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AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON MAY [__], 1999
REGISTRATION NO. 333-[ ]
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
----------------------
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
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KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC.
(EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)
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FLORIDA 38-0723657
(State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization) Identification Number)
50 WEST SAN FERNANDO STREET
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA 95113
(408) 938-7700
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of registrant's principal
executive offices)
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KAREN STEVENSON
VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL
KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC.
50 WEST SAN FERNANDO STREET
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA 95113
(408) 938-7700
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of agent for service)
COPIES TO:
MARIE B. RIEHLE, ESQ. JOHN SAVVA, ESQ.
ORRICK, HERRINGTON & SUTCLIFFE LLP SULLIVAN & CROMWELL
400 SANSOME STREET 1888 CENTURY PARK EAST
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94111-3143 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90067-172
APPROXIMATE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF PROPOSED SALE TO THE PUBLIC:
From time to time after this Registration Statement becomes effective.
If the only securities being registered on this form are being offered
pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following
box. [ ]
If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered
on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act
of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or
interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. [X]
If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box
and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier
effective registration statement for the same offering. [ ]
If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c)
under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement
for the same offering. [ ] ___________
If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule
434, please check the following box. [ ]
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROPOSED PROPOSED
MAXIMUM MAXIMUM
AMOUNT OFFERING AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF
TITLE OF EACH CLASS OF TO BE PRICE PER OFFERING REGISTRATION
SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED REGISTERED(1) SHARE (2) PRICE(1)(2) FEE
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<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Debt Securities $500,000,000 100% $500,000,000 $139,000
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</TABLE>
(1) Or, (i) if any debt securities are issued at an original issue discount,
such greater principal amount as shall result in an aggregate initial
offering price equal to $500,000,000 United States dollars or (ii) if
any debt securities are issued with a principal amount denominated in a
foreign currency or composite currency, such principal amount as shall
result in an aggregate initial offering price equivalent to $500,000,000
United States dollars at the time of initial offering.
(2) Exclusive of accrued interest, if any. These figures are estimates made
solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee.
THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR
DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL
FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THIS REGISTRATION
STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(a) OF
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 OR UNTIL THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME
EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SAID SECTION 8(a),
MAY DETERMINE.
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THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED.
WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER
TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IT IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE
SECURITIES IN ANY STATE WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.
$500,000,000
KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC.
DEBT SECURITIES
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Knight-Ridder, Inc. may from time to time issue up to $500,000,000
aggregate principal amount of debt securities. The debt securities may consist
of debentures, notes or other types of debt. The accompanying Prospectus
Supplement will specify the terms of the securities.
Knight-Ridder may sell these securities to or through underwriters, and
also to other purchasers or through agents. Goldman, Sachs & Co. may be one of
the underwriters. The names of the underwriters will be set forth in the
accompanying Prospectus Supplement.
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Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory
body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy
or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense.
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GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
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Prospectus dated May , 1999.
<PAGE> 3
We have not authorized any dealer, salesman or other person to give any
information or to make any representation other than those contained or
incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the accompanying supplement to
this prospectus. You must not rely upon any information or representation not
contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or the accompanying
prospectus supplement as if we had authorized it. This prospectus and the
accompanying supplement to this prospectus do not constitute an offer to sell or
the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered
securities to which they relate, nor do this prospectus and the accompanying
supplement to this prospectus constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of
an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is
unlawful to make an offer or solicitation in that jurisdiction. The information
contained in this prospectus and the supplement to this prospectus is accurate
as of the date on their covers. When we deliver this prospectus or a supplement
or make a sale pursuant to this prospectus, we are not implying that the
information is current as of the date of the delivery or sale. This prospectus
may not be used to consummate sales of debt securities unless accompanied by a
prospectus supplement.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
<TABLE>
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PAGE
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<S> <C>
Where You Can Find More Information......................................................3
Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements..........................................4
Knight-Ridder, Inc.......................................................................4
Use Of Proceeds..........................................................................4
Ratio Of Earnings To Fixed Charges.......................................................5
Description Of Debt Securities...........................................................5
Plan Of Distribution....................................................................17
Validity Of The Debt Securities.........................................................18
Experts ................................................................................18
</TABLE>
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and
other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Securities
and Exchange Commission is referred to in this prospectus and the accompanying
prospectus supplement as the "Commission". You may read and copy any document we
file at the Commission's public reference rooms in Washington, D.C., New York,
New York and Chicago, Illinois. Please call the Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330 for
further information on the public reference rooms. Our Commission filings (file
number 1-7553) are also available to the public at the Commission's web site at
http://www.sec.gov. You may also read any copy of these documents at the offices
of the New York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005. The
Company's common stock, par value $.02 1/12 per share is listed on the exchange.
The Commission allows us to "incorporate by reference" the information
we file with them, which means that we can disclose important information to you
by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference
is considered to be part of this prospectus and later information that we file
with the Commission will automatically update or supersede this information. We
incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings made
with the Commission under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, until that time when all of the securities
covered by this prospectus have been sold:
1. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 27, 1998.
2. Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended
March 28, 1999.
You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning
us as follows:
Knight-Ridder, Inc.
50 West San Fernando Street
San Jose, CA 95113
Attn: Corporate Secretary
Phone: (408) 938-7700
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DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements made in or incorporated by reference into this
prospectus, including the documents we incorporate by reference, are
forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to
certain risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results and events to
differ materially from those anticipated.
Potential risks and uncertainties which could adversely affect our
ability to obtain these results include, without limitation, the following
factors: (a) increased consolidation among major retailers or other events which
may adversely affect business operations of major customers and depress the
level of local and national advertising; (b) an economic downturn in some or all
of our principal newspaper markets that may lead to decreased circulation or
decreased local or national advertising; (c) a decline in general newspaper
readership patterns as a result of competitive alternative media or other
factors; (d) an increase in newsprint costs over the levels anticipated; (e)
labor disputes which may cause revenue declines or increased labor costs; (f)
acquisitions of new businesses or dispositions of existing businesses; (g)
increases in interest or financing costs; and (h) rapid technological changes
and frequent new product introductions prevalent in electronic publishing,
including the evolution of the Internet.
KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC.
We are a communications company engaged in newspaper publishing and news
and information services. We publish 31 daily newspapers in 28 U.S. markets,
reaching 9.2 million readers daily and 13.1 million on Sunday. Our newspapers
are dedicated to serving their respective communities with high quality and
independent journalism. We have won 67 Pulitzer prizes, including 14 in the past
ten years. We maintain 45 associated web sites under the name Knight Ridder Real
Cities.
Our principal executive offices are located at 50 West San Fernando
Street, San Jose, California 95113 (telephone (408) 938-7700).
USE OF PROCEEDS
Unless otherwise indicated in an accompanying Prospectus Supplement, the
net proceeds from the sale of debt securities will be used for general corporate
purposes, including refinancing of indebtedness, working capital increases,
capital expenditures, share repurchases and possible future acquisitions.
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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
The following table sets forth our ratio of earnings to fixed charges
for the periods indicated:
<TABLE>
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FISCAL YEAR ENDED QUARTER ENDED
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DEC. 25, DEC. 31, DEC. 29, DEC. 28, DEC. 27, MARCH 29, MARCH 28,
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1998 1999
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<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
5.2:1 3.2:1 4.0:1 7.1:1 5.3:1 6.6:1 4.7:1
</TABLE>
The ratio of earnings to fixed charges is computed by dividing earnings (as
adjusted for fixed charges and undistributed equity income from unconsolidated
subsidiaries) by fixed charges for the period. Fixed charges include the
interest on debt (before capitalized interest), the interest component of rental
expense, and the proportionate share of interest expense on guaranteed debt of
certain equity-method investees and on debt of 50%-owned companies.
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
We may issue as many distinct series of debt securities under the
Indenture as we wish. This section summarizes the financial and legal terms of
the debt securities that are common to all series. Most of the financial terms
and other specific terms of the series in which you may invest are described in
the Prospectus Supplement attached to the front of this Prospectus. Those terms
may vary from the terms described here. The Prospectus Supplement may also
describe special Federal income tax consequences of the debt securities.
As required by Federal law for all bonds and notes of companies that are
publicly offered, the debt securities are governed by a document called the
"Indenture". The Indenture is a contract between us and The Chase Manhattan
Bank, which acts as Trustee. The Trustee has two main roles. First, the Trustee
can enforce your rights against us if we default. There are some limitations on
the extent to which it acts on your behalf, described on page 13 under "Remedies
If an Event of Default Occurs".
Second, the Trustee performs administrative duties for us, such as
arranging to send you interest payments, transferring your debt securities to a
new buyer if you sell and sending you notices.
The Indenture and its associated documents contain the full legal text
of the matters described in this section. The Indenture and the debt securities
are governed by New York law. A copy of the Indenture has been filed with the
Commission as part of our Registration Statement. See "Where You Can Find More
Information" on page 3 for information on how to obtain a copy.
Because this section is a summary, it does not describe every aspect of
the debt securities. This summary is subject to and qualified in its entirety by
reference to all the provisions of the
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Indenture, including definitions of certain terms used in the Indenture. For
example, in this section we use capitalized words to signify defined terms that
have been given special meaning in the Indenture. We describe the meaning for
only the more important terms. We also include references in parentheses to
certain sections of the Indenture. Wherever we refer to particular sections or
defined terms of the Indenture in this Prospectus or in the Prospectus
Supplement, those sections or defined terms are incorporated by reference here
or in the Prospectus Supplement. This summary also is subject to and qualified
by reference to the description of the particular terms of your series described
in the Prospectus Supplement.
GENERAL
As noted above, we may issue debt securities in distinct series at
various times. The Indenture does not place any limit on the maximum amount of
debt securities we may issue, although we may specify a maximum aggregate
principal amount for any particular series of debt securities. (Section 301)
The debt securities are not secured by any of our property or assets.
Accordingly, your ownership of debt securities means you are one of our
unsecured creditors. The debt securities are not subordinated to any of our
other debt obligations and therefore they rank equally with all our other
unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness.
INFORMATION THAT WILL BE SPECIFIED IN THE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
The Prospectus Supplement specifies the following terms of the
particular debt securities we are offering you:
o Price of the debt securities;
o Title of the debt securities;
o Any limit on the maximum aggregate principal amount of the debt
securities;
o Stated Maturity date on which we must repay principal;
o Interest rate which the debt securities will bear, date from
which interest will accrue, the dates on which we must pay
interest and record dates for interest;
o Place where principal and interest will be paid or other means
for us to pay you principal and interest;
o Whether and how the debt securities may be redeemed before
maturity, whether by us at our option or by you at your option,
including the price at which the debt securities may be so
redeemed;
o Whether we must periodically set aside monies in a "sinking
fund" to redeem part of the debt securities from time to time,
and if so, the terms for that arrangement;
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o The denominations in which the debt securities will be issued,
if other than $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000;
o Whether any amount payable on the debt securities will be
determined by reference to an index or by a formula, and how
those amounts will be determined;
o Any foreign currency in which we may pay the debt securities;
the manner in which the principal amount would be translated
into U.S. dollars if necessary, such as to determine the
principal amount outstanding when voting with other series of
debt securities;
o Any alternate currency in which we may pay the debt securities
(whether at our option or yours), and the periods and terms for
payment;
o How much of the principal amount of the debt securities will be
payable upon declaration of acceleration of their Maturity, if
more or less than the entire principal amount;
o If the actual principal amount payable at the Stated Maturity of
any debt securities will not be known at all times prior to the
Stated Maturity, the amount to be the principal amount (or the
manner of calculating it), including the principal amount that
will be due and payable upon any Maturity earlier than the
Stated Maturity or that will be treated as outstanding;
o Whether some or all of the debt securities are defeasible as
described under "Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance - Defeasance
and Discharge" on page 16 or "Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance
- Covenant Defeasance" on page 16;
o Whether any debt securities will be in the form of a Global
Security, the wording of any legal legend to be placed on any
Global Security in addition to or instead of the legend referred
to under "Global Securities" on page 8 and, if different from
those described in that subsection, any circumstances under
which a Global Security may be exchanged for debt securities
registered in the names of Persons other than the Depositary for
the Global Security or its nominee;
o Any addition to or change in the Events of Default described on
page 13 for the debt securities and any change in the right of
the Trustee or the Holders to declare the principal amount of
any of the debt securities due and payable prior to their Stated
Maturity;
o Any addition to or change in the covenants in the Indenture
described under "Restrictive Covenants" on page 10 applicable to
any of the debt securities;
o Whether the debt securities may be converted to or exchanged for
stock or other securities of ours or another entity, the terms
of conversion or exchange and any adjustments thereto, and the
period during which the debt securities may be converted or
exchanged; and
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o Any other terms of the debt securities.
If applicable, the Prospectus Supplement also describes any special
United States Federal income tax or other considerations relating to the debt
securities, such as when debt securities are sold at original issue discount or
denominated in a foreign currency.
FORM, EXCHANGE AND TRANSFER
Except as provided in the Prospectus Supplement, the debt securities
will be issued:
o only in fully registered form;
o without interest coupons; and
o in denominations of $1,000 and greater multiples or as described
in the Prospectus Supplement. (Section 302)
You may exchange your debt securities for other debt securities of the
same series and terms with different authorized denominations and aggregate
principal amount. (Section 305)
You may arrange to exchange or transfer your debt securities at the
office of the Trustee, which will act as the Security Registrar and transfer
agent. (Section 305) You will not be required to pay a service charge to
transfer or exchange debt securities, but you may be required to pay for any tax
or other governmental charge associated with the exchange or transfer. The
transfer or exchange will be made after the Security Registrar is satisfied with
your evidence of title.
