RULE 424(b)(1)
RS No. 333-99277
(LIBERTY LOGO)
PROSPECTUS
LIBERTY MEDIA CORPORATION
UP TO 103,426,000 SHARES OF SERIES A COMMON STOCK
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We are distributing to our shareholders 0.04 transferable subscription
rights to purchase shares of our Series A common stock for each share of our
common stock, without regard to series, held by them at the close of business on
October 31, 2002, which is the record date for the distribution.
Each right entitles the holder to a basic subscription privilege and an
oversubscription privilege. Under the basic subscription privilege, each whole
right entitles the holder to purchase one share of our Series A common stock at
a subscription price of $6.00 per share. Under the oversubscription privilege,
each rightsholder which exercises its basic subscription privilege, in full,
will have the right to subscribe, at the same subscription price, for up to that
number of shares of Series A common stock which are not purchased by other
rightsholders under their basic subscription privilege. We are offering our
rightsholders up to an aggregate 103,426,000 shares of our Series A common
stock. If you deliver an oversubscription request for shares of our Series A
common stock and we receive oversubscription requests for more shares than we
have available for oversubscription, you will receive your pro rata portion of
the available shares based on the number of shares you purchase under your basic
subscription privilege or, if less, the number of shares for which you
oversubscribe. All exercises of rights are irrevocable.
The subscription price for shares may only be paid in cash. If all rights
are exercised, we will receive approximately $619.5 million from the rights
offering, after paying estimated expenses.
The rights offering will expire at the expiration time of 5:00 p.m., New
York City time, on December 2, 2002, unless we decide to extend it. NO EXERCISES
OF RIGHTS WILL BE ACCEPTED FOLLOWING THE EXPIRATION TIME. We may terminate the
rights offering for any reason before the expiration time. Unless we earlier
terminate the rights offering, we will issue the shares purchased by you in the
rights offering as soon as practicable following the expiration time. EquiServe
Trust Company, N.A. is the subscription agent for the rights offering.
Our Series A common stock is listed under the symbol "L" on the New York
Stock Exchange. On October 30, 2002, the closing sale price of our Series A
common stock was $8.24 per share on the NYSE. It is anticipated that the rights
will be traded on the NYSE under the symbol "LMC.RT".
Our principal executive offices are located at 12300 Liberty Boulevard,
Englewood, Colorado 80112. Our telephone number at that address is (720)
875-5400.
INVESTING IN OUR COMMON STOCK INVOLVES RISKS. YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER
THE MATTERS DESCRIBED UNDER THE HEADING "RISK FACTORS" BEGINNING ON PAGE 7 OF
THIS PROSPECTUS.
NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES
COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THESE SECURITIES OR DETERMINED IF THIS
PROSPECTUS IS TRUTHFUL OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A
CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
The date of this prospectus is October 31, 2002.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prospectus Summary.......................................... 1
Risk Factors................................................ 7
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements........... 12
Use of Proceeds............................................. 13
Dividend Policy............................................. 13
Price Range of Series A Common Stock........................ 13
Capitalization.............................................. 14
The Rights Offering......................................... 15
Certain Federal Income Tax Consequences..................... 24
Plan of Distribution........................................ 28
Legal Matters............................................... 29
Experts..................................................... 29
Where to Find More Information.............................. 30
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights information contained elsewhere or incorporated by
reference in this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the important
information that you should consider before exercising the rights and investing
in our common stock. You should read the entire prospectus carefully.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: WHAT IS A RIGHTS OFFERING?
A: A rights offering is a distribution of subscription rights on a pro rata
basis to all shareholders of a company. We are distributing to holders of
our Series A common stock and Series B common stock 0.04 transferable
subscription rights for each share of common stock held by them, without
regard to series, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 31, 2002.
Q: WHAT IS A RIGHT?
A: Each whole right entitles its holder to purchase one share of our Series A
common stock at the subscription price of $6.00 per share, a discount to
the $8.24 per share closing price of our Series A common stock on the NYSE
on the date that the subscription price was determined. Each right carries
with it a basic subscription privilege and an oversubscription privilege.
Q: WHAT IS THE BASIC SUBSCRIPTION PRIVILEGE?
A: The basic subscription privilege entitles each holder of a whole right to
purchase one share of our Series A common stock for the subscription
price.
Q: WHAT IS THE OVERSUBSCRIPTION PRIVILEGE?
A: The oversubscription privilege entitles each holder of a whole right, if
the holder fully exercises its basic subscription privilege, to subscribe
at the subscription price for up to that number of shares of our Series A
common stock that are offered in the rights offering but are not purchased
by the other rightsholders under their basic subscription privilege.
Q: WHAT ARE THE LIMITATIONS ON THE OVERSUBSCRIPTION PRIVILEGE?
A: We will be able to satisfy exercises of the oversubscription privilege of
the rights only if holders of those rights subscribe for less than all of
the shares of our Series A common stock that may be purchased under the
basic subscription privilege of those rights. If sufficient shares are
available, we will honor the oversubscription requests in full. If
oversubscription requests exceed the shares available, we will allocate
the available shares pro rata among those who oversubscribed in proportion
to the number of shares of Series A common stock that each rightsholder
purchases pursuant to its basic subscription privilege.
