VIACOM INC
8-K, 2000-05-04
CABLE & OTHER PAY TELEVISION SERVICES
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

              Current Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                             Securities Act of 1934

        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 4, 2000

                                   VIACOM INC.

             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

  Delaware                          001-09553                 04-2949533

  ------------                      -----------             -----------------
(State or other                   (Commission                (I.R.S. Employer
jurisdiction of                    File Number)              Identification No.)
incorporation)

1515 Broadway, New York, New York                                      10036
(Address of principal executive offices)                             (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (212) 258-6000


<PAGE>


Item 2.  Acquisition or Disposition of Assets
- -------  ------------------------------------

                  On May 4, 2000, pursuant to the Amended and Restated
Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of September 6, 1999, as amended and
restated as of October 8, 1999 and as of November 23, 1999 (the "Merger
Agreement"), among Viacom Inc., a Delaware Corporation ("Viacom"), CBS
Corporation, a Pennsylvania corporation ("CBS") and Viacom/CBS LLC, a Delaware
limited liability company, CBS merged with and into Viacom (the "Merger").
Viacom is the surviving corporation of the Merger. In the Merger, each share of
common stock, par value $1.00 per share, of CBS (other than shares being
cancelled or otherwise converted pursuant to the Merger Agreement) was converted
into the right to receive 1.085 shares of non-voting Class B common stock, par
value $.01 per share, of Viacom. In addition, each share of Series B
Participating Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of CBS was converted
into the right to receive 1.085 shares of Series C Preferred Stock, par value
$.01 per share, of Viacom.

                  A copy of the press release issued by Viacom announcing the
completion of the Merger is attached as an exhibit hereto and is incorporated by
reference herein.

Item 5.   Other Events
- -------   ------------

                  In connection with the Merger, Viacom filed an amended
Restated Certificate of Incorporation and also made certain changes to its
Amended and Restated By-laws. Copies of Viacom's amended Restated Certificate of
Incorporation and Viacom's Amended and Restated By-Laws were filed as Annexes B
and C, respectively, to Amendment No. 3 to the Registration Statement on Form
S-4 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 24, 1999
(Commission File No. 333-88613).

Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits
- -------  ---------------------------------

         (a) Financial Statements of Business Acquired

                      The required financial information of CBS is hereby
                      incorporated by reference to the Annual Report on Form
                      10-K filed by CBS for the fiscal year ended December 31,
                      1999 on March 29, 2000 (Commission File No. 001-00977).

         (b)  Pro Forma Financial Information

                      The required pro forma financial information will be filed
                      by Viacom by amendment within the prescribed time period.

         (c)  Exhibits

               99.1    Press release by Viacom Inc., dated May 3, 2000



<PAGE>



                                   SIGNATURES

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

                                           VIACOM INC.

Date:    May 4, 2000                       By:  /s/   Michael D. Fricklas
                                                -------------------------------
                                                Name:   Michael D. Fricklas
                                                Title:  Senior Vice President,
                                                        General Counsel and
                                                        Secretary


<PAGE>


                                            EXHIBIT INDEX
                                            -------------

Exhibit
   No.            Description
- --------          --------------
99.1              Press release by Viacom Inc., dated May 3, 2000




                   VIACOM AND CBS TO COMPLETE MERGER TOMORROW

                Combination Creates $91 Billion Media Powerhouse
         With Preeminent Programming, Powerful Brands, and Global Reach

             New Viacom Is World's Largest Platform for Advertising,
      Spanning TV and Radio Broadcasting, Cable, Outdoor, and the Internet


New York, New York, May 3, 2000 - Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) has received
all regulatory approvals and will merge with CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS)
tomorrow, creating an $91 billion global media powerhouse with preeminent
programming, powerful brands, global reach and the largest platform for
advertising across the media landscape, it was announced today by Sumner M.
Redstone, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Mel Karmazin, President and
Chief Operating Officer.