If we have designated additional transfer agents, they are named in the
Prospectus Supplement. We may cancel the designation of any particular transfer
agent. We may approve a change in the office through which the transfer agent
acts, but we must have a transfer agent in each Place of Payment for the debt
securities. (Section 1002)
If we redeem less than all of the debt securities of a particular
series, we are not required to (1) register the transfer of or exchange any debt
security during the period beginning 15 days before the day we mail the notice
of redemption and ending on the day of the mailing or (2) register the transfer
of or exchange any debt security selected for redemption (except the unredeemed
portion of any debt security being redeemed in part). (Section 305)
GLOBAL SECURITIES
The Prospectus Supplement indicates whether any of the debt securities
we are offering you may be represented by a Global Security. The aggregate
principal amount of the Global Security equals the sum of the principal amounts
of all the debt securities it represents. The Global Security will be registered
in the name of a Depositary, which is identified in the Prospectus Supplement,
or its nominee and will be deposited with the Depositary or nominee or a
custodian.
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There will be a legend on the Global Security that describes the
restrictions on exchanges and transfers explained in the next paragraph.
LIMITATION ON YOUR ABILITY TO OBTAIN SECURITIES REGISTERED IN YOUR NAME
The Global Security will not be registered in the name of any person, or
exchanged for debt securities that are registered in the name of any person,
other than the Depositary unless:
o the Depositary notifies us that it is unwilling, unable or no
longer qualified to continue acting as Depositary;
o an Event of Default with respect to the debt securities
represented by the Global Security has occurred and is
continuing; or
o any other circumstances described in the Prospectus Supplement
exist.
In those circumstances, the Depositary will determine in whose names any
securities issued in exchange for the Global Security shall be registered.
(Sections 204 and 305)
The Depositary or its nominee will be considered the sole owner and
Holder of the Global Security for all purposes, and as a result:
o You cannot get debt securities registered in your name if they
are represented by the Global Security;
o You cannot receive certificated (physical) debt securities in
exchange for your beneficial interest in the Global Security;
o You will not be considered to be the owner or Holder of the
Global Security or any debt securities it represents for any
purpose; and
o All payments on the Global Security will be made to the
Depositary or its nominee.
Note that the laws of some jurisdictions require that certain kinds of
purchasers (for example, certain insurance companies) can only own securities in
definitive (certificated) form. These laws may limit your ability to transfer
your beneficial interests in the Global Security to these types of purchasers.
BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN GLOBAL SECURITIES
Only institutions (such as a securities broker or dealer) that have
accounts with the Depositary or its nominee (and are called "participants") and
persons that may hold beneficial interests through participants can own a
beneficial interest in the Global Security. The only place where the ownership
of beneficial interests in the Global Security will appear and the only way the
transfer of those interests can be made will be on the records kept by the
Depositary (the interests of the participants) and on the records kept by those
participants (the interests of Persons holding their interests through
participants).
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The policies and procedures of the Depositary, which may change
periodically, will apply to payments, transfers, exchanges and other matters
relating to beneficial interests in the Global Security. We and the Trustee have
no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the Depositary's or any
participants' records relating to beneficial interests in the Global Security,
including for payments made on the Global Security, and we and the Trustee are
not responsible for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any of those records.
PAYMENT AND PAYING AGENTS
We will pay interest on a debt security that is due on an Interest
Payment Date to the Person in whose name the debt security is registered at the
close of business on the Regular Record Date for that interest. (Section 307)
We will pay amounts due on the debt securities at the office of the
Paying Agent or Paying Agents that we designate for that purpose from time to
time. We have designated the corporate trust office of the Trustee in The City
of New York as a Paying Agent for payments with respect to the debt securities.
If we have designated additional initial Paying Agents, they are named in the
Prospectus Supplement. We may cancel the designation of any particular Paying
Agent or approve a change in the office through which any Paying Agent acts, but
we must have a Paying Agent in each Place of Payment for the debt securities.
(Section 1002)
All money paid by us to a Paying Agent for the payment of amounts due on
the debt securities which remain unclaimed at the end of two years will be
repaid to us, and after that time the Holder may look only to us and not to the
Trustee or the Paying Agent or any other person for payment. (Section 1003)
RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS
RESTRICTIONS ON MORTGAGES
Some of our property may be subject to a mortgage or other legal
mechanism that gives our lenders preferential rights in that property over other
lenders (including you and the other direct Holders of the debt securities) or
over our general creditors if we fail to pay them back. These preferential
rights are called "Mortgages". We promise that we will not become obligated on
any new debt that is secured by a Mortgage on any of our Principal Properties,
or on any shares of stock or debt of any of our Restricted Subsidiaries, unless
we grant an equivalent or higher-ranking Mortgage on the same property to you
and the other direct Holders of the debt securities.
We do not need to comply with this restriction if the amount of all debt
that would be secured by Mortgages on Principal Properties (but not including
secured debt described in the next paragraph) is less than 15% of our
shareholders' equity as of the end of the latest fiscal year.
This Restriction on Mortgages does not apply to debt secured by certain
types of Mortgages, and we can disregard this debt when we calculate the limits
imposed by this restriction. These types of Mortgages are:
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o Mortgages on the property of any of our Restricted Subsidiaries,
or on their shares of stock or debt, if those Mortgages existed
at the time that corporation became a Restricted Subsidiary;
o Mortgages in favor of us or our Restricted Subsidiaries;
o Certain mortgages in favor of governmental entities;
o Mortgages on property that existed at the time we acquired the
property (including property we may acquire through a merger or
similar transaction) or that we granted in order to purchase the
property (sometimes called "purchase money mortgages");
o Mortgages that extend, renew or replace any of the types of
Mortgages listed above;
o Certain statutory liens or other similar liens arising in the
ordinary course of business of the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary;
o Certain pledges, deposits or liens made or arising under
worker's compensation or similar legislation, self-insurance
arrangements or in certain other circumstances;
o Certain liens in connection with legal proceedings, including
certain liens arising out of judgments or awards;
o Liens for certain taxes or assessments, landlord's liens, leases
made in the ordinary course of business which were not incurred
in connection with the borrowing of money and which do not, in
the opinion of the Company, materially impair the use of the
property; and
o Mortgages on property created in contemplation of the sale of
the property; provided that we must have disposed of the
property within 180 days after the creation of the Mortgages and
that any debt secured by these Mortgages is without recourse to
us or any of our subsidiaries. (Section 1007)
We and our subsidiaries are permitted to have as much unsecured debt as
we may choose.
RESTRICTIONS ON SALES AND LEASEBACKS
We promise that neither we nor any of our Restricted Subsidiaries will
enter into any sale and leaseback transaction involving a Principal Property,
unless we comply with this Restrictive Covenant. A "sale and leaseback
transaction" generally is an arrangement between us or a Restricted Subsidiary
and a bank, insurance company or other lender or investor where we or the
Restricted Subsidiary lease a property which was or will be sold by us or the
Restricted Subsidiary to that lender or investor.
We can comply with this Restrictive Covenant in either of two different
ways. First, we will be in compliance if we or our Restricted Subsidiary could
grant a Mortgage on the Principal
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Property in an amount equal to the Attributable Debt for the sale and leaseback
transaction without being required to grant an equivalent or higher-ranking
Mortgage to you and the other direct Holders of the debt securities under the
Restriction on Mortgages described above. Second, we can comply if we retire an
amount of Debt, within 90 days of the transaction, equal to at least the
Attributable Debt for the sale and leaseback transaction.
This Restriction on Sales and Leasebacks does not apply to any sale and
leaseback transaction that is between us and one of our Restricted Subsidiaries
or between Restricted Subsidiaries, or that involves a lease for a period of
three years or less or that involves a lease entered into within 120 days after
the latest of the acquisition, completion of construction or commencement of
full operation of the Principal Property.
CERTAIN DEFINITIONS RELATING TO OUR RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS
Following are the meanings of the terms that are important in
understanding the Restrictive Covenants previously described.
"Attributable Debt" means the present value (discounted at the rate of
interest implicit in the terms of the relevant transaction) of the total net
amount of rent that is required to be paid by a lessee during the remaining term
of any lease.
A "Principal Property" is any building or other structure or facility,
and the land on which it sits and its associated fixtures, which would be
reflected on our consolidated balance sheet prepared in accordance with United
States generally accepted accounting principles, except for tangible property
located outside the United States and for any of those properties that our Board
of Directors has determined are not of material importance to the total business
that we and our subsidiaries conduct.
A "Restricted Subsidiary" means any of our subsidiaries except one which
does not transact a substantial portion of its business in the United States or
does not regularly keep a substantial portion of its physical properties in the
United States, or one that does not own or hold any Principal Property. A
"subsidiary" is a corporation in which we and/or one or more of our other
subsidiaries owns more than 50% of the voting stock, which is a kind of stock
that ordinarily permits its owners to vote for the election of directors.
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE
We are generally permitted to consolidate or merge with another Person,
or to convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of our property or
assets or acquire all or substantially all of the property or assets of another
Person. However, we may not do so unless the following conditions are met:
o the successor Person (if any) is a corporation, partnership,
trust or other entity organized under the laws of any domestic
jurisdiction and it assumes our obligations on the debt
securities;
o immediately after giving effect to the transaction, and treating
any indebtedness which becomes our obligation or the obligation
of our subsidiary as a result of the
12
<PAGE> 14
transaction as having been incurred by us at the time of the
transaction, no Event of Default (and no event which, after
notice or lapse of time or both, would become an Event of
Default) shall have happened and be continuing;
o if, as a result of the transaction, any of our property would
become subject to a Mortgage that would not be permitted under
the limitation on Mortgages described above under "Restrictive
Covenants" on page 10, we take whatever steps as are necessary
to secure the debt securities equally and ratably with (or prior
to) the indebtedness secured by that Mortgage; and
o certain other conditions are met. (Section 801)
EVENTS OF DEFAULT
The term "Event of Default" means any of the following:
o we do not pay interest on any debt security for 30 days;
o we do not pay the principal or any premium on any debt security
when due;
o we do not deposit any sinking fund payment when due;
o we do not perform any other covenant in the Indenture for 90
days after written notice by the Trustee or the Holders of at
least 25% of the Outstanding debt securities of that series;
o certain events in bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization; and
o any other Event of Default described in the Prospectus
Supplement. (Section 501)
REMEDIES IF AN EVENT OF DEFAULT OCCURS
If an Event of Default (other than certain events in bankruptcy,
insolvency or reorganization) has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee or the
Holders of at least 50% in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of
the relevant series may declare the entire principal amount of all the debt
securities of that series to be due and immediately payable.
If an Event of Default occurs because of certain events in bankruptcy,
insolvency or reorganization, the principal amount of all the debt securities of
that series will be due and immediately payable automatically, without any
action by the Trustee or any Holder.
Subject to certain conditions, any declaration of acceleration may be
rescinded by the Holders of not less than 50% in aggregate principal amount of
the debt securities of that series. (Section 502)
Except in cases of default, where the Trustee has certain duties, the
Trustee is not obligated to exercise any of its rights or powers under the
Indenture at the request of any Holders unless the Holders offer the Trustee
reasonable indemnity. (Section 603) If reasonable
13
<PAGE> 15
indemnity is provided, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount
of the Outstanding debt securities of the relevant series may direct the time,
method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the
Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, for debt
securities of that series. (Section 512)
Before you may take any action to institute any proceeding relating to
the Indenture, or to appoint a receiver or a trustee, or for any other remedy,
the following must occur:
o you must have given the Trustee written notice of a continuing
Event of Default;
o the Holders of at least 33 1/3 % of the aggregate principal
amount of all Outstanding debt securities of the relevant series
must make a written request of the Trustee to take action
because of the default and must have offered reasonable
indemnification to the Trustee against the cost, liabilities and
expenses of taking action; and
o the Trustee must not have taken action for 60 days after receipt
of notice and offer of indemnification. (Section 507)
However, you are entitled at any time to bring a lawsuit for the payment
of amounts due on your debt security on or after the due date. (Section 508)
We will furnish to the Trustee every year a statement of certain of our
officers as to their knowledge of any default by us in performing our
obligations under the Indenture. (Section 1009)
MODIFICATION AND WAIVER
The consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of
the Outstanding debt securities of each series affected by a modification or
amendment is required to make the modification or amendment to the Indenture.
However, the following actions require the consent of the Holder of each
Outstanding debt security affected:
o change the Stated Maturity of the principal or interest on a
debt security;
o reduce any amounts due on a debt security;
o reduce the amount of principal payable upon acceleration of the
Maturity of a debt security;
o change the place or currency of payment on a debt security;
o impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any
payment on any debt security;
o reduce the percentage of Holders whose consent is needed to
modify or amend the Indenture;
14
<PAGE> 16
o reduce the percentage of Holders whose consent is needed to
waive compliance with certain provisions of the Indenture or to
waive certain defaults; and
o modify the provisions dealing with modification and waiver of
the Indenture. (Section 902)
The Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the
Outstanding debt securities of the affected series must consent to waive
compliance by us with certain restrictive provisions of the Indenture. The
Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding debt securities of
the affected series may waive any past default, except a payment default and
default in the certain covenants and provisions of the Indenture which cannot be
amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding debt security of
that series. (Section 513)
In determining what constitutes "Outstanding debt securities":
o for Original Issue Discount debt securities, the principal
amount that would be due and payable on the date in question if
the Maturity of those debt securities were accelerated to that
date will be considered Outstanding;
o for debt securities the principal amount of which is not
determinable (for example, because it is based on an index), an
amount determined in the manner prescribed for that debt
security will be considered to be Outstanding; and
o for debt securities denominated in one or more foreign
currencies or currency units, the U.S. dollar translation of the
amount calculated in the manner prescribed for that debt
security will be considered Outstanding.