Q: WHEN WILL THE RIGHTS OFFERING EXPIRE?
A: The rights offering will expire at the expiration time of 5:00 p.m., New
York City time, on December 2, 2002, unless we extend it. We may extend
the expiration time for any reason.
Q: ARE THERE ANY CONDITIONS TO THE CONSUMMATION OF THE RIGHTS OFFERING?
A: No. There are no conditions to the consummation of the rights offering.
Q: CAN YOU TERMINATE THE RIGHTS OFFERING?
A: Yes. We may terminate the rights offering for any reason before the
expiration time.
Q: IF YOU TERMINATE THE RIGHTS OFFERING, WILL MY SUBSCRIPTION PAYMENT BE
REFUNDED TO ME?
A: Yes. If we terminate the rights offering, the subscription agent will
return all subscription payments promptly. We will not pay interest on, or
deduct any amounts from, subscription payments if we terminate the rights
offering.
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Q: WHY ARE YOU CONDUCTING THE RIGHTS OFFERING?
A: We have an ongoing need for cash to take advantage of business
opportunities as they arise. We intend to use the funds raised pursuant to
this rights offering to fund our future capital needs, including
acquisition and investment opportunities. We continue to review regularly
these opportunities as they become available.
We were split off from AT&T Corp. in August 2001. In connection with the
split off, the Internal Revenue Service issued a private letter ruling
confirming that the split off would qualify as a tax-free transaction to
AT&T and its shareholders. The request for rulings and the private letter
ruling issued by the IRS stated that we intended to issue a total of at
least $500 million of our equity within a specified time period following
the split off. We believe that the issuance of stock pursuant to this
rights offering conforms with this statement of our intentions.
Q: HOW WILL YOU USE THE PROCEEDS RECEIVED FROM THE RIGHTS OFFERING?
A: If all of the rights are exercised, we will receive approximately $620.6
million, before deducting any offering expenses. These expenses are
estimated to be $1.1 million. We will use any net proceeds we receive from
the rights offering for general corporate purposes.
Q: HOW MANY SHARES OF YOUR COMMON STOCK ARE CURRENTLY OUTSTANDING?
A: As of September 30, 2002, we had outstanding 2,373,439,500 shares of our
Series A common stock and 212,045,128 shares of our Series B common stock.
These numbers exclude outstanding stock options and warrants to purchase
shares of our common stock. Each share of our Series B common stock is
convertible into one share of our Series A common stock, at the option of
the holder. If the rights offering is fully subscribed, the number of
outstanding shares of our Series A common stock will increase by
103,426,000 following the issuance of all shares purchased in the rights
offering. The number of outstanding shares of our Series B common stock
will not change as a result of the rights offering.
Q: HOW DO I EXERCISE MY RIGHTS?
A: Each holder who wishes to exercise the basic subscription privilege under
its rights should properly complete and sign its rights certificate and
deliver the rights certificate together with payment of the subscription
price for each share of common stock subscribed for to the subscription
agent before the expiration time. Each holder who further wishes to
exercise the oversubscription privilege under its rights must also include
payment of the subscription price for each share of Series A common stock
subscribed for under the oversubscription privilege. We recommend that any
rightsholder who uses the United States mail to effect delivery to the
subscription agent use insured, registered mail with return receipt
requested. Any holder who cannot deliver its rights certificate to the
subscription agent before the expiration time may use the procedures for
guaranteed delivery described under the heading "The Rights
Offering -- Guaranteed Delivery Procedures." We will not pay interest on
subscription payments. We have provided more detailed instructions on how
to exercise the rights under the heading "The Rights Offering" beginning
with the section entitled "-- Exercising Your Rights," in the rights
certificates themselves and in the document entitled "Instructions for Use
of Liberty Media Corporation Rights Certificates" that accompanies this
prospectus.
Q: HOW MAY I PAY MY SUBSCRIPTION PRICE?
A: Your cash payment of the subscription price must be made by either check
or bank draft drawn upon a U.S. bank or postal, telegraphic or express
money order payable to the subscription agent.
Q: WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RIGHTS OFFERING BUT MY
SHARES ARE HELD IN THE NAME OF MY BROKER OR A CUSTODIAN BANK?
A: We will ask brokers, dealers and nominees holding shares of our common
stock on behalf of other persons to notify these persons of the rights
offering. Any beneficial owner wishing to sell or exercise its rights will
need to have its broker, dealer or nominee act on its behalf. Each
beneficial owner should
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complete and return to its broker, dealer or nominee the form entitled
"Beneficial Owner Election Form." This form will be available with the
other subscription materials from brokers, dealers and nominees holding
shares of our common stock on behalf of other persons.
Q: WILL I RECEIVE SUBSCRIPTION MATERIALS BY MAIL IF MY ADDRESS IS OUTSIDE THE
UNITED STATES?
A: No. We will not mail rights certificates to any person with an address
outside the United States. Instead, the subscription agent will hold
rights certificates for the account of all foreign holders. To exercise
those rights, each such holder must notify the subscription agent on or
before 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on November 26, 2002, and establish
to the satisfaction of the subscription agent that it is permitted to
exercise its rights under applicable law. The subscription agent will
attempt to sell, if feasible, the rights held on behalf of any foreign
holder who fails to notify the subscription agent and provide acceptable
instructions to it by such time (and assuming no contrary instructions are
received). The estimated proceeds, if any, of any such sale will be
payable to the applicable foreign holder.
