LEE ENTERPRISES INC
8-K, 2000-10-03
NEWSPAPERS: PUBLISHING OR PUBLISHING & PRINTING
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       Pursuant to Section 12 or 15(d) of
                       The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                         Date of Report: October 2, 2000


                          LEE ENTERPRISES, INCORPORATED
              -----------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


   Delaware                      1-6227                           42-0823980
---------------                -----------                   -------------------
(State or other                (Commission                      (IRS Employer
jurisdiction of                File Number)                  Identification No.)
incorporation)


215 N. Main Street, Davenport, IA                              52801-1924
---------------------------------------                      ---------------
(Address of principal executive offices)                        ZIP Code


                                 (319) 383-2100
               ---------------------------------------------------
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)




<PAGE>


Item 2.  Acquisition or Disposition of Assets

                  On October 1, 2000 (the  "Closing  Date")  Registrant  and its
wholly-owned  subsidiary,  New Mexico  Broadcasting Co. ("NMBC"),  completed the
sale of their eight  network-affiliated  and seven  satellite  stations to Emmis
Communications Corporation, of Indianapolis, Indiana ("Emmis") (the "Sale").

                  Registrant  received  $559.5 million (the  "Purchase  Price"),
plus $21,194,526 of Preliminary  Working Capital (as defined below) in cash from
Emmis  pursuant to the terms of a Purchase and Sale  Agreement by and among Lee,
NMBC and Emmis dated May 7, 2000 (the "Agreement").

                  The Purchase  Price was  determined  as a result of arm-length
negotiations  between unrelated  parties.  In negotiating the Purchase Price and
others  terms,  Registrant  was  assisted  by Credit  Suisse  First  Boston  and
McFarland Dewy & Co. LLC.

                  Registrant  will use the  proceeds of the Sale to continue the
expansion of its publishing, online and information services businesses.

                   The  Sale  was  effected  by  Emmis'   purchase  of  all  the
outstanding  shares of common  stock of KOIN-TV,  Inc.  and SJL of Kansas  Corp.
(collectively, the "Acquired Companies") from Registrant and the purchase of the
assets  related to the remaining  network-affiliated  and  satellite  television
stations  from  Registrant  and  NMBC or  their  affiliates  (collectively,  the
"Lee-NMBC Stations").

                  The  Agreement  provides  that, as of the close of business on
the day preceding the Closing Date,  the Purchase  Price is subject to reduction
by the  negative  amount  of the  sum of the  Working  Capital  of the  Lee-NMBC
Stations and Closing  Adjusted  Working Capital of the Acquired  Companies or to
increase  by the  positive  amount  of the  sum of the  Working  Capital  of the
Lee-NMBC Stations and Closing Adjusted Working Capital of the Acquired Companies
(the "Working Capital"). Within 60 days after the Closing Date, Lee will deliver
to Emmis for its approval a final statement of Working Capital. Prior to 30 days
thereafter,  Emmis may give notice stating any objections thereto, which, if not
resolved  within 30 days after the  delivery  of notice of  objections,  will be
determined  by KPMG Peat  Marwick LLP, an  independent  accounting  firm,  whose
determination  will be  conclusive  and binding.  The amount of the  Preliminary
Working  Capital will be increased or decreased by the amount  determined in the
final statement of Working Capital and the appropriate amount paid.

                  In  the   Agreement,   Registrant   and  NMBC   made   various
representations  and warranties as to themselves and the Lee-NMBC Stations,  and
Lee made various  representations  and warranties as to the Acquired  Companies.
Registrant and NMBC have agreed to indemnify Emmis for any material  breaches of
such  representations  and warranties.  Article 8 of the Agreement  contains the
terms and conditions of these indemnification obligations.

                  The  description  of the Sale and the  terms of the  Agreement
contained  herein are qualified in their  entirety by reference to the Agreement
which was filed on August 11, 2000 as an exhibit to the  Registrant's  Form 10-Q
for the Quarter ended June 30, 2000.

                  On  the  Closing  Date,   Registrant   entered  into  separate
agreements pursuant to the Agreement with Emmis,  including an Agreement whereby
Registrant will provide certain transitional services to Emmis.

                   In connection with the  announcement of the completion of the
Sale, the Registrant issued the following news release.

NEWS RELEASE

For release: 3:30 p.m. CDT October 2, 2000

Lee Enterprises completes sale of TV stations to Emmis Communications

DAVENPORT, Iowa (October 2, 2000) -- Lee Enterprises,  Incorporated, (NYSE: LEE)
has completed the sale of eight  network-affiliated and seven satellite stations
to Emmis Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: EMMS).

The closing, effective October 1, was announced by Richard D. Gottlieb, chairman
and chief executive officer of Lee Enterprises, and Jeffrey H. Smulyan, chairman
and chief  executive  officer of Emmis  Communications.  They had  announced the
agreement  in May. The final  adjusted  purchase  price was $559.5  million plus
working capital.
<PAGE>


Emmis  Communications,  which is based in  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  also owns seven
other  television  stations  in  addition  to 24 radio  stations  that serve the
country's  largest markets.  In addition,  Emmis owns two radio networks,  three
international  radio stations,  several large regional and specialty  magazines,
and related businesses in sales and publishing.

"We are  excited to have such great  properties  and people  become  part of the
Emmis family,"  Smulyan said.  "This is a challenging,  yet exciting time in the
television  business  and we are  pleased  to see our  company  grow to the next
level."

Gottlieb  said the sale will allow Lee  Enterprises  to focus on  continuing  to
expand  in  publishing,  online  and  information  services.  Lee  owns 23 daily
newspapers and half interest in five others.  Lee also owns more than 100 weekly
newspapers,  shoppers and  classified  and  specialty  publications,  along with
associated Internet sites

The Lee television stations purchased by Emmis Communications are:

*        KOIN-6  (CBS),  Portland,  Oregon,  and MIRA  Mobile  Television  video
         production services.

*        KRQE-13 (CBS),  Albuquerque,  New Mexico; and satellite stations KREZ-6
         (CBS), Durango,  Colorado / Farmington,  New Mexico; and KBIM-10 (CBS),
         Roswell, New Mexico.

*        WSAZ-3 (NBC), Huntington / Charleston, West Virginia.

*        KSNW-3 (NBC), Wichita, Kansas; and satellite stations KSNG-11 (NBC),
         Garden City,  Kansas;  KSNC-2  (NBC),  Great Bend,  Kansas;  and KSNK-8
         (NBC), Oberlin, Kansas.

*        KGMB-9 (CBS),  Honolulu,  Hawaii;  and satellite stations KGMD-9 (CBS),
         Hilo, Hawaii; and KGMV-3 (CBS), Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii.

*        KGUN-9 (ABC), Tucson, Arizona.

*        KMTV-3 (CBS), Omaha, Nebraska.

*        KSNT-27 (NBC), Topeka, Kansas.

The Emmis purchase does not include Lee's remaining television station,  KMAZ-48
(Telemundo), El Paso, Texas, which will be sold separately.

A copy of this  news  release  and more  information  about Lee  Enterprises  is
available at www.lee.net.

For more information, please contact: Dan Hayes, Lee Enterprises,  319-383-2163,
[email protected];    Kate   Healey,   Emmis    Communications,    317-266-0100,
[email protected].

                                   Signatures

                  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934,  the  Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                         LEE ENTERPRISES, INCORPORATED

                         By: /s/ G. Chris Wahlig
                             -------------------------------------
                             G. Chris Wahlig
                             Vice President-Finance and
                             Chief Accounting Officer
                             Dated:   October 2, 2000




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