Debt securities will not be considered Outstanding if money for their
payment or redemption has been deposited or set aside in trust for the Holders
or if they have been fully defeased as described under "Defeasance and Covenant
Defeasance - Defeasance and Discharge" on page 16. (Section 101)
We will generally be entitled to set any day as a record date for the
purpose of determining the Holders of Outstanding debt securities that are
entitled to take any action under the Indenture. In certain limited
circumstances, the Trustee will be entitled to set a record date for action by
Holders. If a record date is set for any action to be taken by Holders of a
particular series, the action may be taken only by persons who are Holders of
Outstanding debt securities of that series on the record date and must be taken
within 180 days following the record date or any other shorter period as we may
specify (or as the Trustee may specify, if it set the record date), which period
may be shortened or lengthened (but not beyond 180 days) from time to time.
(Section 104)
DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
The following discussion of defeasance and covenant defeasance will be
applicable to the debt securities we are offering you only to the extent
specified in the Prospectus Supplement. (Section 1301)
15
<PAGE> 17
DEFEASANCE AND DISCHARGE
We can elect to be discharged from all of our obligations under the debt
securities if:
o we deposit in trust for the benefit of you and the other Holders
of the debt securities money and/or government securities
sufficient to pay amounts due on the debt securities on their
respective Stated Maturities; and
o we deliver an opinion of counsel to the Trustee to the effect
that an IRS ruling or a change in tax law provides that the
Holders of the debt securities will be subject to Federal income
tax with respect to the debt securities as if that deposit,
defeasance and discharge did not occur and will not recognize
gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of that
deposit, defeasance and discharge. (Sections 1302 and 1304)
COVENANT DEFEASANCE
We can elect not to comply with certain restrictive covenants, including
those described under "Restrictive Covenants" on page 10 and in the third bullet
point under "Consolidation, Merger, Conveyance, Transfer or Lease" on page 12
and any that may be described in the applicable Prospectus Supplement and that
the occurrence of certain Events of Default, which are described in the fourth
and fifth bullet points under "Events of Default" on page 13 and any that are
described in the Prospectus Supplement, will not be Events of Default, provided
that we:
o deposit in trust for the benefit of you and the other Holders of
debt securities money and/or government securities sufficient to
pay amounts due on the debt securities on their respective
Stated Maturities; and
o deliver to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that
Holders of the debt securities will be subject to Federal income
tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times
as would have been the case if that deposit and defeasance did
not occur and will not recognize gain or loss for Federal income
tax purposes as a result of that deposit and defeasance.
Note that the amount of moneys and U.S. government obligations deposited in
trust may not be sufficient to pay amounts due on debt securities upon an
acceleration resulting from an Event of Default. In such a case, we will remain
liable for the payments. (Sections 1303 and 1304)
NOTICES
Notices to you will be mailed to your address as it appears in the
Security Register. (Section 106)
TITLE
We and the Trustee and our respective agents may treat the Person in
whose name your debt security is registered as the absolute owner thereof for
all purposes, including making payment to that Person.
16
<PAGE> 18
CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
We maintain deposit accounts and banking and borrowing relations with
the Trustee, including our revolving credit agreements, under which the Trustee
is a lending bank. As of March 28, 1999, we had no outstanding borrowings under
our revolving credit agreements. The Trustee is the issuing and paying agent for
our commercial paper borrowings and serves as registrar and transfer agent for
our common stock.
The Trustee is also trustee of the 6.3% Senior Notes due 2005, the 8.5%
Amortizing Notes due 2001 and the 9.875% Debentures due 2009 issued pursuant to
an Indenture, dated as of February 15, 1986, as supplemented by the First
Supplemental Indenture, dated as of April 15, 1989, each between us and the
Trustee (as successor to Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company) and the 6.625%
Notes due 2007, the 7.15% Debentures due 2027 and the 6.875% Debentures due 2029
issued pursuant to an Indenture dated as of November 4, 1997 between us and the
Trustee (collectively, the "Other Indenture Securities"). Under the provisions
of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "Trust Indenture Act"), upon
the occurrence of a default under an indenture, if a trustee has a conflicting
interest (as defined in the Trust Indenture Act) the trustee must, within 90
days, either eliminate the conflicting interest or resign. Under the provisions
of the Trust Indenture Act, an indenture trustee shall be deemed to have a
conflicting interest if the trustee is a creditor of the obligor. If the trustee
fails either to eliminate the conflicting interest or to resign within 10 days
after the expiration of the 90-day period, the trustee is required to notify
security holders to this effect and any security holder who has been a bona fide
holder for at least six months may petition a court to remove the trustee and to
appoint a successor trustee.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We may sell debt securities to or through one or more underwriters or
dealers and also may sell Debt Securities to other investors directly or through
agents. Goldman, Sachs & Co. may be one of these underwriters.
The distribution of the debt securities may be effected from time to
time in one or more transactions at a fixed price or prices, which may be
changed, or at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related
to those prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices.
In connection with the sale of Debt Securities, underwriters may receive
compensation from us or from purchasers of debt securities for whom they may act
as agents in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions. Underwriters may
sell debt securities to or through dealers, and those dealers may receive
compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the
underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as
agents. Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of
debt securities may be deemed to be underwriters, and any discounts or
commissions received by them from us and any profit on the resale of debt
securities by them may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions
under the Securities Act. Any underwriter or agent will be identified, and any
compensation received from us will be described, in the applicable Prospectus
Supplement.
17
<PAGE> 19
Under agreements which may be entered into by us, underwriters and
agents who participate in the distribution of debt securities may be entitled to
indemnification by us against certain liabilities, including liabilities under
the Securities Act.
VALIDITY OF THE DEBT SECURITIES
Unless otherwise indicated in a Prospectus Supplement relating to
offered debt securities, the validity of the debt securities will be passed upon
by Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, San Francisco, California, and by
Sullivan & Cromwell, Los Angeles, California, counsel for the underwriters or
agents.
EXPERTS
Our consolidated financial statements as of December 27, 1998 and
December 28, 1997 and for each of the three fiscal years in the period ended
December 27, 1998, incorporated in this Prospectus and Registration Statement by
reference from our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
27, 1998 have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors, as stated
in their report, which is incorporated herein by reference, and have been so
incorporated in reliance upon the report of that firm given upon their authority
as experts in accounting and auditing.
18
<PAGE> 20
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS
ITEM 14. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION.
The following is an itemized statement of our expenses in connection with the
issue of the debt securities.
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
Registration fee........................................ $ 139,000
Rating agencies fees.................................... 538,000
Fees and expenses of Trustee............................ 10,000
Printing expenses....................................... 80,000
Blue Sky and legal investment fees and expense.......... 10,000
Accountants' fees and expenses.......................... 80,000
Counsel fees and expenses............................... 180,000
Miscellaneous........................................... 6,000
----------
Total.............................................. $1,043,000
==========
</TABLE>
All except the first of the foregoing amounts are estimates.
ITEM 15. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.
Under Section 607.0850 of the Florida Business Corporation Act, the Registrant
is in certain circumstances permitted, and in other circumstances may be
required, to indemnify its directors and officers against certain expenses
(including counsel fees) and other amounts paid in connection with certain
threatened, pending or completed civil or criminal actions, suits or proceedings
(including certain civil actions and suits which may be instituted by or in
right of the Registrant), in which these persons were or are parties, or are
threatened to be made parties, by reason of the fact that these persons were or
are directors or officers of the Registrant. This section also permits the
Registrant to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of its directors and
officers against any liability which may be asserted against, or incurred by,
these persons in their capacities as directors or officers of the Registrant, or
which may arise out of their status as directors or officers of the Registrant
whether or not the Registrant would have the power to indemnify these persons
against liability under the provisions of this section.
Under Article VII of the Registrant's Bylaws, the Registrant is in certain
instances required to indemnify its directors and officers against certain
expenses (including counsel fees), judgments, fines and other sums paid in
connection with the defense or settlement of certain threatened, pending or
completed civil or criminal actions, suits or proceedings (including certain
civil actions and suits which may be instituted by or in right of the
Registrant), to which these persons are parties or are otherwise involved in, by
reason of the fact that these persons were or are directors or officers of the
Registrant. For the complete text of Article VII of the Registrant's Bylaws,
reference is made to Exhibit No. 4(b) to Registrant's Registration Statement on
Form S-3 (Registration No. 33-41304), which exhibit is incorporated herein by
reference.
II-1
<PAGE> 21
Registrant maintains insurance for its officers and directors against certain
liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, under
insurance policies, the premiums for which are paid by Registrant. The effect of
these insurance policies is to indemnify any officer or director of Registrant
against expenses, judgments, fines, attorneys' fees and other amounts paid in
settlements incurred by him, subject to certain exclusions. The policies do not
insure against any amount incurred by an officer or director as a result of his
own dishonesty.
ITEM 16. EXHIBITS.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
EXHIBIT
NUMBER EXHIBIT
------- -------
<S> <C>
1.1 Form of Underwriting Agreement.
4.1 Indenture, dated as of November 4, 1997, between Knight Ridder
and The Chase Manhattan Bank of New York, as Trustee
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's
Registration Statement on Form S-3, SEC's File No. 333-37603).
4.2 Form of Debt Security (included in Exhibit 4.1 hereto).
5.1 Opinion of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP as to the validity
of the Debt Securities.
12.1 Statement Setting Forth Computation of Ratio of Earnings to
Fixed Charges.
23.1 Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.
23.2 The consent of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP is contained
in the opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1 to this Registration
Statement.
24.1 Powers of Attorney of Directors and Officers of the Company.
25.1 Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility and Qualification of The Chase
Manhattan Bank of New York, as Trustee.
</TABLE>
ITEM 17. UNDERTAKINGS.
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3)
of the Securities Act;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
after the effective date of the registration statement (or the
most recent post-effective amendment) which, individually or in
the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information
set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities
offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would
not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the
low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be
reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant
to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and
price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum
II-2
<PAGE> 22
aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of
Registration Fee" table in the effective registration statement.
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the
plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the
registration statement, or any material change to that
information in the registration statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (i) and (ii) shall not apply
if the information required to be included in a post-effective
amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports
filed by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act that are incorporated by
reference in the registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, each post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a
new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein,
and the offering of the securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at
the termination of the offering.
(4) That, for purposes of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant
to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act that is
incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed
to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
therein, and the offering of the securities at that time shall be deemed
to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(5) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the registrant pursuant to the provisions described under
Item 15 above, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the
opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission indemnification is
against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore,
unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against
liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the
registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding)
is asserted against the Registrant by a director, officer or controlling
person in connection with the Securities being registered, the
registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has
been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether the indemnification by it is against
public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of that issue.
II-3
<PAGE> 23
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of San Jose, State of California, on this 21st day of
May, 1999.
KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC.
By: /s/ Ross Jones
-------------------------------------
Ross Jones
(Senior Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer)
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SIGNATURE CAPACITY DATE
--------- -------- ----
<S> <C> <C>
PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND DIRECTOR:
* Chairman of the Board, Chief May 21, 1999
- --------------------------------- Executive Officer and Director
P. Anthony Ridder
PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER:
/s/ Ross Jones Senior Vice President and Chief May 21, 1999
- --------------------------------- Financial Officer
Ross Jones
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING OFFICER:
* Vice President and Controller May 21, 1999
- ---------------------------------
Gary R. Effren
DIRECTORS:
Director May 21, 1999
*
- ---------------------------------
James I. Cash Jr.
* Director May 21, 1999
- ---------------------------------
Joan Ridder Challinor
* Director May 21, 1999
- ---------------------------------
Alvah H. Chapman Jr.
* Director May 21, 1999
- ---------------------------------
Kathleen Foley Feldstein
</TABLE>
II-4
<PAGE> 24
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SIGNATURE CAPACITY DATE
--------- -------- ----
<S> <C> <C>
* Director May 21, 1999
- ---------------------------------
Thomas P. Gerrity
* Director May 21, 1999
- ---------------------------------
Barbara Barnes Hauptfuhrer
* Director May 21, 1999
- ---------------------------------
M. Kenneth Oshman
* Director May 21, 1999
- ---------------------------------
Randall L. Tobias
* Director May 21, 1999
- ---------------------------------
Gonzalo F. Valdes-Fauli
* Director May 21, 1999
- ---------------------------------
John L. Weinberg
*By: /s/ Ross Jones
----------------------------
Ross Jones
Attorney-in-fact
</TABLE>
II-5
<PAGE> 25
EXHIBIT INDEX
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
EXHIBIT
NUMBER EXHIBIT
------- -------
<S> <C>
1.1 Form of Underwriting Agreement.
4.1 Indenture, dated as of November 4, 1997, between Knight Ridder
and The Chase Manhattan Bank of New York, as Trustee
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's
Registration Statement on Form S-3, SEC's File No. 333-37603).