Q: WILL I BE CHARGED ANY FEES IF I EXERCISE MY RIGHTS?
A: We will not charge a fee to holders for exercising their rights. However,
any holder exercising its rights through a broker, dealer or nominee will
be responsible for any fees charged by its broker, dealer or nominee.
Q: MAY I TRANSFER MY RIGHTS IF I DO NOT WANT TO PURCHASE ANY SHARES?
A: Yes. The rights being distributed to our shareholders are transferable and
we anticipate that they will be traded on the NYSE until the close of
business on the last trading day before the expiration time. However, we
cannot assure you that a trading market for the rights will develop.
Q: HOW MAY I SELL MY RIGHTS?
A: Any holder who wishes to sell its rights should contact its broker or
dealer. Any holder who wishes to sell its rights may also seek to sell the
rights through the subscription agent. Each holder will be responsible for
all fees associated with the sale of its rights, whether the rights are
sold through its own broker or dealer or the subscription agent. We cannot
assure you that any person, including the subscription agent, will be able
to sell any rights on your behalf. Please see "The Rights Offering --
Method of Transferring and Selling Rights" for more information.
Q: AM I REQUIRED TO SUBSCRIBE IN THE RIGHTS OFFERING?
A: No. However, any shareholder who chooses not to exercise its rights will
experience dilution to its equity interest in our company.
Q: IF I EXERCISE RIGHTS IN THE RIGHTS OFFERING, MAY I CANCEL OR CHANGE MY
DECISION?
A: No. All exercises of rights are irrevocable even if we extend the
subscription period. We may extend the expiration time for any reason.
Q: IF I EXERCISE MY RIGHTS, WHEN WILL I RECEIVE THE SHARES FOR WHICH I HAVE
SUBSCRIBED?
A: We will issue the shares for which subscriptions have been properly
delivered to the subscription agent prior to the expiration time as soon
as practicable following the expiration time. We will not be able to
calculate the number of shares to be issued to each exercising
rightsholder until the third business day after the expiration time, which
is the latest time by which rights certificates may be delivered to the
subscription agent under the guaranteed delivery procedures described
under "The Rights Offering -- Exercising Your Rights -- Guaranteed
Delivery Procedures." Shares that you purchase in the rights offering will
be listed on the NYSE.
Q: HAVE YOU OR YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS MADE A RECOMMENDATION AS TO WHETHER I
SHOULD EXERCISE OR SELL MY RIGHTS OR HOW I SHOULD PAY MY SUBSCRIPTION
PRICE?
A: No. Neither we nor our board of directors has made any recommendation as
to whether you should exercise or transfer your rights. You should decide
whether to transfer your rights, subscribe for shares
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of our Series A common stock, or simply take no action with respect to
your rights, based upon your own assessment of your best interests.
Q: WHAT ARE THE TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE RIGHTS OFFERING TO ME?
A: Shareholders who receive rights will not recognize taxable income in
connection with the distribution or exercise of the rights. Any holder who
sells its rights or the shares of common stock that it acquires by
exercising its rights may recognize a gain or loss. For a complete summary
of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences to holders of our
common stock, please see the section entitled "Certain Federal Income Tax
Consequences."
Q: WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS?
A: If you have questions or need assistance, please contact D.F. King & Co.,
Inc., the information agent for the rights offering, at:
77 Water Street
New York, New York 10005
Banks and brokers call collect: (212) 269-5550
All others call toll free: (800) 755-7250
For further assistance on how to subscribe for shares, you may also
contact EquiServe, the subscription agent for the rights offering, by mail
or telephone at:
EquiServe
c/o Liberty Media
PO Box 43025
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-3025
Foreign Shareholders call: (781) 575-3590
All others call: (866) 367-6355
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
PENDING ACQUISITION OF CASEMA
On July 31, 2002, we entered into a definitive agreement to acquire (1) all
of the outstanding capital stock of Casema Holding B.V. from Dutchtone Group
B.V., which is an 86% owned subsidiary of France Telecom, S.A., and (2) all of
the intercompany indebtedness owed by Casema and its subsidiaries to France
Telecom, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately euro 750 million,
subject to certain adjustments. Casema is the third largest cable operator in
the Netherlands by number of subscribers. If closed, the acquisition would add
approximately 1.3 million cable subscribers to our European operations. The
acquisition of Casema is subject to customary closing conditions, including
clearance from the Dutch regulatory authorities. If the closing does not occur
by October 31, 2002, we and France Telecom each have the right to terminate the
agreement. We think it is unlikely that the closing will occur by October 31,
2002, and, as a result, we cannot assure you that we will be able to close this
acquisition.
ACQUISITION OF WINK COMMUNICATIONS
On August 22, 2002, we completed the acquisition by merger of Wink
Communications, Inc. for total cash consideration of approximately $100 million.
