Cox Enterprises, Inc. Reaches Agreement to Acquire Public Minority Stake in Cox Communications, Inc.
20 October 2004 - 5:23AM
PR Newswire (US)
Cox Enterprises, Inc. Reaches Agreement to Acquire Public Minority
Stake in Cox Communications, Inc. Price of $34.75 in cash per share
for 38% public stake ATLANTA, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cox
Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) and Cox Communications, Inc. (CCI)
(NYSE:COX) announced that they have reached an agreement for CEI to
acquire the outstanding publicly held minority shares of CCI for
$34.75 per share. The price represents a 26% premium over the July
30 closing price of $27.58 and an 8.6% premium over CEI's original
proposal of $32 per share. CCI's full Board of Directors, with a
unanimous recommendation of a Special Committee comprised of
independent directors, unanimously approved the transaction. It
will be structured as a cash tender offer by CEI and CCI commencing
in approximately two weeks, followed by a merger. Upon completion
of the transaction, which CEI believes can be completed by mid-
December, CCI will become a wholly owned subsidiary of CEI. "We are
pleased to reach an agreement that makes sense for CEI and at the
same time provides a full and fair price to CCI shareholders. It
provides CCI shareholders with the opportunity to receive a
substantial cash premium over the July 30 closing price," said
James C. Kennedy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CEI. "The
transaction will allow CEI to increase its investment in the cable
industry and strengthen CEI as a whole." "Following an in-depth
analysis with the assistance of our independent advisors, the
Special Committee is satisfied that the financial agreement
reflects an appropriate and fair price for the public
shareholders," said Janet Clarke, Chair of the Special Committee.
"CEI is a great steward of its businesses and becoming fully
private within the Cox family of companies will give us even more
momentum in the marketplace." said Jim Robbins, President and Chief
Executive Officer of CCI. "We're looking forward to running our
business with a stronger long-term focus and continuing to provide
our customers with outstanding service." As the next step in the
process, CEI and CCI expect to commence a tender offer under the
agreement in approximately two weeks. The tender offer will be
subject to the condition that the majority of the publicly held
minority shares are validly tendered and not withdrawn before the
expiration of the tender offer, as well as other customary
conditions. Citigroup Global Markets and Lehman Brothers Inc. are
serving as CEI's exclusive financial advisors in this transaction.
Goldman, Sachs & Co. is serving as exclusive financial advisor
to the Special Committee of CCI in this transaction. Citigroup,
Lehman and JPMorgan have committed to provide $10 billion to fund
the transaction, pay related fees and expenses, and provide CEI and
CCI additional liquidity. CEI and CCI also announced that they have
entered into memoranda of understanding with counsel for the
plaintiffs in the pending shareholder litigation that they
anticipate will lead to settlement of such litigation. This press
release is intended for informational purposes only and is not an
offer to buy, a solicitation of an offer to sell or a
recommendation to sell any shares of CCI common stock. The
solicitation of offers to sell CCI shares will only be made
pursuant to a tender offer statement on Schedule TO and an offer to
purchase and related materials. CCI shareholders and other
interested parties are urged to read the tender offer statement on
Schedule TO, the offer to purchase and CCI's
solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 and other
relevant documents filed with the SEC by CEI and CCI when they
become available because they will contain important information.
CCI shareholders will be able to obtain such documents free of
charge at the SEC's web site: http://www.sec.gov/ or from CEI at
6205 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, GA 30328, Attn: Corporate
Communications. Cox Enterprises (http://www.coxenterprises.com/ )
Cox Enterprises is one of the nation's leading media companies and
providers of automotive services, with 2003 revenues of $10.7
billion and 77,000 employees. Major operating subsidiaries include
Cox Communications, Inc. ([NYSE: COX] cable television
distribution, telephone, high-speed Internet access and other
advanced broadband services); Cox Newspapers, Inc. (newspapers,
local and national direct mail advertising and customized
newsletters); Cox Television (television and television sales rep
firms); Cox Radio, Inc. ([NYSE: CXR] broadcast radio stations and
interactive Web sites); and Manheim Auctions, Inc. (vehicle
auctions, repair and certification services and web-based
technology products). CEI also owns an equity stake in
AutoTrader.com, the world's largest and most visited online source
of vehicle listings for dealers and consumers. Cox Communications
(http://www.cox.com/ ) Cox Communications, Inc. (NYSE:COX), a
Fortune 500 company, is a multi- service broadband communications
company with approximately 6.6 million total customers, including
approximately 6.3 million basic cable subscribers. The nation's
third-largest cable television provider, Cox offers both analog
cable television under the Cox Cable brand as well as advanced
digital video service under the Cox Digital Cable brand. Cox
provides an array of other communications and entertainment
services, including local and long distance telephone under the Cox
Digital Telephone brand; high-speed Internet access under the Cox
High Speed Internet brand; and commercial voice and data services
via Cox Business Services. Local cable advertising, promotional
opportunities and production services are sold under the Cox Media
brand. Cox is an investor in programming networks including
Discovery Channel. More information about Cox Communications can be
accessed on the Internet at http://www.cox.com/ . CAUTIONARY
STATEMENT: Statements in this document represent the intentions,
plans, expectations and beliefs of CEI and CCI and involve risks
and uncertainties that could cause actual events to differ
materially from the events described in this document, including
risks or uncertainties related to whether the conditions to the
tender offer will be satisfied, and if not, whether the tender
offer and merger will be completed, as well as changes in general
economic conditions, stock market trading conditions, tax law
requirements or government regulation, and changes in the broadband
communications industry or the business or prospects of CCI. CEI
and CCI wish to caution the reader that these factors, as well as
other factors described or to be described in CEI's or CCI's SEC
filings with respect to the transaction, are among the factors that
could cause actual events or results to differ materially from
CEI's or CCI's current expectations described herein. Media
Contacts: Investor Contact: Bob Jimenez - CEI Richard Jacobson -
CEI (678) 645-0070 (678) 645-0111 Ellen East - CCI Lacey Lewis -
CCI (404) 843-5281 (404) 269-7608 DATASOURCE: Cox Enterprises, Inc.
CONTACT: Media: Bob Jimenez - CEI, +1-678-645-0070, , or Ellen East
- CCI, +1-404-843-5281, ; Investors: Richard Jacobson - CEI,
+1-678-645-0111, , or Lacey Lewis - CCI, +1-404-269-7608, Web site:
http://www.coxenterprises.com/ http://www.cox.com/
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