4.2 Form of Debt Security (included in Exhibit 4.1 hereto).
5.1 Opinion of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP as to the validity
of the Debt Securities.
12.1 Statement Setting Forth Computation of Ratio of Earnings to
Fixed Charges.
23.1 Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.
23.2 The consent of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP is contained
in the opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1 to this Registration
Statement.
24.1 Powers of Attorney of Directors and Officers of the Company.
25.1 Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility and Qualification of The Chase
Manhattan Bank of New York, as Trustee.
</TABLE>
<PAGE> 1
EXHIBIT 1.1
Knight-Ridder, Inc.
Debt Securities
Underwriting Agreement
, 19
Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
85 Broad Street,
New York, New York 10004
Ladies and Gentlemen:
From time to time Knight-Ridder, Inc., a Florida corporation (the
"Company"), proposes to enter into one or more Pricing Agreements (each a
"Pricing Agreement") in the form of Annex I hereto, with such additions and
deletions as the parties thereto may determine, and, subject to the terms and
conditions stated herein and therein, to issue and sell to the firms named in
Schedule I to the applicable Pricing Agreement (such firms constituting the
"Underwriters" with respect to such Pricing Agreement and the securities
specified therein) certain of its debt securities (the "Securities") specified
in Schedule II to such Pricing Agreement (with respect to such Pricing
Agreement, the "Designated Securities").
The terms and rights of any particular issuance of Designated Securities
shall be as specified in the Pricing Agreement relating thereto and in or
pursuant to the indenture (the "Indenture") identified in such Pricing
Agreement.
1. Particular sales of Designated Securities may be made from time to
time to the Underwriters of such Securities, for whom the firms designated as
representatives of the Underwriters of such Securities in the Pricing Agreement
relating thereto will act as representatives (the "Representatives"). The term
"Representatives" also refers to a single firm acting as sole representative of
the Underwriters and to an Underwriter or Underwriters who act without any firm
being designated as its or their representatives. This Underwriting Agreement
shall not be construed as an obligation of the Company to sell any of the
Securities or as an obligation of any of the Underwriters to purchase the
Securities. The obligation of the Company to issue and sell any of the
Securities and the obligation of any of the Underwriters to purchase any of the
Securities shall be evidenced by the Pricing Agreement with respect to the
Designated Securities specified therein. Each Pricing Agreement shall specify
the aggregate principal amount of such Designated Securities, the initial public
offering price of such Designated Securities, the purchase price to the
Underwriters of such Designated Securities, the names of the Underwriters of
such Designated Securities, the names of the Representatives of such
Underwriters and the principal amount of such Designated Securities to be
purchased by each Underwriter and shall set forth the date, time and manner of
delivery of such Designated Securities and payment therefor. The Pricing
Agreement shall also specify (to the extent not set forth in the Indenture and
the registration statement and prospectus with respect thereto) the terms of
such Designated Securities. A Pricing Agreement shall be in the form of an
executed
<PAGE> 2
writing (which may be in counterparts), and may be evidenced by an exchange of
telegraphic communications or any other rapid transmission device designed to
produce a written record of communications transmitted. The obligations of the
Underwriters under this Agreement and each Pricing Agreement shall be several
and not joint.
2. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the
Underwriters that:
(a) A registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-[ ] (the "Initial
Registration Statement") in respect of the Securities has been filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"); the
Initial Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto,
each in the form heretofore delivered or to be delivered to the
Representatives and, excluding exhibits to the Initial Registration
Statement, but including all documents incorporated by reference in the
prospectus contained therein, to the Representatives for each of the
other Underwriters, have been declared effective by the Commission in
such form; other than a registration statement, if any, increasing the
size of the offering (a "Rule 462(b) Registration Statement"), filed
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the "Act"), which became effective upon filing, and prospectuses filed
pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, no other document with respect to
the Initial Registration Statement or document incorporated by reference
therein has heretofore been filed or transmitted for filing with the
Commission; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Initial Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto or
the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, has been issued and no
proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or overtly threatened by
the Commission (any preliminary prospectus included in the Initial
Registration Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule
424(a) under the Act, is hereinafter called a "Preliminary Prospectus");
the various parts of the Initial Registration Statement and Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement, if any, including all exhibits thereto and the
documents incorporated by reference in the prospectus contained in the
Initial Registration Statement at the time such part of the registration
statement became effective or such part of the Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement, if any, became or hereafter becomes effective, but excluding
Form T-1, each as amended at the time such part of the Initial
Registration Statement became effective, are hereinafter collectively
called the "Registration Statement"; the prospectus relating to the
Securities, in the form in which it has most recently been filed, or
transmitted for filing, with the Commission on or prior to the date of
this Agreement, being hereinafter called the "Prospectus"; any reference
herein to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed
to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein
pursuant to the applicable form under the Act, as of the date of such
Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference
to any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or the
Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed
after the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case
may be, under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
"Exchange Act") and incorporated by reference in such Preliminary
Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any
amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and
include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a)
or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the effective
2
<PAGE> 3
date of the Initial Registration Statement that is incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement; and any reference to the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented shall be deemed to refer to the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented in relation to the applicable
Designated Securities in the form in which it is first filed, or
transmitted for filing, with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)
under the Act in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof, including any
documents incorporated by reference therein as of the date of such
filing or transmittal);
(b) The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus as amended
or supplemented, when they became effective or were filed with the
Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to
the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the
rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such
documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein not misleading; and any further documents so
filed and incorporated by reference in such Prospectus or any further
amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents become effective or
are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all
material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as
applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder
and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this
representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or
omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information
furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter of Designated
Securities through the Representatives expressly for use in the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented relating to such Securities;
(c) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented conform, and any further amendments or supplements to the
Registration Statement or such Prospectus will conform, in all material
respects to the requirements of the Act and the Trust Indenture Act of
1939, as amended (the "Trust Indenture Act") and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, as of
the applicable effective date as to the Registration Statement and any
amendment thereto and as of the applicable filing date as to such
Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, contain an untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty
shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and
in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an
Underwriter of Designated Securities through the Representatives
expressly for use in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented relating
to such Securities;
(d) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained since
the date of the latest audited financial statements included or
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented
any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood
or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any
labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, which
has had a material
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<PAGE> 4
adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole,
otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus as amended
or supplemented; and, since the respective dates as of which information
is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented, there has not been any change in the capital stock (other
than issuances of common stock pursuant to employee benefit plans,
repurchases by the Company of its common stock which do not have a
material effect on the consolidated financial position of the Company
and its subsidiaries or conversion of outstanding convertible
securities) or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries
or any material adverse change, or any development involving a
prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the general
affairs, management, financial position, shareholders' equity or results
of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set
forth or contemplated in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented;
(e) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a
corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
incorporation, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its
properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus as
amended or supplemented, and has been duly qualified as a foreign
corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing
under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases
properties or conducts any business, so as to require such
qualification, other than such failures to qualify which would not,
individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the
Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; and each significant
subsidiary, as that term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X under
the Act (collectively, the "Significant Subsidiaries") has been duly
incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing
under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation;
(f) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented, and all of the issued shares of
capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and
issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; and all of the issued
shares of capital stock of each Significant Subsidiary have been duly
and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and
(except for directors qualifying shares and except as set forth in the
Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, free and clear of all liens,
encumbrances, equities or claims other than those liens, encumbrances,
equities or claims which would not, individually or in the aggregate,
have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries,
taken as a whole;
(g) The Securities have been duly authorized by the Company, and, when
Designated Securities are issued and delivered pursuant to this
Agreement and the Pricing Agreement with respect to such Designated
Securities, such Designated Securities will have been duly executed,
authenticated, issued and delivered by the Company and will constitute
valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable against
the Company in accordance with their terms, subject, as to enforcement,
to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization and other laws of general
applicability relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to general
equity principles and will be entitled to the benefits provided by the
Indenture, which will be substantially in the form filed as an exhibit
to or incorporated by
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<PAGE> 5
reference in the Registration Statement; the Indenture has been duly
authorized by the Company and duly qualified under the Trust Indenture
Act and, at the Time of Delivery for such Designated Securities (as
defined in Section 4 hereof), assuming due authorization, execution and
delivery by the Trustee, will constitute a valid and legally binding
instrument, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its
terms, subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization and other laws of general applicability relating to or
affecting creditors' rights and to general equity principles; and the
Indenture conforms, and the Designated Securities will conform, in all
material respects, to the descriptions thereof in the Prospectus as
amended or supplemented with respect to such Designated Securities;
(h) The issue and sale of the Securities and the compliance by the
Company with all of the provisions of the Securities, the Indenture,
this Agreement and any Pricing Agreement, and the consummation by the
Company of the transactions herein and therein contemplated will not
conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions
of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of
trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the
Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or
any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or
assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, other than
such conflicts, breaches, or defaults which would not, individually or
in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or on the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement, the Pricing Agreement or the Indenture, nor will such
action result in any violation of the provisions of the Restated
Articles of Incorporation or the By-Laws of the Company or any statute
or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or
body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or
any of their properties; and no consent, approval, authorization, order,
registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental
agency or body is required for the issue and sale of the Securities by
the Company or the consummation by the Company of the other transactions
contemplated by this Agreement or any Pricing Agreement or the
Indenture, except the registration of the Securities under the Act and
the qualification of the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act and
such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or
qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky
laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Designated
Securities by the Underwriters;
(i) Other than as set forth in the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to
which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any
property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which
the Company has reason to believe would, individually or in the
aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial
position, shareholders' equity or results of operations of the Company
and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; and no such proceedings are
overtly threatened;
(j) The accountants of the Company who have certified certain financial
statements of the Company and its subsidiaries are independent public
accountants as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder; and
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<PAGE> 6
(k) The discussion of the Year 2000 issue under the caption "Year 2000
Readiness Disclosures" in Item 2 of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q
included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when filed with
the Commission, taken as a whole, does not contain an untrue statement
of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements therein, taken as a whole, in light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading.
3. Upon the execution of the Pricing Agreement applicable to any
Designated Securities and authorization by the Representatives of the release of
the Designated Securities, the several Underwriters propose to offer the
Designated Securities for sale upon the terms and conditions set forth in the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented.
4. Designated Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter pursuant to
the Pricing Agreement relating thereto, in definitive form, or in the form of
one or more global certificates representing all such Designated Securities, if
the related Pricing Agreement so provides, and in such authorized denominations
and registered in such names as the Representatives may request upon at least
forty-eight hours' prior notice to the Company, shall be delivered by or on
behalf of the Company to the Representatives for the account of such
Underwriter, against payment by such Underwriter or on its behalf of the
purchase price therefor by certified bank check or checks or by wire transfer,
payable to the order of the Company in the funds specified in such Pricing
Agreement, all in the manner and at the place and time and date specified in
such Pricing Agreement or at such other place and time and date as the
Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing, such time and date
being herein called the "Time of Delivery" for such Securities.
5. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters of any Designated
Securities:
(a) To prepare the Prospectus as amended or supplemented in relation to
the applicable Designated Securities in a form approved by the
Representatives and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b)
under the Act not later than the Commission's close of business on the
second business day following the execution and delivery of the Pricing
Agreement relating to the applicable Designated Securities or, if
applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 424(b); to make
no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or
Prospectus as amended or supplemented after the date of the Pricing
Agreement relating to such Securities and prior to the Time of Delivery
for such Securities to which the Representatives for such Securities
shall reasonably object promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to
advise the Representatives promptly of any such amendment or supplement
after such Time of Delivery and furnish the Representatives with copies
thereof; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or
information statements required to be filed by the Company with the
Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange
Act for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in
connection with the offering or sale of such Securities, and during such
same period to advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives
notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration
Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the
Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed, or transmitted for
filing, with the Commission, of the issuance by the Commission of any
stop order or of any order preventing or suspending
6
<PAGE> 7
the use of any prospectus relating to the Securities, of the suspension
of the qualification of such Securities for offering or sale in any
jurisdiction, of the initiation or overt threatening of any proceeding
for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the
amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or Prospectus or
for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any
such stop order or of any such order preventing or suspending the use of
any prospectus relating to the Securities or suspending any such
qualification, to use promptly its best efforts to obtain its
withdrawal;
(b) Promptly from time to time to take such action as the
Representatives may reasonably request to qualify such Securities for
offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the
Representatives may request and to comply with such laws so as to permit
the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for
as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of such
Securities, provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not
be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in
securities or to file a general consent to service of process in any
jurisdiction;
(c) Prior to 12:00 p.m., New York City time, on the New York Business
Day next succeeding the date of the Pricing Agreement and from time to
time, to furnish the Underwriters with copies of the Prospectus as
amended or supplemented in New York City in such quantities as the
Representatives may reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a
prospectus is required at any time in connection with the offering or
sale of the Securities and if at such time any event shall have occurred
as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented
would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in
the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such
Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it
shall be necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the
Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated
by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act, the
Exchange Act or the Trust Indenture Act, to notify the Representatives
and upon their request to file such document and to prepare and furnish
without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as
many copies as the Representatives may from time to time reasonably
request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus which
will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance;
(d) To make generally available to its security holders as soon as
practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen months after the
effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c)
under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its
subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of
the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder
(including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158); and
(e) During the period beginning from the date of the Pricing Agreement
for such Designated Securities and continuing to and including the
earlier of (i) the termination of trading restrictions for such
Designated Securities, as notified to the Company by the
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<PAGE> 8
Representatives and (ii) the Time of Delivery for such Designated
Securities, not to offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of
any debt securities of the Company which mature more than one year after
such Time of Delivery and which are substantially similar to such
Designated Securities, without the prior written consent of the
Representatives.