Through the merger, Wink became an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of our
company, and each outstanding share of Wink common stock was converted into the
right to receive $3.00 in cash, without interest. On October 4, 2002, we
completed a transaction pursuant to which we sold our interest in Wink to OpenTV
Corp. for the amount we paid for it plus our out of pocket expenses. Wink
provides mass-market interactive television solutions in North America. Wink's
technology platform enables viewers to access program-related information (such
as weather, sports updates, trivia and play-along games), to process
transactions with advertisers and programmers (such as purchases) and to make
requests of advertisers and programmers (such as requests for product samples),
without interruption in their television viewing. Wink also collects, analyzes
and routes viewer behavior and response data to
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advertisers and broadcasters, which assists them in evaluating the success and
value of their television campaigns.
ACQUISITION OF CONTROLLING OWNERSHIP INTEREST IN OPENTV
On August 27, 2002, we completed a transaction with MIH Limited, pursuant
to which we acquired MIH's controlling ownership stake in OpenTV Corp. for 15.4
million shares of our Series A common stock and approximately $46.2 million in
cash. When combined with our prior shareholdings, the MIH transaction increased
our total economic interest in OpenTV to approximately 40% and our total voting
interest to approximately 85%. OpenTV is one of the world's leading interactive
television companies. OpenTV provides software, content and applications, and
professional services that enable digital television network operators to
deliver and manage interactive television services on cable, satellite and
terrestrial platforms. OpenTV's middleware is deployed in more than 25 million
digital set-top boxes worldwide.
RISK FACTORS
The purchase of our common stock pursuant to the exercise of rights
involves a high degree of risk. You should read and carefully consider the
information set forth under "Risk Factors" beginning on page 7 and the
information contained elsewhere in this prospectus.
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SELECTED HISTORICAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The following table provides you with selected historical consolidated
financial data of Liberty Media. From August 1994 to March 1999 Liberty Media
was a wholly owned subsidiary of Tele-Communications, Inc. On March 9, 1999,
AT&T Corp. acquired TCI in a merger transaction and changed TCI's name to AT&T
Broadband. For financial reporting purposes, the merger of AT&T and TCI is
deemed to have occurred on March 1, 1999. In connection with that merger, the
assets and liabilities of Liberty Media were adjusted to their respective fair
values pursuant to the purchase method of accounting. For periods prior to March
1, 1999, the assets and liabilities of Liberty Media and the related
consolidated results of operations are referred to below as "Old Liberty," and
for periods subsequent to February 28, 1999, the assets and liabilities of
Liberty Media and the related consolidated results of operations are referred to
as "New Liberty." Also, in connection with that merger, TCI effected an internal
restructuring as a result of which certain net assets and approximately $5.5
billion in cash were contributed to Liberty Media. On August 10, 2001, AT&T
effected a split off of Liberty Media and as a result of that transaction,
Liberty Media is no longer a subsidiary of AT&T. We derived the following
historical consolidated financial data from our consolidated financial
statements. It is important that when you read this information, you read along
with it the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes of Liberty
Media incorporated by reference in this prospectus. For a list of documents
incorporated by reference in this prospectus, see "Where You Can Find More
Information."
{NEW LIBERTY {OLD LIBERTY
---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------
SIX MONTHS SIX MONTHS TEN MONTHS TWO MONTHS
ENDED ENDED YEAR ENDED YEAR ENDED ENDED ENDED
JUNE 30, JUNE 30, DECEMBER 31, DECEMBER 31, DECEMBER 31, FEBRUARY 28,
2002 2001 2001 2000 1999 1999
----------- ----------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
(UNAUDITED) (UNAUDITED) (IN MILLIONS)
(IN MILLIONS)
OPERATING DATA:
Revenue.................... $ 1,023 $ 1,017 $ 2,059 $ 1,526 $ 729 $ 235
Operating income (loss).... 65 (402) (1,127) 436 (2,214) (158)
Interest expense........... (215) (269) (525) (399) (135) (26)
Share of losses of
affiliates, net.......... (244) (2,547) (4,906) (3,485) (904) (66)
Non-temporary declines in
fair value of
investments.............. (5,134) (604) (4,101) (1,463) -- --
Gain (loss) on
dispositions, net........ (397) (58) (310) 7,340 4 14
Net earnings (loss)........ (4,569) (2,277) (6,203) 1,485 (2,021) (70)
BALANCE SHEET DATA (AT
PERIOD END):
Cash and cash
equivalents.............. $ 1,975 $ 2,077 $ 1,295 $ 1,714
Short-term investments..... 107 397 500 378
Investments in
affiliates............... 7,825 10,076 20,464 15,922
Investments in
available-for-sale
securities and other cost
investments.............. 19,661 23,199 19,035 28,593
Total assets............... 39,743 48,194 54,268 58,658
Debt, including current
portion and call option
obligations.............. 6,078 7,227 6,363 3,277
Stockholders' equity....... 24,247 30,123 34,109 38,408
{OLD LIBERTY
----------------
YEAR ENDED
DECEMBER 31,
----------------
1998 1997
------- ------
(IN MILLIONS)
OPERATING DATA:
Revenue.................... $ 1,359 $1,225
Operating income (loss).... (431) (260)
Interest expense........... (104) (40)
Share of losses of
affiliates, net.......... (1,002) (785)
Non-temporary declines in
fair value of
investments.............. -- --
Gain (loss) on
dispositions, net........ 2,449 406
Net earnings (loss)........ 622 (470)
BALANCE SHEET DATA (AT
PERIOD END):
Cash and cash
equivalents.............. $ 228 $ 100
Short-term investments..... 159 248
Investments in
affiliates............... 3,079 2,359
Investments in
available-for-sale
securities and other cost
investments.............. 10,539 3,971
Total assets............... 15,783 7,735
Debt, including current
portion and call option
obligations.............. 2,096 785
Stockholders' equity....... 8,820 4,707
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RISK FACTORS
An investment in our common stock involves risk. You should carefully
consider the following factors, as well as the other information included in
this prospectus and in the documents we have incorporated by reference before
deciding to subscribe for shares of our common stock. Any of the following risks
could have a material adverse effect on the value of our common stock.
