLC Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the
preamble of this Agreement.
“
Losses ” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2(g)(i) of this Agreement.
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“
Member ” means KRH and each Person that becomes a
member, as contemplated in the LLC Act, of Holdings II in
accordance with the provisions of the LLC Agreement and that has
not ceased to be a Member as provided in Section 3.1(d) of the
LLC Agreement, and each of such Member’s Permitted
Transferees, if applicable.
“
NASDAQ ” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2(d)(viii) of this Agreement.
“
NYSE ” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2(d)(viii) of this Agreement.
“
Officer ” means a person designated as an officer of
the Corporation by the Board or the CEO.
“
Other Holder Registrable Securities ” has the meaning
set forth in Section 2(a)(i)(4) of this Agreement.
“
Permitted Transferee ” has the meaning set forth in
the LLC Agreement.
“
Person ” means any individual, corporation, limited
liability company, partnership, trust, joint stock company,
business trust, unincorporated association, joint venture,
Governmental Authority or other entity or organization of any
nature whatsoever or any Group of two or more of the
foregoing.
“
Registrable Securities ” means the Shares and any
other securities issued or issuable with respect to or in exchange
for the Shares. As to any particular Registrable Securities, such
Shares and any other securities issued or issuable with respect to
or in exchange for the Shares shall cease to be Registrable
Securities when (i) a registration statement with respect to
the sale of such Shares and any other securities issued or issuable
with respect to or in exchange for the Shares shall have become
effective under the Securities Act and such Shares and any other
securities issued or issuable with respect to or in exchange for
the Shares shall have been disposed of in accordance with such
registration statement, (ii) such Shares and any other
securities issued or issuable with respect to or in exchange for
the Shares shall have been distributed to the public pursuant to
Rule 144, or (iii) such Shares and any other securities
issued or issuable with respect to or in exchange for the Shares
shall have ceased to be outstanding.
“
Registration Expenses ” means any and all expenses
incident to performance of or compliance with Sections 2(a),
2(b), 2(c) and 2(d), including (i) all SEC and stock exchange
or automated quotation system or NASD, Inc. registration, filing
and listing fees, (ii) all fees and expenses of complying with
state securities or blue sky laws (including fees and disbursements
of counsel for the underwriters in connection
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with blue sky
qualifications of the Registrable Securities), (iii) all
printing, word processing, duplication, messenger and delivery
expenses, (iv) all fees and expenses incurred in connection
with the listing of the Registrable Securities on any stock
exchange or automated quotation system pursuant to this Agreement,
(v) the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Corporation
and of its independent public accountants, including the expenses
of any special audits or “cold comfort” letters or both
required by or incident to such performance and compliance,
(vi) the reasonable fees and disbursements of one counsel for
all of the Members, selected by the Members participating in such
registration and reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation,
(vii) any reasonable fees and disbursements of underwriters
and their counsel customarily paid by the issuers or sellers of
securities, including liability insurance if the Corporation so
desires or if the underwriters so require, and the reasonable fees
and expenses of any special experts retained in connection with any
registration, but excluding underwriting discounts and commissions
and transfer taxes, if any, and (viii) all reasonable expenses
(including travel expenses) incurred in connection with any
“road shows” (including the reasonable expenses of any
applicable selling Member).
“
Registration Indemnified Parties ” has the meaning set
forth in Section 2(g)(i) of this Agreement.
“
Rule 144 ” means Rule 144 (or any successor
provision), as the same may be amended from time to time, under the
Securities Act.
“
SEC ” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission or any other federal agency then administering the
Securities Act or the Exchange Act and other federal securities
law.
“
Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as
the same may be amended from time to time.
“
Senior Officers ” means the CEO and CFO,
collectively.
“
Shares ” means the shares of Common Stock issued and
issuable to any KRH pursuant to the exercise by KRH of its Exchange
Right (as defined in the LLC Agreement) and their conversion or
exchange rights as set forth in the Corporation’s Certificate
of Incorporation.