6. The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that
the Company will pay or cause to be paid the following:
(i) The fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company's counsel and
accountants in connection with the registration of the Securities under
the Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation,
printing and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary
Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and
the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and
dealers;
(ii) The cost of printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters,
this Agreement, any Pricing Agreement, any Indenture, any Blue Sky and
Legal Investment Memoranda and any other documents in connection with
the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Securities;
(iii) All expenses in connection with the qualification of the
Securities for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided
in Section 5(b) hereof, including the reasonable fees and disbursements
of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification
and in connection with the Blue Sky and legal investment surveys;
(iv) Any fees charged by securities rating services for rating the
Securities;
(v) Any filing fees incident to any required review by the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. of the terms of the sale of the
Securities;
(vi) The cost of preparing the Securities;
(vii) The fees and expenses of any Trustee and any agent of any Trustee
and the fees and disbursements of counsel for any Trustee in connection
with any Indenture and the Securities; and
(viii) All other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its
obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for
in this Section. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in
this Section, Section 8 and Section 11 hereof, the Underwriters will pay
all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their
counsel, transfer taxes on resale of any of the Securities by them, and
any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.
7. The obligations of the Underwriters of any Designated Securities
under the Pricing Agreement relating to such Designated Securities shall be
subject, in the discretion of the Representatives, to the condition that all
representations and warranties and other statements of
8
<PAGE> 9
the Company in or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Agreement relating to
such Designated Securities are, at and as of the Time of Delivery for such
Designated Securities, true and correct, the condition that the Company shall
have performed all of its obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and
the following additional conditions:
(a) The Prospectus as amended or supplemented in relation to the
applicable Designated Securities shall have been filed with the
Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period
prescribed for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Act
and in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof; no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall
have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been
initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for
additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been
complied with to the Representatives' reasonable satisfaction;
(b) Sullivan & Cromwell, counsel for the Underwriters, shall have
furnished to the Representatives such opinion or opinions (a draft of
each such opinion is attached as Annex IV(a) hereto), dated the Time of
Delivery for such Designated Securities, with respect to the
incorporation of the Company, the validity of the Indenture, the
Designated Securities, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus as
amended or supplemented and other related matters, as the
Representatives may reasonably request; in giving such opinions,
Sullivan & Cromwell may rely upon the opinion of Stearns Weaver Miller
Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A. with respect to all matters of
Florida law; and such counsel shall have received such papers and
information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon
such matters;
(c) Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, counsel for the Company, shall
have furnished to the Representatives their written opinion (a draft of
such opinion is attached as Annex IV(b) hereto), dated the Time of
Delivery for such Designated Securities, in the form attached hereto, to
the effect that:
(i) This Agreement and the Pricing Agreement with respect to the
Designated Securities have been duly executed and delivered by
the Company;
(ii) When authenticated and issued in accordance with the
Indenture, the Designated Securities will constitute valid and
legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable against
the Company in accordance with their terms, subject, as to
enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium, fraudulent transfer and other laws of general
applicability relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to
general equity principles (regardless of whether enforceability
is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and are
entitled to the benefits provided by the Indenture;
(iii) The Indenture has been duly executed and delivered by the
Company and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery
by the Trustee, constitutes a valid and legally binding
instrument, enforceable against the Company in accordance with
its terms, subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent transfer and other laws of
general
9
<PAGE> 10
applicability relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to
general equity principles (regardless of whether enforceability
is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the
Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act;
(iv) No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or
qualification of or with any governmental agency or body is
required for the issue and sale of the Designated Securities or
the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated
by this Agreement or such Pricing Agreement or the Indenture,
except such as have been obtained under the Act and the Trust
Indenture Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations,
orders, registrations or qualifications as may be required under
state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase
and distribution of the Designated Securities by the
Underwriters;
(v) The issue and sale of the Designated Securities and the
compliance by the Company with all the provisions of the
Designated Securities, the Indenture, the Underwriting Agreement
and the Pricing Agreement with respect to the Designated
Securities and the consummation of the transactions herein and
therein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach
or violation of any statute, rule or regulation known to us,
which conflict, breach or violation would (x) individually or in
the aggregate have a material adverse effect on the current or
future consolidated financial position, stockholders' equity or
results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries or (y)
adversely affect the validity of the Designated Securities; and
(vi) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the
captions "Description of Debt Securities" and "Description of the
Debentures", insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of
the terms of the Debt Securities, and insofar as they purport to
describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to
therein, are accurate and fair in all material respects;
(d) Karen Stevenson, Vice President and General Counsel of the Company,
shall have furnished to the Representatives her written opinion (a draft
of such opinion is attached as Annex IV(c) hereto), dated the Time of
Delivery for such Designated Securities, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that:
(i) Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc. (the "Subsidiary") has been
duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in
good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of
incorporation; and all of the issued shares of capital stock of
such Subsidiary have been duly authorized and validly issued, are
fully paid and nonassessable, and to such counsel's knowledge,
are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear
of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, except for such
liens, encumbrances, equities or claims which would not,
individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect
on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole;
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<PAGE> 11
(ii) To the knowledge of such counsel, there is no litigation or
governmental proceeding pending or threatened against the Company
or any of its subsidiaries which is required to be disclosed in
the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, pursuant to the Act
or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and is not
disclosed therein;
(iii) The issue and sale of the Designated Securities being
delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement and the
Pricing Agreement with respect to the Designated Securities and
the compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of the
Designated Securities, the Indenture, this Agreement and the
Pricing Agreement with respect to the Designated Securities and
the consummation of the transactions herein and therein
contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach of any
of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any
indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other
agreement or instrument known to such counsel to which the
Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the
Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of
the properties or assets of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is subject, except for such conflicts, breaches or
defaults which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have
a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries,
taken as a whole, or on the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, the Pricing Agreement or the Indenture;
(iv) Insofar as such documents are relevant to the offering of
the Designated Securities and have not been modified or
superceded, the documents incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as amended or
supplemented, or any further amendment or supplement thereto made
by the Company prior to such Time of Delivery, when they became
effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be,
complied as to form in all material respects to the requirements
of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder; and, insofar as such
documents are relevant to the offering of the Designated
Securities and have not been modified and superceded, such
counsel does not believe that any of such documents, when such
documents became effective or were so filed, as the case may be,
contained, in the case of a registration statement which became
effective under the Act, an untrue statement of a material fact,
or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein
or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or,
in the case of other documents which were filed under the
Exchange Act with the Commission, an untrue statement of a
material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made when such documents were
so filed, not misleading; such opinion may state that such
counsel does not express any opinion or belief as to the
financial statements and notes thereto, related schedules and
exhibits and other financial data contained in or omitted from
such documents; and such counsel does not know of any amendment
to the Registration Statement required to be filed or of any
contracts or other documents of a character required to be filed
as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or required to be
incorporated by reference into the Prospectus, as amended or
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<PAGE> 12
supplemented, or required to be described in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, which
are not filed or incorporated by reference or described as
required, in each case, pursuant to the Act and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder; and
(v) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented and any further amendments and supplements thereto
made by the Company prior to the Time of Delivery for the
Designated Securities (other than the financial statements and
notes thereto, related schedules and exhibits and other financial
data contained in or omitted from such documents, as to which
such counsel need express no opinion), insofar as such documents
are relevant to the offering of the Designated Securities and
have not been modified or superceded, comply as to form in all
material respects with the requirements of the Act and the Trust
Indenture Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; although
she does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy,
completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus, she has no reason to
believe that, insofar as such documents are relevant to the
offering of the Designated Securities and have not been modified
or superceded, as of its effective date, the Registration
Statement or any further amendment thereto made by the Company
prior to the Time of Delivery (other than the financial
statements and notes thereto, related schedules and exhibits and
other financial data contained in or omitted from such documents,
as to which such counsel need express no opinion) contained an
untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein not misleading or that, as of its date,
the Prospectus as amended or supplemented or any further
amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company prior to the
Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements and notes
thereto, related schedules and exhibits and other financial data
contained in or omitted from such documents, as to which such
counsel need express no opinion) contained an untrue statement of
a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading or that, insofar as
such documents are relevant to the offering of the Designated
Securities and have not been modified or superceded, as of the
Time of Delivery, either the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented or any further amendment or
supplement thereto made by the Company prior to the Time of
Delivery (other than the financial statements and notes thereto,
related schedules and exhibits and other financial data contained
in or omitted from such documents, as to which such counsel need
express no opinion) contains an untrue statement of a material
fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading;
(e) Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A., Florida
counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives
their written opinion (a draft of such opinion is attached as Annex
IV(d) hereto), dated the Time of Delivery for such Designated
Securities, in the form attached hereto, to the effect that:
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<PAGE> 13
(i) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly
existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the
State of Florida, with the corporate power and authority to own
its properties and conduct its business;
(ii) This Agreement and the Pricing Agreement with respect to the
Designated Securities have been duly authorized; and
(iii) The Designated Securities and the Indenture have been duly
authorized;
(f) On the date of the Prospectus as amended or supplemented at a time
prior to the execution of this Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., New York City
time, on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the
Registration Statement filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement
and prior to the Time of Delivery and also at the Time of Delivery, the
independent accountants of the Company who have certified the financial
statements of the Company and its subsidiaries included or incorporated
by reference in the Registration Statement shall have furnished to the
Representatives a letter or letters, dated the respective dates of
delivery thereof, to the effect set forth in Annex II hereto, and with
respect to such letter dated such Time of Delivery, as to such other
matters as the Representatives may reasonably request and in form and
substance satisfactory to the Representatives (the executed copy of the
letter delivered prior to the execution of this Agreement is attached as
Annex II(a) hereto and a draft of the form of letter to be delivered on
the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration
Statement and as of each Time of Delivery is attached as Annex II(b)
hereto);
(g) (i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have
sustained since the date of the latest audited financial
statements included or incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented any loss or interference
with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity,
whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute
or court or governmental action, order or decree, which would
have a material adverse effect on the Company and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or
contemplated in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented; and
(ii) Since the respective dates as of which information is given
in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented there shall not have
been any change in the capital stock (other than issuances of
common stock pursuant to employee benefit plans, repurchases by
the Company of its common stock which do not have a material
effect on the consolidated financial position of the Company and
its subsidiaries or conversion of outstanding convertible
securities) or long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries
consolidated or any change, or any development involving a
prospective change, in or affecting the general affairs,
management, financial position, shareholders' equity or results
of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries consolidated,
otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus as
amended or supplemented, the effect of which, in any such case
described in Clause (ii), is in the judgment of the
Representatives so material and adverse as to make it
impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with
13
<PAGE> 14
the public offering or the delivery of the Designated Securities
on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus as
amended or supplemented;
(h) On or after the date of the Pricing Agreement relating to the
Designated Securities:
(i) No downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the
Company's debt securities by any "nationally recognized
statistical rating organization," as that term is defined by the
Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act and
(ii) No such organization shall have publicly announced that it
has under surveillance or review, with possible negative
implications, its rating of any of the Company's debt securities;
(i) On or after the date of the Pricing Agreement relating to the
Designated Securities there shall not have occurred any of the
following:
(i) A suspension or material limitation in trading in securities
generally on the New York Stock Exchange;
(ii) A general moratorium on commercial banking activities in New
York declared by either Federal or New York State authorities; or
(iii) The outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the
United States or the declaration by the United States of a
national emergency or war if the effect of any such event
specified in this Clause (iii) in the judgment of the
Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed
with the public offering or the delivery of the Designated
Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented;
(j) The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section 5(c)
hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses on the New York
Business Day next succeeding the date of the Pricing Agreement; and
(k) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the
Representatives at the Time of Delivery for the Designated Securities a
certificate or certificates of officers of the Company reasonably
satisfactory to the Representatives as to the accuracy of the
representations and warranties of the Company herein at and as of such
Time of Delivery, as to the performance by the Company of all of its
obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to such Time of
Delivery, as to the matters set forth in subsection (a) of this Section
and as to such other matters as the Representatives may reasonably
request.
8. (a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter
against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to
which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise,
insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in
respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement
14
<PAGE> 15
or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any
Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus supplement, the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus as amended or supplemented and
any other prospectus relating to the Securities, or any amendment or
supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or
alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and
will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating
or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred;
provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case
to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out
of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or
omission or alleged omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus, any
preliminary prospectus supplement, the Registration Statement, the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented and any other prospectus relating
to the Securities, or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon
and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by
any Underwriter of Designated Securities through the Representatives
expressly for use in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented relating
to such Securities or was made in reliance upon the Trustee's statement
of eligibility and qualification on Form T-1; and provided, further,
that the Company shall not be liable to any Underwriter of Designated
Securities under the indemnity agreement in this subsection (a) with
respect to any Preliminary Prospectus to the extent that any such loss,
claim, damage or liability of such Underwriter results from the fact
such Underwriter sold Designated Securities to a person to whom there
was not sent or given, at or prior to the written confirmation of such
sale, a copy of the Prospectus (excluding documents incorporated by
reference) or of the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented
(excluding documents incorporated by reference) in any case where such
delivery is required by the Act if the Company has previously furnished
copies thereof to such Underwriter and the loss, claim, damage or
liability of such Underwriter results from an untrue statement or
omission of a material fact contained in the Preliminary Prospectus
which was corrected in the Prospectus (or the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented).