FACTORS RELATING TO OUR COMPANY
We depend on a limited number of potential customers for carriage of our
programming services. The cable television and direct-to-home satellite
industries are currently undergoing a period of consolidation. As a result, the
number of potential buyers of our programming services and those of our business
affiliates is decreasing. Until August of 2001, we were a subsidiary of AT&T
Corp. AT&T's cable television subsidiaries and affiliates, which as a group
comprise one of the two largest operators of cable television systems in the
United States, are collectively the largest single customer of our programming
companies. With respect to some of our programming services and those of our
business affiliates, this is the case by a significant margin. The existing
agreements between AT&T's cable television subsidiaries and affiliates and the
program suppliers owned by or affiliated with us were entered into with
Tele-Communications, Inc., prior to its merger with AT&T in March of 1999. We
were a subsidiary of TCI at the time of that merger. There can be no assurance
that our owned and affiliated program suppliers will be able to negotiate
renewal agreements with AT&T's cable television subsidiaries and affiliates on
commercially reasonable terms or at all. Although AT&T has agreed to extend any
existing affiliation agreement of ours and our affiliates that expires on or
before March 9, 2004 to a date not before March 9, 2009, that agreement is
conditioned on mutual most favored nation terms being offered and the
arrangements being consistent with industry practice. In addition, AT&T and
Comcast Corporation have entered into an agreement to merge AT&T Broadband LLC,
the holding company for AT&T's cable television business, with Comcast. The
transaction recently received shareholder approval but remains subject to
customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals. We
cannot assure you as to what effect, if any, this merger will have on these
programming arrangements.
The liquidity and value of our interests in our business affiliates may be
adversely affected by shareholders agreements and similar agreements to which we
are a party. We own equity interests in a broad range of domestic and
international video programming and communications businesses. A significant
portion of the equity securities we own is held pursuant to shareholder
agreements, partnership agreements and other instruments and agreements that
contain provisions that affect the liquidity, and therefore the realizable
value, of those securities. Most of these agreements subject the transfer of the
stock, partnership or other interests constituting equity securities to consent
rights or rights of first refusal of the other shareholders or partners. In
certain cases, a change in control of our company or of the subsidiary holding
our equity interest will give rise to rights or remedies exercisable by other
shareholders or partners, such as a right to initiate or require the initiation
of buy/sell procedures. Some of our subsidiaries and business affiliates are
parties to loan agreements that restrict changes in ownership of the borrower
without the consent of the lenders. All of these provisions will restrict our
ability to sell those equity securities and may adversely affect the price at
which those securities may be sold. For example, in the event buy/sell
procedures are initiated at a time when we are not in a financial position to
buy the initiating party's interest, we could be forced to sell our interest at
a price based upon the value established by the initiating party, and that price
might be significantly less than what we might otherwise obtain.
We do not have the right to manage our business affiliates, which means we
cannot cause those affiliates to operate in a manner that is favorable to
us. We do not have the right to manage the businesses or affairs of any of our
business affiliates in which we have less than a majority voting interest.
Rather, our rights may take the form of representation on the board of directors
or a partners' or similar committee that supervises management or possession of
veto rights over significant or extraordinary actions. The scope of our veto
rights varies from agreement to agreement. Although our board representation and
veto rights may enable us to exercise influence over the management or policies
of an affiliate and enable us to prevent the sale of assets by a business
affiliate in which we own less than a majority voting interest or prevent it
from paying dividends or making distributions to its shareholders or partners,
they do not enable us to cause these actions to be taken.
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Our business is subject to risks of adverse government
regulation. Programming services, cable television systems, satellite carriers
and television stations are subject to varying degrees of regulation in the
United States by the Federal Communications Commission and other entities. Such
regulation and legislation are subject to the political process and have been in
constant flux over the past decade. In addition, substantially every foreign
country in which we have, or may in the future make, an investment regulates, in
varying degrees, the distribution and content of programming services and
foreign investment in programming companies and wireline and wireless cable
communications, satellite and telephony services. Further material changes in
the law and regulatory requirements must be anticipated, and there can be no
assurance that our business and the business of our affiliates will not be
adversely affected by future legislation, new regulation or deregulation.
We may make significant capital contributions and loans to our subsidiaries
and business affiliates to cover their operating losses and fund their
development and growth, which could limit the amount of cash available to pay
our own financial obligations or to make acquisitions or investments. The
development of video programming, communications and technology businesses
involves substantial costs and capital expenditures. As a result, many of our
business affiliates have incurred operating and net losses to date and are
expected to continue to incur significant losses for the foreseeable future. Our
results of operations include our, and our consolidated subsidiaries', share of
the net losses of affiliates. Our net losses included $244 million for the first
six months of 2002, $4,906 million for calendar year 2001 and $3,485 million for
calendar year 2000 attributable to net losses of affiliates.