The new company, called Viacom, is composed of some of the most well-known and
respected media properties in the world, including MTV, CBS Television,
Nickelodeon, CBS Sports, Paramount Pictures, CBS News, Infinity Broadcasting,
Paramount Television, UPN, Blockbuster, VH1, Showtime, TDI and Infinity Outdoor,
and Simon & Schuster, among others. The combined company is a leader in the
production, promotion, and distribution of entertainment, news, sports, and
music to audiences of all ages in more than 100 countries worldwide. Viacom's
formidable distribution assets include large television and radio station groups
and networks, leading domestic and international outdoor advertising operations,
and Internet holdings comprising trafficked sites in music, children's
entertainment, news, sports, e-commerce, and others.

Under terms of the transaction, which is tax free for shareholders of CBS and
Viacom, each share of CBS Common Stock has been converted into the right to
receive 1.085 shares of Viacom Class B Common Stock and each share of CBS Series
B Preferred Stock has been converted into the right to receive 1.085 shares of
Viacom Series C Preferred Stock. CBS shareholders will receive a cash payment in
lieu of any fractional shares.


<PAGE>


Mr. Redstone said: "This is a truly momentous and historic occasion for Viacom
as we combine with CBS to create an unparalleled entertainment and information
enterprise, with incomparable creative capability and extraordinary reach. Our
businesses span all ages and all audiences, across virtually all media.
Three-quarters of our assets, including radio, cable networks, and outdoor
media, are in the fastest-growing areas of our industry, with growth rates of at
least 20% and margins of nearly 45%. The new Viacom will also generate
significant free cash flow, providing financial flexibility and creating a
preeminent growth vehicle for shareholders.

"I am happy to welcome CBS shareholders and employees to the Viacom family," Mr.
Redstone added. "Working together, and benefiting from the extraordinary
expertise of Mel Karmazin, we will create a new era of creative and financial
success for the company."

Mr. Karmazin said: "Viacom and CBS are two powerful companies, each with strong
fundamentals and complementary strengths, including a legacy of creative
excellence and brand building that is second to none. As a fully integrated
media company, with leadership positions in nearly every major media sector,
Viacom represents a broad and unprecedented platform for advertisers and a
tremendous growth opportunity for our employees and for our shareholders.

"I am looking forward to working with Sumner and the talented managers of Viacom
and CBS to quickly integrate our operations, details of which will be announced
in the coming weeks."

The company also announced that the members of the Viacom Board of Directors are
Messrs. Redstone and Karmazin; Mr. George S. Abrams, attorney, Winer and Abrams;
Mr. George H. Conrades, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Akamai
Technologies, Inc.; Mr. Philippe P. Dauman and Mr. Thomas E. Dooley, both former
Viacom Deputy Chairmen; Mr. William H. Gray III, President and CEO, The College
Fund/UNCF; Mr. Jan Leschly, retired Chief Executive, SmithKline Beecham; Mr.
David T. McLaughlin,


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<PAGE>


Chairman and CEO, Orion Safety Products; Mr. Ken Miller, Vice Chairman, Credit
Suisse First Boston Corp.; Mr. Leslie Moonves, President and CEO, CBS
Television; Mr. Brent D. Redstone, attorney; Ms. Shari Redstone, President,
National Amusements, Inc.; Mr. Frederic V. Salemo, Senior Executive Vice
President and CFO/Strategy and Business Development, Bell Atlantic Corp.; Mr.
William Schwartz, Counsel to Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft; Mr. Ivan Sidenberg,
Chairman and CEO, Bell Atlantic Corp.; Ms. Patty Stonesifer, Co-Chair and
President, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; and Mr. Robert D. Walter, Chairman
and CEO, Cardinal Health, Inc.

Viacom Inc. is one of the world's largest entertainment and media companies, and
a leader in the production, promotion and distribution of entertainment, news,
sports, and music. More information on Viacom is available at www.viacom.com.


Note: Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance
or achievements of Viacom to be materially different from any future results.
Refer to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the 1999 year and
subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for
additional information concerning such risks and uncertainties.

Contacts:
- --------

Carl D. Folta                       Susan Duffy
212-258-6352                        212-258-6347
[email protected]               [email protected]



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