(b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company
against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company
may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses,
claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out
of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of
a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary
prospectus supplement, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus as
amended or supplemented and any other prospectus relating to the
Securities, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or
are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only
to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or
omission or alleged omission was made in any Preliminary Prospectus, any
preliminary prospectus supplement, the Registration Statement, the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented and any other prospectus relating
to the Securities, or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon
and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by
such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein;
and will reimburse the
15
<PAGE> 16
Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the
Company in connection with investigating or defending any such action or
claim as such expenses are incurred.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a)
or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such
indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made
against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the
indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the
omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from
any liability which it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than
under such subsection. In case any such action shall be brought against
any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the
commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to
participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with
any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense
thereof, with counsel selected by it and satisfactory to such
indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the
indemnified party (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or
delayed), be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from
the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to
assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable
to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses
of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently
incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense
thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. An indemnifying
party shall not be required to indemnify an indemnified party for any
amount paid or payable by the indemnified party in settlement of any
claim, action, proceeding or investigation without the written consent
of the indemnifying party.
(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is unavailable
to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under
subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then
each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable
by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is
appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on
the one hand and the Underwriters of the Designated Securities on the
other from the offering of the Designated Securities to which such loss,
claim, damage or liability (or action in respect thereof) relates. If,
however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence
is not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to
give the notice required under subsection (c) above, then each
indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by
such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect
not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the
Company on the one hand and the Underwriters of the Designated
Securities on the other in connection with the statements or omissions
which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or
actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable
considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one
hand and such Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the
same proportion as the total net proceeds from such offering (before
deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total
underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriters.
The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other
things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a
16
<PAGE> 17
material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material
fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or
such Underwriters on the other and the parties' relative intent,
knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent
such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that
it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this
subsection (d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the
Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any
other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable
considerations referred to above in this subsection (d). The amount paid
or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims,
damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above
in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other
expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection
with investigating or defending any such action or claim.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter
shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by
which the total price at which the applicable Designated Securities
underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the
public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has
otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged
untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of
fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the
Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not
guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The obligations of the
Underwriters of Designated Securities in this subsection (d) to
contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting
obligations with respect to such Securities and not joint.
(e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 8 shall be in
addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall
extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who
controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act; and the
obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 8 shall be in
addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may
otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to
each officer and director of the Company and to each person, if any, who
controls the Company within the meaning of the Act.
9. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase
the Designated Securities which it has agreed to purchase under the
Pricing Agreement relating to such Designated Securities, the
Representatives may in their discretion arrange for themselves or
another party or other parties to purchase such Designated Securities on
the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours after such
default by any Underwriter the Representatives do not arrange for the
purchase of such Designated Securities, then the Company shall be
entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure
another party or other parties satisfactory to the Representatives to
purchase such Designated Securities on such terms. In the event that,
within the respective prescribed period, the Representatives notify the
Company that they have so arranged for the purchase of such Designated
Securities, or the Company notifies the Representatives that it has so
arranged for the purchase of such Designated Securities, the
Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Time
of Delivery for such Designated Securities for a period of not more than
seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made
necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company
17
<PAGE> 18
agrees to file promptly any amendments or supplements to the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in the opinion of the
Representatives may thereby be made necessary. The term "Underwriter" as
used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this
Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party
to the Pricing Agreement with respect to such Designated Securities.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the
Designated Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the
Representatives and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the
aggregate principal amount of such Designated Securities which remains
unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate principal
amount of the Designated Securities, then the Company shall have the
right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the
principal amount of Designated Securities which such Underwriter agreed
to purchase under the Pricing Agreement relating to such Designated
Securities and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter
to purchase its pro rata share (based on the principal amount of
Designated Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase under
such Pricing Agreement) of the Designated Securities of such defaulting
Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been
made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from
liability for its default.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the
Designated Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the
Representatives and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the
aggregate principal amount of Designated Securities which remains
unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate principal amount of
the Designated Securities, as referred to in subsection (b) above, or if
the Company shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b)
above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Designated
Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then the Pricing
Agreement relating to such Designated Securities shall thereupon
terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting
Underwriter or the Company, except for the expenses to be borne by the
Company and the Underwriters as provided in Section 6 hereof and the
indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 8 hereof; but nothing
herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its
default.
10. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties
and other statements of the Company and the several Underwriters, as set forth
in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to
this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any
investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf
of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, or the Company,
or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company, and shall
survive delivery of and payment for the Securities.
11. If any Pricing Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 9
hereof, the Company shall not then be under any liability to any Underwriter
with respect to the Designated Securities covered by such Pricing Agreement
except as provided in Section 6 and Section 8 hereof, but, if for any other
reason Designated Securities are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company as
provided herein, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters through the
18
<PAGE> 19
representatives for all out-of-pocket expenses approved in writing by the
Representatives, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably
incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and
delivery of such Designated Securities, but the Company shall then be under no
further liability to any Underwriter with respect to such Designated Securities
except as provided in Section 6 and Section 8 hereof.
12. In all dealings hereunder, the Representatives of the Underwriters
of Designated Securities shall act on behalf of each of such Underwriters, and
the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement,
request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or given by such
Representatives jointly or by such of the Representatives, if any, as may be
designated for such purpose in the Pricing Agreement.
All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in
writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or
facsimile transmission to the address of the Representatives as set forth in the
Pricing Agreement; and if to the Company shall be delivered or sent by mail,
telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set forth in the
Registration Statement: Attention: Secretary; provided, however, that any notice
to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 8(c) hereof shall be delivered or sent by
mail, telex or facsimile transmission to such Underwriter at its address set
forth in its Underwriters' Questionnaire, or telex constituting such
Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the Company by the
Representatives upon request. Any such statements, requests, notices or
agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.
13. This Agreement and each Pricing Agreement shall be binding upon, and
inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company and, to the extent
provided in Section 8 and Section 10 hereof, the officers and directors of the
Company and each person who controls the Company or any Underwriter, and their
respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no
other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this
Agreement or any such Pricing Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Securities
from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of
such purchase.
14. Time shall be of the essence of each Pricing Agreement. As used
herein, "business day" shall mean any day when the Commission's office in
Washington, D.C. is open for business.
15. This Agreement and each Pricing Agreement shall be construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
16. This Agreement and each Pricing Agreement may be executed by any one
or more of the parties hereto and thereto in any number of counterparts, each of
which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such respective counterparts
shall together constitute one and the same instrument.
19
<PAGE> 20
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign
and return four counterparts hereof.
Very truly yours,
Knight-Ridder, Inc.
By:
---------------------------
Name:
Title:
Accepted as of the date hereof:
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
By:
-----------------------------------
(Goldman, Sachs & Co.)
20
<PAGE> 21
ANNEX I
Pricing Agreement
Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
As Representative of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto,
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
85 Broad Street,
New York, New York 10004
, 19
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Knight-Ridder, Inc., a Florida corporation (the "Company"), proposes,
subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and in the Underwriting
Agreement, dated , 19 (the "Underwriting Agreement"), between the Company on the
one hand and Goldman, Sachs & Co. and [(Name(s) of Co-Representative(s) named
therein)] on the other hand, to issue and sell to the Underwriters named in
Schedule I hereto (the "Underwriters") the Securities specified in Schedule II
hereto (the "Designated Securities"). Each of the provisions of the Underwriting
Agreement is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and shall be
deemed to be a part of this Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions
had been set forth in full herein; and each of the representations and
warranties set forth therein shall be deemed to have been made at and as of the
date of this Pricing Agreement, except that each representation and warranty
with respect to the Prospectus in Section 2 of the Underwriting Agreement shall
be deemed to be a representation and warranty as of the date of the Underwriting
Agreement in relation to the Prospectus (as therein defined), and also a
representation and warranty as of the date of this Pricing Agreement in relation
to the Prospectus as amended or supplemented relating to the Designated
Securities which are the subject of this Pricing Agreement. Each reference to
the Registration Statement herein and in the provisions of the Underwriting
Agreement so incorporated by reference shall mean the registration statement on
Form S-3 (File No. 333-[ ]), effective , 19 . Each reference to the
Representatives herein and in the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement so
incorporated by reference shall be deemed to refer to you. Unless otherwise
defined herein, terms defined in the Underwriting Agreement are used herein as
therein defined. The Representatives designated to act on behalf of the
Representatives and on behalf of each of the Underwriters of the Designated
Securities pursuant to Section 12 of the Underwriting Agreement and the address
of the Representatives referred to in such Section 12 are set forth at the end
of Schedule II hereto.
An amendment to the Registration Statement, or a supplement to the
Prospectus, as the case may be, relating to the Designated Securities, in the
form heretofore delivered to you is now proposed to be filed with the
Commission.
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the
Underwriting Agreement incorporated herein by reference, the Company agrees to
issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees,
severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the time and place
and at the purchase price to the Underwriters set forth in
1
<PAGE> 22
Schedule II hereto, the principal amount of Designated Securities set forth
opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign
and return to us four counterparts hereof, and upon acceptance hereof by you, on
behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof,
including the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement incorporated herein by
reference, shall constitute a binding agreement between each of the Underwriters
and the Company. It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf
of each of the Underwriters is or will be pursuant to the authority set forth in
a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to
the Company for examination upon request, but without warranty on the part of
the Representatives as to the authority of the signers thereof.
Very truly yours,
Knight-Ridder, Inc.
By:
----------------------------
Name:
Title:
Accepted as of the date hereof:
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
By:
-------------------------------------
(Goldman, Sachs & Co.)
On behalf of each of the Underwriters
2
<PAGE> 23
SCHEDULE I
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Principal Amount
of Designated
Securities to be
Underwriter Purchased
- ------------------------------------------- ----------------
<S> <C>
Goldman, Sachs & Co........................... $
[Names of other Underwriters].................
----------------
Total......................................... $
================
</TABLE>
1
<PAGE> 24
SCHEDULE II
Title of Designated Securities:
[ %] [Floating Rate] [Zero Coupon] [Notes] [Debentures] due
Aggregate principal amount:
$
Price to Public:
% of the principal amount of the Designated Securities, plus accrued
interest [, if any,] from to [and accrued
amortization, if any from to ]
Purchase Price by Underwriters:
% of the principal amount of the Designated Securities, plus accrued
interest from to [and accrued amortization, if
any, from to ]
Specified funds for payment of purchase price:
Immediately available funds
Indenture:
Indenture dated as of November 4, 1997, between the Company and The
Chase Manhattan Bank, as Trustee
Maturity:
Interest Rate:
[ %] [Zero Coupon] [see Floating Rate Provisions]
Interest Payment Dates:
[months and dates, commencing , 19 ]
Redemption Provisions:
[No provisions for redemption]
[The Designated Securities may be redeemed, otherwise than through the
sinking fund, in whole or in part at the option of the Company, in the amount of
[$] or an integral multiple thereof, [on or after , at the following redemption
prices (expressed in percentages of principal amount). If [redeemed on or before
, %, and if] redeemed during the 12-month period beginning ,
<PAGE> 25
Redemption
Year Price
---- -----
and thereafter at 100% of their principal amount, together in each case with
accrued interest to the redemption date.]
[on any interest payment date falling on or after , , at the
election of the Company, at a redemption price equal to the principal amount
thereof, plus accrued interest to the date of redemption.]
[Other possible redemption provisions, such as mandatory redemption upon
occurrence of certain events or redemption for changes in tax law]
[Restriction on refunding]
Sinking Fund Provisions
[No sinking fund provisions]
[The Designated Securities are entitled to the benefit of a sinking fund
to retire [$] principal amount of Designated Securities on in each of the years
through at 100% of their principal amount plus accrued interest]
[, together with [cumulative] [noncumulative] redemptions at the option of the
Company to retire an additional [$] principal amount of Designated Securities in
the years through at 100% of their principal amount plus accrued interest].
[If Designated Securities are extendable debt Securities, insert --
Extendable provisions:
Designated Securities are repayable on , [insert date and
years], at the option of the holder, at their principal amount with accrued
interest. The initial annual interest rate will be %, and thereafter the annual
interest rate will be adjusted on , to a rate not less than % of
the effective annual interest rate on U.S. Treasury obligations with -year
maturities as of the [insert date 15 days prior to maturity date] prior to such
[insert maturity date].]
[If Designated Securities are floating rate debt securities, insert --
Floating Rate Provisions:
Initial annual interest rate will be % through , [and thereafter
will be adjusted [monthly] [on each , , and ] [to an annual rate
of % above the average rate for -year [month] [securities] [certificates
of deposit] issued by and
2
<PAGE> 26
[insert names of banks].] [and the annual interest rate [thereafter] [from
through ] will be the interest yield equivalent of the weekly average per
annum market discount rate for -month Treasury bills plus % of Interest
Differential (the excess, if any, of (i) the then current weekly average per
annum secondary market yield for -month certificates of deposit over (ii) the
then current interest yield equivalent of the weekly average per annum market
discount rate for -month Treasury bills); [from and thereafter the rate will
be the then current interest yield equivalent plus % of Interest
Differential].]