We have assisted, and may in the future assist, our subsidiaries and
business affiliates in their financing activities by guaranteeing bank and other
financial obligations. At June 30, 2002, we had guaranteed various loans, notes
payable, letters of credit and other obligations of certain of our subsidiaries
and business affiliates totaling approximately $645 million.
To the extent we make loans and capital contributions to our subsidiaries
and business affiliates or we are required to expend cash due to a default by a
subsidiary or business affiliate of any obligation we guarantee, there will be
that much less cash available to us with which to pay our own financial
obligations or make acquisitions or investments.
If we fail to meet required capital calls to a subsidiary or business
affiliate, we could be forced to sell our interest in that company, our interest
in that company could be diluted or we could forfeit important rights. We are
parties to shareholder and partnership agreements that provide for possible
capital calls on shareholders and partners. Our failure to meet a capital call,
or other commitment to provide capital or loans to a particular subsidiary or
business affiliate, may have adverse consequences to us. These consequences may
include, among others, the dilution of our equity interest in that company, the
forfeiture of our right to vote or exercise other rights, the right of the other
shareholders or partners to force us to sell our interest at less than fair
value, the forced dissolution of the company to which we have made the
commitment or, in some instances, a breach of contract action for damages
against us. Our ability to meet capital calls or other capital or loan
commitments is subject to our ability to access cash. See "-- We could be unable
in the future to obtain cash in amounts sufficient to service our financial
obligations" below.
We are subject to the risk of possibly becoming an investment
company. Because we are a holding company and a significant portion of our
assets consists of investments in companies in which we own less than a 50%
interest, we run the risk of inadvertently becoming an investment company that
is required to register under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Registered
investment companies are subject to extensive, restrictive and potentially
adverse regulation relating to, among other things, operating methods,
management, capital structure, dividends and transactions with affiliates.
Registered investment companies are not permitted to operate their business in
the manner in which we operate our business, nor are registered investment
companies permitted to have many of the relationships that we have with our
affiliated companies.
To avoid regulation under the Investment Company Act, we monitor the value
of our investments and structure transactions with an eye toward the Investment
Company Act. As a result, we may structure transactions in a less advantageous
manner than if we did not have Investment Company Act concerns, or we may avoid
otherwise economically desirable transactions due to those concerns. In
addition, events beyond our
8
control, including significant appreciation or depreciation in the market value
of certain of our publicly traded holdings, could result in our becoming an
inadvertent investment company. If we were to become an inadvertent investment
company, we would have one year to divest of a sufficient amount of investment
securities and/or acquire other assets sufficient to cause us to no longer be an
investment company.
If it were established that we are an unregistered investment company,
there would be a risk, among other material adverse consequences, that we could
become subject to monetary penalties or injunctive relief, or both, in an action
brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission, that we would be unable to
enforce contracts with third parties or that third parties could seek to obtain
rescission of transactions with us undertaken during the period it was
established that we were an unregistered investment company.
We could be unable in the future to obtain cash in amounts sufficient to
service our financial obligations. Our ability to meet our financial obligations
depends upon our ability to access cash. We are a holding company, and our
sources of cash include our available cash balances, net cash from operating
activities, dividends and interest from our investments, availability under
credit facilities and proceeds from asset sales. We cannot assure you that we
will maintain significant amounts of cash, cash equivalents or marketable
securities in the future.
We obtained from one of our subsidiaries net cash in the form of dividends
in the amount of $23 million in calendar year 2001 and $5 million in calendar
year 2000. We did not obtain any cash dividends from our subsidiaries in the
first six months of 2002. The ability of our operating subsidiaries to pay
dividends or to make other payments or advances to us depends on their
individual operating results and any statutory, regulatory or contractual
restrictions to which they may be or may become subject. Some of our
subsidiaries are subject to loan agreements that restrict sales of assets and
prohibit or limit the payment of dividends or the making of distributions, loans
or advances to shareholders and partners.
We generally do not receive cash, in the form of dividends, loans, advances
or otherwise, from our business affiliates. In this regard, we do not have
sufficient voting control over most of our business affiliates to cause those
companies to pay dividends or make other payments or advances to their partners
or shareholders, including us.
We have entered into bank credit agreements that contain restrictions on
how we finance our operations and operate our business, which could impede our
ability to engage in transactions that would be beneficial to us. Our
subsidiaries are subject to significant financial and operating restrictions
contained in outstanding credit facilities. These restrictions will affect, and
in some cases significantly limit or prohibit, among other things, the ability
of our subsidiaries to:
- borrow more funds;
- pay dividends or make other distributions;
- make investments;
- engage in transactions with affiliates; or
- create liens.
The restrictions contained in these credit agreements could have the
following adverse effects on us, among others:
- we could be unable to obtain additional capital in the future to:
- fund capital expenditures or acquisitions that could improve the value
of our company;
- permit us to meet our loan and capital commitments to our business
affiliates;
- allow us to help fund the operating losses or future development of our
business affiliates; or
- allow us to conduct necessary corporate activities;
- we could be unable to access the net cash of our subsidiaries to help
meet our own financial obligations;
9
- we could be unable to invest in companies in which we would otherwise
invest; and
- we could be unable to obtain lower borrowing costs that are available
from secured lenders or engage in advantageous transactions that monetize
our assets.