“
Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any Person,
(i) a corporation a majority of whose capital stock with the
general voting power under ordinary circumstances to vote in the
election of directors of such corporation (irrespective of whether
or not, at the time, any other class or classes of securities shall
have, or might have, voting power by reason of the happening of any
contingency) is at the time
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beneficially
owned by such Person, by one or more Subsidiaries of such Person or
by such Person and one or more Subsidiaries thereof or
(ii) any other Person (other than a corporation), including a
joint venture, a general or limited partnership or a limited
liability company, in which such Person, one or more Subsidiaries
thereof or such Person and one or more Subsidiaries thereof,
directly or indirectly, at the date of determination thereof,
beneficially own at least a majority ownership interest entitled to
vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof (or
other Persons performing such functions) or act as the general
partner or managing member of such other Person.
“
Third Party Registrant ” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2(b)(i) of this Agreement.
“
Transaction Delay Notice ” has the meaning set forth
in Section 2(a)(vii)(1) of this Agreement.
“
Transfer ” (including the term “
Transferred ”) means, directly or indirectly, to sell,
transfer, give, exchange, bequest, assign, pledge, encumber,
hypothecate or otherwise dispose of, either voluntarily or
involuntarily (including upon the foreclosure under any pledge or
hypothecation permitted below that results in a change in title),
any Equity Interests in the Corporation or other assets
beneficially owned by a Person or any interest in any Equity
Interests in the Corporation or other assets beneficially owned by
a Person. Notwithstanding the foregoing: a bona fide pledge of the
Shares or other Equity Interests by any Member or its Affiliates
shall not be deemed to be a Transfer hereunder.
(b) Other
Definitional Provisions; Interpretation.
(i) The
words “hereof,” “herein” and
“hereunder” and words of similar import when used in
this Agreement will refer to this Agreement as a whole, including
the Exhibits and Schedules attached hereto, and not to any
particular provision of this Agreement. Articles, section and
subsection references are to this Agreement unless otherwise
specified.
(ii) The
words “include” and “including” and words
of similar import when used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be
followed by the words “without limitation”.
(iii) The
titles and headings in this Agreement are included for convenience
of reference only and will not limit or otherwise affect the
meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
(iv)
The meanings given to capitalized terms defined herein will be
equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of such
terms, Whenever the
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context may
require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine,
feminine and neuter forms.
2.
Registration Rights and Procedures .
(a) Registration
on Request of KRH.
(i)
Request . Subject to the lock-up agreement applicable to KRH
in connection with the IPO, KRH may request in writing no earlier
than 90 days prior to the expiration of such lock-up
agreement, that the Corporation effect the registration for resale
under the Securities Act of all or part of KRH’s Registrable
Securities on a resale registration statement on Form S-1. Any such
request will specify (a) the number of Registrable Securities
proposed to be sold and (b) the intended method of disposition
thereof. Subject to the other provisions of this Section 2(a),
the Corporation shall promptly and as expeditiously as possible,
use its reasonable best efforts to effect the registration under
the Securities Act , but in no event prior to the expiration of
such underwriter lock-up period, of:
(1) the
Registrable Securities which the Corporation has been so requested
to register by KRH (“ KRH Registrable Securities
”);
(2) all
Registrable Securities of the same class(es) or series as the KRH
Registrable Securities which have been requested to be included by
the Corporation in such registration (“ Corporation
Registrable Securities ”); and
(3) all
Registrable Securities of the same class(es) or series as the KRH
Registrable Securities which have been requested to be included by
holders of Registrable Securities other than KRH (“ Other
Holder Registrable Securities ”).
(ii)
Unlimited Registration Rights . The Corporation shall be
required to effect any and all requests by KRH for the registration
of Registrable Securities on Form S-1 pursuant to this
Section 2(a).
(iii)
Expenses . The Corporation will pay all Registration
Expenses in connection with registrations pursuant to this
Section 2(a).
(iv)
Effective Registration Statement . A registration requested
pursuant to this Section 2(a) will not be deemed to have been
effected:
(1)
unless a registration statement with respect thereto has become
effective and remained effective in compliance with the provisions
of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all
Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement until
the earlier of (x) such time as all of such
Registrable
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Securities have
been disposed of in accordance with the intended methods of
disposition thereof set forth in such registration statement or
(y) 180 days after the effective date of such
registration statement, except with respect to any registration
statement filed pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act, in
which case the Corporation shall use its reasonable best efforts to
keep such registration statement effective until such time as all
of the Registrable Securities covered thereby cease to be
Registrable Securities; provided , however , that if
the failure of any such registration statement to become or remain
effective in compliance with this Section 2(a)(iv)(1) is due
solely to acts or omissions of KRH, such registration requested
pursuant to this Section 2(a) will be deemed to have been
effected;
(2) if
after it has become effective, the registration statement is
interfered with by any stop order, injunction or other order or
requirement of the SEC or other governmental agency or authority
and is not thereafter effective; or
(3) if
the conditions to closing specified in the underwriting agreement,
if any, entered into in connection with such registration are not
satisfied or waived, other than by: (A) reason of a failure on
the part of KRH; or (B) if the Registrable Securities covered
by such registration cannot be sold within a price range acceptable
to KRH.