Defeasance provisions:
Time of Delivery:
Closing location for delivery of Designated Securities:
Names and addresses of Representatives:
Designated Representatives: Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Address for Notices, etc.: Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street
New York, New York 10004
(212) 902-3000
[Other Terms]:
3
<PAGE> 27
ANNEX II
Pursuant to Section 7 (e)(i) of the Underwriting Agreement, the
accountants shall furnish letters to the Underwriters to the effect that:
(i) They are independent certified public accountants with
respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the
Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder;
(ii) In their opinion, the financial statements and any
supplementary financial information and schedules audited (and, if
applicable, prospective financial statements and/or pro forma financial
information examined) by them and included or incorporated by reference
in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented comply as to form in all material respects with the
applicable accounting requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as
applicable, and the related published rules and regulations thereunder;
and, if applicable, they have made a review in accordance with standards
established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants of
the consolidated interim financial statements, selected financial data,
pro forma financial information, prospective financial statements and/or
condensed financial statements derived from audited financial statements
of the Company for the periods specified in such letter, as indicated in
their reports thereon, copies of which have been furnished to the
representatives of the Underwriters (the "Representatives");
(iii) They have performed the procedures specified by the
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for a review of
interim financial information as described in SAS 71, Interim Financial
Information, on the unaudited consolidated condensed balance sheets and
the unaudited consolidated condensed statements of income and cash flows
included in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented and/or included in
the Company's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q incorporated by reference
into the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, and have inquired of
certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial
and accounting matters as to whether the unaudited consolidated
condensed financial statements referred to in paragraph (vi)(A) below
comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable
accounting requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and the related
published rules and regulations, and on the basis of such procedures and
inquiries, nothing came to their attention that caused them to believe
that the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do not
comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable
accounting requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and the related
published rules and regulations;
(iv) They have compared the unaudited selected financial
information with respect to the consolidated results of operations and
financial position of the Company for the five most recent fiscal years
included in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented and included or
incorporated by reference in Item 6 of the Company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year to the corresponding amounts
(after restatement where applicable) in the audited consolidated
financial statements for such five fiscal years which were included or
incorporated by reference in the Company's Annual Reports on Form 10-K
for such fiscal years and found them to be
<PAGE> 28
in agreement;
(v) They have compared the information in the Prospectus as
amended or supplemented under selected captions with the disclosure
requirements of Regulation S-K and on the basis of limited procedures
specified in such letter nothing came to their attention as a result of
the foregoing procedures that caused them to believe that this
information does not conform in all material respects with the
disclosure requirements of Items 301, 302, 402 and 503(d), respectively,
of Regulation S-K;
(vi) On the basis of limited procedures, not constituting an
audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards,
consisting of a reading of the unaudited financial statements and other
information referred to below, a reading of the latest available interim
financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, inspection of
the minute books of the Company and its subsidiaries since the date of
the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by
reference in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, inquiries of
officials of the Company and its subsidiaries responsible for financial
and accounting matters and such other inquiries and procedures as may be
specified in such letter, nothing came to their attention that caused
them to believe that:
(A) the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of
income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements
of cash flows included or incorporated by reference in the
Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q incorporated by
reference in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented do not
comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable
accounting requirements of the Exchange Act as it applies to Form
10-Q and the related published rules and regulations thereunder
or are not in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles applied on a basis substantially consistent with the
basis for the audited consolidated statements of income,
consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash
flows included or incorporated by reference in the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year;
(B) any other unaudited income statement data and balance
sheet items included in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented
do not agree with the corresponding items in the unaudited
consolidated financial statements from which such data and items
were derived, and any such unaudited data and items were not
determined on a basis substantially consistent with the basis for
the corresponding amounts in the audited consolidated financial
statements included or incorporated by reference in the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year;
(C) the unaudited financial statements which were not
included in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented but from
which were derived the unaudited condensed financial statements
referred to in Clause (A) and any unaudited income statement data
and balance sheet items included in the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented and referred to in Clause (B) were not determined on
a basis substantially consistent with the basis for the audited
<PAGE> 29
financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal
year;
(D) any unaudited pro forma condensed consolidated
financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented do not comply as to form in
all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements
of Rule 11-02 of Regulation S-X or the pro forma adjustments have
not been properly applied to the historical amounts in the
compilation of those statements;
(E) as of a specified date not more than five days prior
to the date of such letter, there have been any changes in the
consolidated capital stock (other than issuances of capital stock
upon exercise of options and stock appreciation rights, upon
earn-outs of performance shares and upon conversions of
convertible securities, in each case which were outstanding on
the date of the latest balance sheet included or incorporated by
reference in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented) or any
increase in the consolidated long-term debt of the Company and
its subsidiaries, or any decreases in consolidated net current
assets or net assets or other items specified by the
Representatives, or any increases in any items specified by the
Representatives, in each case as compared with amounts shown in
the latest balance sheet included or incorporated by reference in
the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, except in each case
for changes, increases or decreases which the Prospectus as
amended or supplemented discloses have occurred or may occur or
which are described in such letter; and
(F) for the period from the date of the latest financial
statements included or incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented to the specified date
referred to in Clause (E) there were any decreases in
consolidated net revenues or operating profit or the total or per
share amounts of consolidated net income or other items specified
by the Representatives, or any increases in any items specified
by the Representatives, in each case as compared with the
comparable period of the preceding year and with any other period
of corresponding length specified by the Representatives, except
in each case for increases or decreases which the Prospectus as
amended or supplemented discloses have occurred or may occur or
which are described in such letter; and
(vii) In addition to the audit referred to in their report(s)
included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented and the limited procedures, inspection of minute books,
inquiries and other procedures referred to in paragraphs (iii) and (vi)
above, they have carried out certain specified procedures, not
constituting an audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards, with respect to certain amounts, percentages and financial
information specified by the Representatives which are derived from the
general accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries, which
appear in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented (excluding documents
incorporated by reference), or in Part II of, or in exhibits and
schedules to, the Registration Statement specified by the
Representatives or in documents
<PAGE> 30
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented
specified by the Representatives, and have compared certain of such
amounts, percentages and financial information with the accounting
records of the Company and its subsidiaries and have found them to be in
agreement.
4
<PAGE> 1
Exhibit 5.1
May __, 1999
Knight-Ridder, Inc.
50 West San Fernando Street
San Jose, CA 95113
Re: Knight-Ridder, Inc.
Registration Statement on Form S-3
Ladies and Gentlemen:
At your request, we have examined the Registration Statement on
Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement") in the form to be filed by
Knight-Ridder, Inc. (the "Company") with the Securities and Exchange Commission
in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the "Act"), of the Company's debt securities (the "Debt Securities") in an
aggregate amount of up to approximately $500,000,000 or the equivalent thereof
in one or more foreign currencies or composite currencies. The Debt Securities
are to be issued under an Indenture dated as of November 4, 1997 (the
"Indenture") between the Company and Chase Manhattan Bank, as Trustee. The Debt
Securities are to be sold from time to time as set forth in the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus contained in the Registration Statement (the
"Prospectus") and the supplements to the Prospectus (the "Prospectus
Supplements").
We have examined instruments, documents and records which we
deemed relevant and necessary for the basis of our opinion hereinafter
expressed. In such examination, we have assumed the following: (a) the
authenticity of original documents and the genuineness of all signatures; (b)
the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies; and
(c) the truth, accuracy, and completeness of the information, representations
and warranties contained in the records, documents, instruments and certificates
we have reviewed.
Based on such examination, we are of the opinion that:
When the issuance of Debt Securities has been duly authorized by
appropriate corporate action and the Debt Securities have been duly executed,
authenticated and delivered in accordance with the related Indenture and sold as
described in the Registration Statement, any amendment thereto, the Prospectus
and any Prospectus Supplement relating thereto, the Debt Securities will be
legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefits of
such Indenture.
Our opinion that any document is legal, valid and binding is
qualified as to:
(a) limitations imposed by bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, arrangement, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other laws
relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally;
(b) general principles of equity, including without limitation
concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing, and the
possible unavailability of
<PAGE> 2
specific performance or injunctive relief, regardless of whether such
enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to
the above-referenced Registration Statement and to the use of our name wherever
it appears in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Prospectus
Supplement, and in any amendment or supplement thereto. In giving such consent,
we do not believe that we are "experts" within the meaning of such term as used
in the Act or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange
Commission issued thereunder with respect to any part of the Registration
Statement, including this opinion as an exhibit or otherwise.
Very truly yours,
ORRICK, HERRINGTON & SUTCLIFFE LLP
2
<PAGE> 1
Exhibit 12.1
COMPUTATION OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES RATIO
FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS
(IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, EXCEPT RATIO DATA)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Fiscal Year Ended Quarter Ended
--------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------
December December December December December March March
25, 31, 29, 28, 27, 29, 28,
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1998 1999
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
FIXED CHARGES COMPUTATION
Net Interest Expense $ 43,742 $ 57,623 $ 66,740 $ 97,286 $ 101,420 $ 26,811 $ 22,447
Plus Capitalized Interest 474 1,889 6,397 5,376 4,516 1,150 2,317
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Gross Interest Expense 44,216 59,512 73,137 102,662 105,936 27,961 24,764
Proportionate Share of Interest
Expense of 50% owned persons 12,351 13,824 17,941 1,948 -- -- --
Interest component of Rent 5,303 5,781 5,787 6,671 7,688 2,075 2,078
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
TOTAL FIXED CHARGES $ 61,870 $ 79,117 $ 96,865 $ 111,281 $ 113,624 $ 30,036 $ 26,842
========= ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= =========
EARNINGS COMPUTATION
Pre-tax earnings from continuing operations $ 265,737 $ 182,817 $ 310,209 $ 693,852 $ 507,916 $ 171,605 $ 105,014
Add: Fixed Charges 61,870 79,117 96,865 111,281 113,624 30,036 26,842
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
$ 327,607 $ 261,934 $ 407,074 $ 805,133 $ 621,540 $ 201,641 $ 131,856
Less: Capitalized Interest (474) (1,889) (6,397) (5,376) (4,516) (1,150) (2,317)
Distributions in excess of
(less than) earnings of investee (4,487) (9,285) (12,962) (7,675) (16,693) (2,204) (4,210)
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Total Earnings as Adjusted $ 322,646 $ 250,760 $ 387,715 $ 792,082 $ 600,331 $ 198,287 $ 125,329
========= ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= =========
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES 5.2:1 3.2:1 4.0:1 7.1:1 5.3:1 6.6:1 4.7:1
========= ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= =========
</TABLE>
<PAGE> 1
Exhibit 23.1
Consent of Independent Auditors
We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption "Experts" in the
Registration Statement (Form S-3) and related Prospectus of Knight-Ridder, Inc.
for the registration of $500,000,000 of debt securities and to the incorporation
by reference therein of our report dated January 22, 1999, with respect to the
consolidated financial statements and schedule of Knight-Ridder, Inc. included
in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 27, 1998, filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
/S/ Ernst & Young LLP
San Jose, California
May 21, 1999
<PAGE> 1
Exhibit 24.1
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC. REGISTRATION STATEMENT
KNOW ALL PERSON BY THESE PRESENTS:
The undersigned, an officer of Knight-Ridder, Inc., hereby
constitutes and appoints ROSS JONES and KAREN STEVENSON and each of them with
power to act alone, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with
full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign the Registration
Statement on Form S-3 for Knight-Ridder, Inc. and any and all amendments thereto
(including post-effective amendments) and any related registration statements
filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or
otherwise, and to file the same, together with exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises hereof, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might do or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact or his or her substitution may lawfully do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned officer has signed his or her name
hereto as of this 12th day of May, 1999.
/s/ Gary R. Effren
- -------------------------------------------------
Gary R. Effren
<PAGE> 2
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC. REGISTRATION STATEMENT
KNOW ALL PERSON BY THESE PRESENTS:
The undersigned, a director of Knight-Ridder, Inc., hereby
constitutes and appoints ROSS JONES and KAREN STEVENSON and each of them with
power to act alone, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with
full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign the Registration
Statement on Form S-3 for Knight-Ridder, Inc. and any and all amendments thereto
(including post-effective amendments) and any related registration statements
filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or
otherwise, and to file the same, together with exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises hereof, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might do or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact or his or her substitution may lawfully do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director has signed his or her name
hereto as of this 12th day of May, 1999.
/s/ James I. Cash Jr.
- -------------------------------------------------
James I. Cash Jr.
<PAGE> 3
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC. REGISTRATION STATEMENT
KNOW ALL PERSON BY THESE PRESENTS:
The undersigned, a director of Knight-Ridder, Inc., hereby
constitutes and appoints ROSS JONES and KAREN STEVENSON and each of them with
power to act alone, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with
full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign the Registration
Statement on Form S-3 for Knight-Ridder, Inc. and any and all amendments thereto
(including post-effective amendments) and any related registration statements
filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or
otherwise, and to file the same, together with exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises hereof, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might do or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact or his or her substitution may lawfully do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director has signed his or her name
hereto as of this 12th day of May, 1999.