In addition, some of the credit agreements to which our subsidiaries are
parties require them to maintain financial ratios, including ratios of total
debt to operating cash flow and operating cash flow to interest expense. If our
subsidiaries fail to comply with the covenant restrictions contained in the
credit agreements, that failure could result in a default that accelerates the
maturity of the indebtedness under those agreements. Such a default could also
result in indebtedness under other credit agreements and certain of our debt
securities becoming due and payable due to the existence of cross-default or
cross-acceleration provisions of our credit agreements and in the indentures
governing such debt securities.
Those of our business affiliates that operate offshore are subject to
numerous operational risks. A number of our business affiliates operate
primarily in countries other than the United States. Their businesses are thus
subject to the following inherent risks:
- fluctuations in currency exchange rates;
- longer payment cycles for sales in foreign countries that may increase
the uncertainty associated with recoverable accounts;
- difficulties in staffing and managing international operations; and
- political unrest that may result in disruptions of services that are
critical to their businesses.
The economies in many of the operating regions of our international
business affiliates have recently experienced recessionary conditions, which has
adversely affected the financial condition of their businesses. The economies in
many of the operating regions of our international business affiliates have
recently experienced moderate to severe recessionary conditions, including
Argentina, Chile, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan, among others, which has
strained consumer and corporate spending and financial systems and financial
institutions in these areas. As a result, our affiliates have experienced a
reduction in consumer spending and demand for services coupled with an increase
in borrowing costs, which has, in some cases, caused our affiliates to default
on their own indebtedness. We cannot assure you that these economies will
recover in the future or that continued economic weakness will not lead to
further reductions in consumer spending or demand for services. We also cannot
assure you that our affiliates in these regions will be able to obtain
sufficient capital or credit to fund their operations.
You will have no recourse against one of the experts named in this
prospectus. Arthur Andersen LLP is unable to consent to the use of their
independent auditors report with respect to (1) the consolidated financial
statements as of December 31, 2001 and for the period from February 5, 2001
(inception) through December 31, 2001 of UnitedGlobalCom, Inc. and (2) the
consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2001 and 2000, and for the
three-years then ended of UGC Holdings, Inc., which financial statements have
been incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This means that Arthur
Andersen is not reconfirming the continuing validity of its audit opinion on
those financial statements. Although we have no reason to believe that those
financial statements are incorrect, if they are incorrect and we are adversely
affected as a result, you will not be able to recover any damages you may incur
from Arthur Andersen.
We have taken significant impairment charges due to other than temporary
declines in the market value of certain of our available for sale securities. We
own equity interests in a significant number of publicly traded companies which
we account for as available for sale securities. We are required by generally
accepted accounting principles to determine, from time to time, whether a
decline in the market value of any of those investments below our cost for that
investment is other than temporary. If we determine that it is, we are required
to write down our cost to a new cost basis, with the amount of the write-down
accounted for as a realized loss in the determination of net income for the
period in which the write-down occurs. We realized losses of $5,134 million,
$4,101 million and $1,463 million for the six months ended June 30, 2002 and for
the years ended December 31, 2001 and 2000, respectively, due to other than
temporary declines in the fair value of certain of our available for sale
securities, and we may be required to realize further losses of this nature in
10
future periods. We consider a number of factors in determining the fair value of
an investment and whether any decline in an investment is other than temporary.
As our assessment of fair value and any resulting impairment losses requires a
high degree of judgment and includes significant estimates and assumptions, the
actual amount we may eventually realize for an investment could differ
materially from our assessment of the value of that investment made in an
earlier period.
FACTORS RELATING TO THE RIGHTS OFFERING AND OUR COMMON STOCK
If we terminate the rights offering, neither we nor the subscription agent
will have any obligation to you except to return your subscription payments. We
may terminate the rights offering for any reason prior to the expiration time.
However, you may not revoke your exercise of rights. If we terminate the rights
offering, neither we nor the subscription agent will have any obligation to you
with respect to the rights, except to return your subscription payments, without
interest or deduction. In addition, if you purchase rights on the public market
and we later terminate the rights offering, you will lose the purchase price you
paid for your rights.
The subscription price may not reflect the value of our company. The
special pricing committee of our board of directors determined the subscription
price of our Series A common stock. The subscription price represented a
discount of approximately 27% to the market price of our Series A common stock
on the date that the subscription price was determined. The subscription price
does not necessarily bear any relationship to the book value of our assets,
historic or future cash flows, financial condition, recent or historic stock
prices or any other established criteria for valuation, and you should not
consider the subscription prices as any indication of the value of our company.
We cannot, however, assure you that our Series A common stock will trade at
prices in excess of the subscription price at any time after the date of this
prospectus.
Shareholders who do not exercise their rights will experience dilution. If
you do not exercise your basic subscription privilege in full, you will
experience a decrease in your proportionate interest in the equity ownership of
our company. If you do not exercise or sell your rights, you will relinquish any
value inherent in the rights.