(v)
Underwritten Offering . At the election of KRH, a requested
registration pursuant to this Section 2(a) may involve an
underwritten offering, and, in such case, the investment bankers,
underwriters and managers for such registration shall be selected
by KRH in consultation with other holders of Registrable Securities
being included in such registration pursuant to Section 2(a);
provided , however , that such investment bankers,
underwriters and managers shall be reasonably satisfactory to the
Corporation.
(vi)
Priority in Requested Registrations . If a requested
registration pursuant to this Section 2(a) involves an underwritten
offering and the managing underwriter advises the Corporation in
writing that, in its opinion, the number of securities to be
included in such registration would be likely to have an adverse
effect on the price, timing or distribution of the securities to be
offered in such offering as contemplated by KRH (an “
Adverse Effect ”), then the Corporation shall include
in such registration all Registrable Securities that the managing
underwriter believes can be sold in such offering without having an
Adverse Effect allocated in the following order of priority: (a)
first , all KRH Registrable Securities; (b) second ,
all Corporation Registrable Securities; and (c) third , all
Other Holder Registrable Securities. If such managing underwriter
advises the Corporation that only a portion of the Registrable
Securities in any of clauses (a) through (c) above may be
included in such registration without such Adverse Effect, the
Corporation shall include the Registrable Securities from the
holders of Registrable Securities in such clause on a pro rata
basis based on the relative amount
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of Registrable
Securities then held by each such holder who has requested that
securities owned by them be so including in a registration (
provided that any such amount thereby allocated to any such
holder that exceeds such holder’s request shall be
reallocated among the remaining requesting holders in a like
manner). Without limiting the foregoing, if the managing
underwriter of any underwritten offering shall advise KRH that the
Registrable Securities covered by the registration statement cannot
be sold in such offering within a price range acceptable to KRH,
then KRH may determine that the registration statement should be
abandoned or withdrawn, and upon notice thereof to the Corporation,
the Corporation shall abandon or withdraw such registration
statement. If KRH is not allowed to register all of the Registrable
Securities requested to be included by KRH because of allocations
required by this section, KRH shall not be deemed to have exercised
a registration for purposes of Section 2(a).
(vii)
Postponements in Requested Registrations .
(1) If
upon receipt of a registration request, the Corporation shall
furnish to KRH a certificate signed by the CEO or any other Senior
Officer stating that the Corporation has pending or in process a
material transaction (the “ Transaction Delay Notice
”), the disclosure of which would, in the good faith judgment
of the Board, after consultation with its outside counsel,
materially and adversely affect such transaction and that the
filing of a registration statement would require disclosure of such
material transaction within 48 hours of such receipt of such
request, the Corporation shall not be required to comply with its
obligations under Section 2(a)(i) until 60 days after
KRH’s receipt of such notice.
(2) Notwithstanding
the foregoing provisions of this Section 2(a)(vii), the
Corporation shall be entitled to serve only one Transaction Delay
Notice within any period of 365 consecutive days.
(viii)
Suspension of Registration Statement . If, at any time when
a registration statement effected pursuant to Section 2(a)(i)
hereunder relating to Registrable Securities is effective and a
prospectus relating thereto is required to be delivered under the
Securities Act within the appropriate period mentioned in
Section 2(d)(ii) hereunder, the Corporation becomes aware that
the prospectus included in such registration statement, as then in
effect, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the
circumstances then existing, to the extent that the amendment or
supplement to such prospectus are necessary to correct such untrue
statement of a material fact or omission to state a material fact
would require disclosure of material information which the
Corporation has a bona fide business purpose for preserving as
confidential and the Corporation provides KRH written notice
thereof promptly after the Corporation makes such determination,
KRH shall suspend sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to such
registration statement and the Corporation
8
shall not be
required to comply with its obligations under Section 2(d)(vi)
until the earlier of (a) the date upon which such material
information is disclosed to the public or ceases to be material or
(b) 60 days after KRH’s receipt of such written
notice. If KRH’s disposition of Registrable Securities is
discontinued pursuant to the foregoing sentence, unless the
Corporation thereafter extends the effectiveness of the
registration statement for so long as necessary to permit the
dispositions of all Registrable Securities covered thereby, the
registration statement shall not be counted for purposes of
determining the number of registrations permitted under
Section 2(a)(ii) hereof.