/s/ Joan Ridder Challinor
- -------------------------------------------------
Joan Ridder Challinor
<PAGE> 4
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC. REGISTRATION STATEMENT
KNOW ALL PERSON BY THESE PRESENTS:
The undersigned, a director of Knight-Ridder, Inc., hereby
constitutes and appoints ROSS JONES and KAREN STEVENSON and each of them with
power to act alone, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with
full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign the Registration
Statement on Form S-3 for Knight-Ridder, Inc. and any and all amendments thereto
(including post-effective amendments) and any related registration statements
filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or
otherwise, and to file the same, together with exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises hereof, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might do or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact or his or her substitution may lawfully do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director has signed his or her name
hereto as of this 12th day of May, 1999.
/s/ Alvah H. Chapman Jr.
- -------------------------------------------------
Alvah H. Chapman Jr.
<PAGE> 5
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC. REGISTRATION STATEMENT
KNOW ALL PERSON BY THESE PRESENTS:
The undersigned, a director of Knight-Ridder, Inc., hereby
constitutes and appoints ROSS JONES and KAREN STEVENSON and each of them with
power to act alone, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with
full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign the Registration
Statement on Form S-3 for Knight-Ridder, Inc. and any and all amendments thereto
(including post-effective amendments) and any related registration statements
filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or
otherwise, and to file the same, together with exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises hereof, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might do or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact or his or her substitution may lawfully do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director has signed his or her name
hereto as of this 12th day of May, 1999.
/s/ Kathleen Foley Feldstein
- -------------------------------------------------
Kathleen Foley Feldstein
<PAGE> 6
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC. REGISTRATION STATEMENT
KNOW ALL PERSON BY THESE PRESENTS:
The undersigned, a director of Knight-Ridder, Inc., hereby
constitutes and appoints ROSS JONES and KAREN STEVENSON and each of them with
power to act alone, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with
full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign the Registration
Statement on Form S-3 for Knight-Ridder, Inc. and any and all amendments thereto
(including post-effective amendments) and any related registration statements
filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or
otherwise, and to file the same, together with exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises hereof, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might do or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact or his or her substitution may lawfully do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director has signed his or her name
hereto as of this 12th day of May, 1999.
/s/ Thomas P. Gerrity
- -------------------------------------------------
Thomas P. Gerrity
<PAGE> 7
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC. REGISTRATION STATEMENT
KNOW ALL PERSON BY THESE PRESENTS:
The undersigned, a director of Knight-Ridder, Inc., hereby
constitutes and appoints ROSS JONES and KAREN STEVENSON and each of them with
power to act alone, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with
full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign the Registration
Statement on Form S-3 for Knight-Ridder, Inc. and any and all amendments thereto
(including post-effective amendments) and any related registration statements
filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or
otherwise, and to file the same, together with exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises hereof, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might do or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact or his or her substitution may lawfully do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director has signed his or her name
hereto as of this 12th day of May, 1999.
/s/ Barbara Barnes Hauptfuhrer
- -------------------------------------------------
Barbara Barnes Hauptfuhrer
<PAGE> 8
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC. REGISTRATION STATEMENT
KNOW ALL PERSON BY THESE PRESENTS:
The undersigned, a director of Knight-Ridder, Inc., hereby
constitutes and appoints ROSS JONES and KAREN STEVENSON and each of them with
power to act alone, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with
full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign the Registration
Statement on Form S-3 for Knight-Ridder, Inc. and any and all amendments thereto
(including post-effective amendments) and any related registration statements
filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or
otherwise, and to file the same, together with exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises hereof, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might do or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact or his or her substitution may lawfully do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director has signed his or her name
hereto as of this 12th day of May, 1999.
/s/ M. Kenneth Oshman
- -------------------------------------------------
M. Kenneth Oshman
<PAGE> 9
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC. REGISTRATION STATEMENT
KNOW ALL PERSON BY THESE PRESENTS:
The undersigned, a director of Knight-Ridder, Inc., hereby
constitutes and appoints ROSS JONES and KAREN STEVENSON and each of them with
power to act alone, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with
full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign the Registration
Statement on Form S-3 for Knight-Ridder, Inc. and any and all amendments thereto
(including post-effective amendments) and any related registration statements
filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or
otherwise, and to file the same, together with exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises hereof, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might do or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact or his or her substitution may lawfully do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director has signed his or her name
hereto as of this 12th day of May, 1999.
/s/ P. Anthony Ridder
- -------------------------------------------------
P. Anthony Ridder
<PAGE> 10
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC. REGISTRATION STATEMENT
KNOW ALL PERSON BY THESE PRESENTS:
The undersigned, a director of Knight-Ridder, Inc., hereby
constitutes and appoints ROSS JONES and KAREN STEVENSON and each of them with
power to act alone, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with
full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign the Registration
Statement on Form S-3 for Knight-Ridder, Inc. and any and all amendments thereto
(including post-effective amendments) and any related registration statements
filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or
otherwise, and to file the same, together with exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises hereof, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might do or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact or his or her substitution may lawfully do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director has signed his or her name
hereto as of this 12th day of May, 1999.
/s/ Randall L. Tobias
- -------------------------------------------------
Randall L. Tobias
<PAGE> 11
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC. REGISTRATION STATEMENT
KNOW ALL PERSON BY THESE PRESENTS:
The undersigned, a director of Knight-Ridder, Inc., hereby
constitutes and appoints ROSS JONES and KAREN STEVENSON and each of them with
power to act alone, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with
full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign the Registration
Statement on Form S-3 for Knight-Ridder, Inc. and any and all amendments thereto
(including post-effective amendments) and any related registration statements
filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or
otherwise, and to file the same, together with exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises hereof, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might do or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact or his or her substitution may lawfully do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director has signed his or her name
hereto as of this 12th day of May, 1999.
/s/ Gonzalo F. Valdes-Fauli
- -------------------------------------------------
Gonzalo F. Valdes-Fauli
<PAGE> 12
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC. REGISTRATION STATEMENT
KNOW ALL PERSON BY THESE PRESENTS:
The undersigned, a director of Knight-Ridder, Inc., hereby
constitutes and appoints ROSS JONES and KAREN STEVENSON and each of them with
power to act alone, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with
full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign the Registration
Statement on Form S-3 for Knight-Ridder, Inc. and any and all amendments thereto
(including post-effective amendments) and any related registration statements
filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or
otherwise, and to file the same, together with exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises hereof, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might do or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact or his or her substitution may lawfully do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director has signed his or her name
hereto as of this 12th day of May, 1999.
/s/ John L. Weinberg
- -------------------------------------------------
John L. Weinberg
<PAGE> 1
Exhibit 25.1
-------------------------------------------------------------------
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D. C. 20549
-------------------------
FORM T-1
STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY
UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939 OF
A CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE
-------------------------------------------
CHECK IF AN APPLICATION TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY OF
A TRUSTEE PURSUANT TO SECTION 305(b)(2) ________
----------------------------------------
THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK
(Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter)
NEW YORK 13-4994650
(State of incorporation (I.R.S. employer
if not a national bank) identification No.)
270 PARK AVENUE
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10017
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
William H. McDavid
General Counsel
270 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10017
Tel: (212) 270-2611
(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)
---------------------------------------------
KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC.
(Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)
FLORIDA 38-0723657
(State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. employer
incorporation or organization) identification No.)
50 WEST SAN FERNANDO STREET
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA 95113
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
---------------------------------------------
DEBT SECURITIES
(Title of the indenture securities)
---------------------------------------------
<PAGE> 2
GENERAL
Item 1. General Information.
Furnish the following information as to the trustee:
(a) Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to which
it is subject.
New York State Banking Department, State House, Albany, New York 12110.
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Washington, D.C.,
20551.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, District No. 2, 33 Liberty Street, New
York, New York 10045.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Washington, D.C., 20429.
(b) Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.
Yes.
Item 2. Affiliations with the Obligor.
If the obligor is an affiliate of the trustee, describe each such
affiliation.
None.
2
<PAGE> 3
Item 16. List of Exhibits
List below all exhibits filed as a part of this Statement of
Eligibility.
1. A copy of the Articles of Association of the Trustee as now in
effect, including the Organization Certificate and the Certificates of Amendment
dated February 17, 1969, August 31, 1977, December 31, 1980, September 9, 1982,
February 28, 1985, December 2, 1991 and July 10, 1996 (see Exhibit 1 to Form T-1
filed in connection with Registration Statement No. 333-06249, which is
incorporated by reference).
2. A copy of the Certificate of Authority of the Trustee to Commence
Business (see Exhibit 2 to Form T-1 filed in connection with Registration
Statement No. 33-50010, which is incorporated by reference. On July 14, 1996, in
connection with the merger of Chemical Bank and The Chase Manhattan Bank
(National Association), Chemical Bank, the surviving
corporation, was renamed The Chase Manhattan Bank).
3. None, authorization to exercise corporate trust powers being
contained in the documents identified above as Exhibits 1 and 2.
4. A copy of the existing By-Laws of the Trustee (see Exhibit 4 to Form
T-1 filed in connection with Registration Statement No. 333-06249, which is
incorporated by reference).
5. Not applicable.
6. The consent of the Trustee required by Section 321(b) of the Act
(see Exhibit 6 to Form T-1 filed in connection with Registration Statement No.
33-50010, which is incorporated by reference. On July 14, 1996, in connection
with the merger of Chemical Bank and The Chase Manhattan Bank (National
Association), Chemical Bank, the surviving
corporation, was renamed The Chase Manhattan Bank).
7. A copy of the latest report of condition of the Trustee, published
pursuant to law or the requirements of its supervising or examining authority.
8. Not applicable.
9. Not applicable.
3
<PAGE> 4
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 the
Trustee, The Chase Manhattan Bank, a corporation organized and existing under
the laws of the State of New York, has duly caused this statement of eligibility
to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in
the City of New York and State of New York, on the 29th day of April, 1999.
THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK
By /s/ William G. Keenan
-------------------------------
William G. Keenan
Trust Officer
4
<PAGE> 5
Exhibit 7 to Form T-1
Bank Call Notice
RESERVE DISTRICT NO. 2
CONSOLIDATED REPORT OF CONDITION OF
The Chase Manhattan Bank
of 270 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10017
and Foreign and Domestic Subsidiaries,
a member of the Federal Reserve System,
at the close of business December 31, 1998, in
accordance with a call made by the Federal Reserve Bank of
this District pursuant to the provisions of the Federal
Reserve Act.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
DOLLAR AMOUNTS
ASSETS IN MILLIONS
<S> <C>
Cash and balances due from depository institutions:
Noninterest-bearing balances and
currency and coin ................................ $ 13,915
Interest-bearing balances ........................ 7,805
Securities:
Held to maturity securities .......................... 1,429
Available for sale securities ........................ 56,327
Federal funds sold and securities purchased under
agreements to resell ............................. 21,733
Loans and lease financing receivables:
Loans and leases, net of unearned income ......... $131,095
Less: Allowance for loan and lease losses ........ 2,711
Less: Allocated transfer risk reserve ............ 0
--------
Loans and leases, net of unearned income,
allowance, and reserve ........................... 128,384
Trading Assets ....................................... 48,949
Premises and fixed assets (including capitalized
leases) .......................................... 3,095
Other real estate owned .............................. 239
Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries and
associated companies ............................. 199
Customers' liability to this bank on acceptances
outstanding ...................................... 1,209
Intangible assets .................................... 2,081
Other assets ......................................... 11,352
--------
TOTAL ASSETS ......................................... $296,717
========
</TABLE>
<PAGE> 6
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
LIABILITIES
<S> <C>
Deposits
In domestic offices .................................................... $105,879
Noninterest-bearing .................................................... 39,175
Interest-bearing ....................................................... 66,704
--------
In foreign offices, Edge and Agreement,
subsidiaries and IBF's ................................................. 79,294
Noninterest-bearing .................................................... $ 4,082
Interest-bearing ....................................................... 75,212
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under
agreements to repurchase ................................................. 32,546
Demand notes issued to the U.S. Treasury ................................... 629
Trading liabilities ........................................................ 36,807
Other borrowed money (includes mortgage indebtedness and obligations under
capitalized leases):
With a remaining maturity of one year or less .......................... 4,478
With a remaining maturity of more than one year
through three years ............................................. 213
With a remaining maturity of more than three years .................. 115
Bank's liability on acceptances executed and outstanding ................... 1,209
Subordinated notes and debentures .......................................... 5,408
Other liabilities .......................................................... 10,855
TOTAL LIABILITIES .......................................................... 277,433
--------
EQUITY CAPITAL
Perpetual preferred stock and related surplus .............................. 0
Common stock ............................................................... 1,211
Surplus (exclude all surplus related to preferred stock) .................. 11,016
Undivided profits and capital reserves ..................................... 6,762
Net unrealized holding gains (losses)
on available-for-sale securities ........................................... 279
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments ........................ 16
TOTAL EQUITY CAPITAL ....................................................... 19,284
--------
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY CAPITAL ....................................... $296,717
========
</TABLE>
I, Joseph L. Sclafani, E.V.P. & Controller of the above-named bank, do hereby
declare that this Report of Condition has been prepared in conformance with the
instructions issued by the appropriate Federal regulatory authority and is true
to the best of my knowledge and belief.
JOSEPH L. SCLAFANI
We, the undersigned directors, attest to the correctness of this Report of
Condition and declare that it has been examined by us, and to the best of our
knowledge and belief has been prepared in conformance with the instructions
issued by the appropriate Federal regulatory authority and is true and correct.
WALTER V. SHIPLEY )
THOMAS G. LABRECQUE ) DIRECTORS
WILLIAM B. HARRISON, JR.)
2
