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Exhibit 10.1 - First Amendment and Waiver to
Credit Agreement
FIRST AMENDMENT AND WAIVER TO CREDIT AGREEMENT
FIRST AMENDMENT AND WAIVER TO CREDIT AGREEMENT (this “
Amendment and Waiver ”), dated as of September 29,
2008, among LEE ENTERPRISES, INCORPORATED, a Delaware corporation
(the “ Borrower ”), the Lenders party
hereto and DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, as Administrative
Agent (in such capacity, the “ Administrative
Agent ”). Unless otherwise indicated, all capitalized
terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the
respective meanings provided such terms in the Credit Agreement
referred to below.
W I T N E S S E T H :
WHEREAS, the Borrower, the Lenders and the Administrative Agent
are parties to an Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as
of December 21, 2005 (as amended, restated, modified and/or
supplemented to, but not including, the date hereof, the
“ Credit Agreement ”); and
WHEREAS, the Borrower has informed the Administrative Agent and
the Lenders that (i) the Borrower may be in default of Section
10.09 of the Credit Agreement during the fiscal quarter commencing
on September 29, 2008 and thereafter, and (ii) the above default
will constitute an Event of Default under the Credit Agreement
(such Event of Default, the “ Specified Event of
Default ”); and
WHEREAS, the Borrower has requested, and the Lenders have
agreed, subject to the terms and conditions of this Amendment and
Waiver, to waive the Specified Event of Default and to amend the
Credit Agreement as herein provided;
NOW, THEREFORE, it is agreed:
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I.
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Amendment to the Credit Agreement
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1. Section
10.05(ii) of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by deleting the
text “$75,000,000” appearing in said Section
and inserting the text “$50,000,000” in lieu
thereof.
2. On the
Amendment and Waiver Effective Date (as defined below), the Total
Revolving Loan Commitment shall be permanently reduced to
$375,000,000, with such reduction to apply proportionately to
permanently reduce the Revolving Loan Commitment of each RL Lender,
and the Borrower shall make any prepayment required pursuant to
Section 5.02(a) of the Credit Agreement after giving effect to such
reduction to the Total Revolving Loan Commitment.
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II.
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Waiver to the Credit Agreement
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1. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained in the Credit Agreement, the
Lenders hereby waive the Specified Event of Default so long as no
other Default or Event of Default exists (or hereafter arises)
under the Credit Agreement; provided that such waiver of the
Specified Event of Default shall cease to be of any force or effect
(x) on October 31, 2008, at which time any default under Section
10.09 of the Credit Agreement will constitute an Event of Default
under the Credit Agreement without regard to this Amendment and
Waiver or (y) if at any time on or after September 29, 2008 and
prior to October 31, 2008 the Total Leverage Ratio is greater than
5.50:1.00, at which time any default under Section 10.09 of the
Credit Agreement will constitute an Event of Default under the
Credit Agreement without regard to this Amendment and
Waiver.
2. In order
to induce the Lenders to grant the waiver set forth in preceding
Section 1 of Part II of this Amendment and Waiver, and
notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Credit
Agreement, during the period from the Amendment and Waiver
Effective Date (as defined below) until such time as the Specified
Event of Default shall cease to exist (without regard to this
Amendment and Waiver), the Borrower may not incur any Revolving
Loans, Swingline Loans or Letters of Credit if, after giving effect
to the incurrence thereof, the aggregate outstanding principal
amount of all Revolving Loans, Swingline Loans and Letter of Credit
Outstandings would exceed the lesser of (x) the Total Revolving
Loan Commitment as then in effect and (y) an amount equal to
$235,000,000.
3. The
parties hereto hereby acknowledge and agree that (a) the Lenders
have not waived any existing or future Defaults or Events of
Default under the Credit Agreement (other than the Specified Event
of Default on the terms provided for herein), (b) no course of
dealing shall be deemed to be established as a consequence of the
Lenders agreeing to waive the Specified Event of Default as
provided in this Amendment and Waiver and continuing to make Loans
and issue and participate in Letters of Credit on the terms
described in Section 2 of Part II of this Amendment and Waiver and
(c) subject to the limitations set forth in Section 2 of Part II of
this Amendment and Waiver, all Credit Events shall be subject to
the terms and conditions of the Credit Agreement.
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III.
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Miscellaneous Provisions .
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1. In
order to induce the Lenders to enter into this Amendment and
Waiver, the Borrower hereby represents and warrants that (i) no
Default or Event of Default exists as of the Amendment and Waiver
Effective Date both immediately before and immediately after giving
effect to this Waiver on such date and (ii) all of the
representations and warranties contained in the Credit Agreement
and in the other Credit Documents are true and correct in all
material respects on the Amendment and Waiver Effective Date both
immediately before and immediately after giving effect to this
Amendment and Waiver on such date, with the same effect as though
such representations and warranties had been made on and as of the
Amendment and Waiver Effective Date (it being understood that any
representation or warranty made as of a specific date shall be true
and correct in all material respects as of such specific
date).
2. This
Amendment and Waiver is limited as specified and shall not
constitute a modification, acceptance or waiver of any
other
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