(ix)
Additional Rights . The Corporation shall not, at any time,
grant to any other holders of Shares (or securities that are
convertible, exchangeable or exercisable into Shares or other
Equity Interests) any rights to request the Corporation to effect
the registration under the Securities Act of any such Shares (or
any such securities) on terms more favorable to such holders than
the terms set forth in this Section 2(a).
(b)
Incidental Registrations .
(i)
Right to Piggyback . If the Corporation or any other Person
that has demand registration rights (a “ Third Party
Registrant ”) at any time after the expiration of any
underwriter lock-up period applicable to the IPO proposes to
register equity securities under the Securities Act (other than a
registration on Form S-4 or S-8, or any successor or other forms
promulgated for similar purposes), whether or not for sale for its
own account, in a manner which would permit registration of
Registrable Securities for sale to the public under the Securities
Act, the Corporation will, at each such time, give prompt written
notice to KRH of its intention to do so and of KRH’s rights
under this Agreement. Upon the written request of KRH made within
15 days after the receipt of any such notice (which request
shall specify the Registrable Securities intended to be disposed of
by KRH), the Corporation will use its reasonable best efforts to
effect the registration under the Securities Act of all Registrable
Securities which the Corporation has been so requested to register
by KRH; provided , however , that (a) if, at any
time after giving written notice of its intention to register any
securities and prior to the effective date of the registration
statement filed in connection with such registration, the
Corporation or such Third Party Registrant shall determine for any
reason not to proceed with the proposed registration of the
securities to be sold by it, the Corporation may, at its election,
give written notice of such determination to KRH and, thereupon,
shall be relieved of its obligation to register any Registrable
Securities in connection with such terminated registration (but not
from its obligation to pay the Registration Expenses in connection
therewith), and (b) if such registration involves an
underwritten offering, KRH shall enter into an agreement with the
underwriters to sell their Registrable Securities to the
underwriters selected by the Corporation or such Third Party
Registrant on substantially the same terms and conditions as apply
to the Corporation or such Third Party Registrant, with such
differences, including any with respect to indemnification and
liability insurance, as may be customary or appropriate in combined
primary and
9
secondary
offerings. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration
requested pursuant to this Section 2(b) involves an
underwritten public offering, KRH may elect, in writing prior to
the effective date of the registration statement filed in
connection with such registration, not to register all or any part
of its Registrable Securities in connection with such registration.
The registrations provided for in this Section 2(b) are in
addition to, and not in lieu of, registrations made in accordance
with Section 2(a).
(ii)
Expenses . The Corporation will pay all Registration
Expenses in connection with each registration of Registrable
Securities requested pursuant to this Section 2(b).
(iii)
Priority in Incidental Registrations . If a registration
pursuant to this Section 2(b) involves an underwritten
offering and the managing underwriter advises the Corporation in
writing that, in its opinion, the number of Registrable Securities
requested to be included in such registration would be likely to
have an Adverse Effect on such offering, then the Corporation shall
include in such registration: (a) first , 100% of the
securities which the Corporation or the Third Party Registrant
proposes to sell; (b) second , the amount of
Registrable Securities which KRH has requested to be included in
such registration; and (c) third , the amount of
Registrable Securities which the other holders of Registrable
Securities have requested to be included in the registration. If
such managing underwriter advises the Corporation that only a
portion of such Registrable Securities in any of clauses (b)
and (c) may be included in such registration without such Adverse
Effect, the Corporation shall include Registrable Securities from
the holders of Registrable Securities in such clauses on a pro rata
basis based on the relative amount of Registrable Securities then
held by each such holder ( provided , that any such amount
thereby allocated to any such holder that exceeds such
holder’s request shall be reallocated among the remaining
requesting holders in like manner).
(c)
Mandatory Registration .
(i)
Corporation Registration . On the first Business Day
following the one year anniversary of the closing of the IPO, the
Corporation shall file with the SEC a resale r
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