It may be difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if doing so may
be beneficial to our shareholders. Certain provisions of our restated
certificate of incorporation and bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a
change in control of our company that a shareholder may consider favorable.
These provisions include the following:
- authorizing the issuance of "blank check" preferred stock that could be
issued by our board of directors to increase the number of outstanding
shares and thwart a takeover attempt;
- classifying our board of directors with staggered three-year terms, which
may lengthen the time required to gain control of our board of directors;
- limiting who may call special meetings of shareholders;
- prohibiting shareholder action by written consent, thereby requiring all
shareholder actions to be taken at a meeting of the shareholders; and
- establishing advance notice requirements for nominations of candidates
for election to the board of directors or for proposing matters that can
be acted upon by shareholders at shareholder meetings.
Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law and any stock option
plan relating to our common stock may also discourage, delay or prevent a change
in control of our company even if such change of control would be in the best
interests of our shareholders.
Our stock price may decline significantly because of stock market
fluctuations that affect the prices of the public companies in which we have
ownership interests. The stock market has recently experienced significant
price and volume fluctuations that have affected the market prices of securities
of media and other technology companies. We own equity interests in many media
and technology companies. If market fluctuations cause the stock price of these
companies to decline, our stock price may decline.
11
Our stock price has declined significantly over the last year. During the
past year, the stock market has experienced significant price and volume
fluctuations that have affected the market prices of our stock. In the future,
our stock price may be materially affected by, among other things:
- the rights offering, the number of shares offered and the price at which
shares may be purchased pursuant to the rights;
- actual or anticipated fluctuations in our operating results or those of
the companies in which we invest;
- potential acquisition activity by our company or the companies in which
we invest;
- changes in financial estimates by securities analysts regarding our
company or companies in which we invest; or
- general market conditions.
We cannot assure you that the market price of our Series A common stock
will not decline below the subscription price. You will not be able to revoke
your exercise of rights were this to occur after you exercise your rights. Also,
we cannot assure you that after you exercise your rights you will be able to
sell the shares of Series A common stock purchased thereby at a price equal to
or greater than the subscription price paid by you.
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, including documents incorporated by reference herein,
contains forward looking statements concerning future events that are subject to
risks, uncertainties and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are based
upon our current expectations and projections about future events. When used in
this prospectus and in our incorporated documents, the words "believe,"
"anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect" and similar expressions are
intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all
forward-looking statements contain such words. These forward-looking statements
are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us and our
subsidiaries and business affiliates, including, among other things, the
following:
- the success of the rights offering;
- general economic and business conditions and industry trends;
- the continued strength of the industries in which we are involved;
- uncertainties inherent in our proposed business strategies;
- our future financial performance, including availability, terms and
deployment of capital;
- availability of qualified personnel;
- changes in, or our failure or inability to comply with, government
regulations and adverse outcomes from regulatory proceedings;
- changes in the nature of key strategic relationships with partners and
business affiliates;
- rapid technological changes;
- our inability to obtain regulatory or other necessary approvals of any
strategic transactions; and
- social, political and economic situations in foreign countries where we
do business.
You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date of the document in which they are
included. In light of these risks, uncertainties and other assumptions, the
forward-looking events discussed in this prospectus might not occur.
12
USE OF PROCEEDS
If all of the rights are exercised, we will receive approximately $620.6
million, before deducting any offering expenses. These expenses are estimated to
be $1.1 million. We will use any net proceeds we receive from the rights
offering for general corporate purposes.
DIVIDEND POLICY
We have never paid cash dividends on our common stock, and we do not plan
to do so for the foreseeable future. However, the payment of any dividends by us
and the amount of any such dividends will be subject to the discretion of our
board of directors and will depend, among other things, upon our results of
operations, financial condition, cash requirements, future prospects and other
factors which may be considered relevant by our board of directors.
PRICE RANGE OF SERIES A COMMON STOCK
Our Series A common stock is listed under the symbol "L" on the New York
Stock Exchange. The following table shows the high and low sales prices of our
Series A common stock for each full quarterly period since our split off from
AT&T on August 10, 2001.
HIGH LOW
------ ------
2001
Third Quarter (from August 10, 2001)........................ $16.50 $ 9.75
Fourth Quarter.............................................. $14.46 $11.17
2002
First Quarter............................................... $15.03 $11.90
Second Quarter.............................................. $12.80 $ 7.70
Third Quarter............................................... $ 9.60 $ 6.16
Fourth Quarter (through October 30, 2002)................... $ 8.99 $ 6.29
The closing price of our Series A common stock on October 18, 2002, the
last full trading day before we publicly announced the rights offering, was
$8.01 and on October 30, 2002, the date the subscription price was determined,
was $8.24.
13
CAPITALIZATION
The following table shows our consolidated capitalization as of June 30,
2002, on a historical basis and as adjusted to give effect to our receipt of
approximately $619.5 million in cash, the anticipated net proceeds from the sale
of all of the shares of our Series A common stock offered pursuant to the rights
offering. You should read this table in conjunction with our consolidated
financial statements and related notes incorporated by reference in this
prospectus.
{AS OF JUNE 30, 2002
----------------------
HISTORICAL PRO FORMA
---------- ---------
(AMOUNTS IN MILLIONS)
Cash and cash equivalents................................... $ 1,975 $ 2,595
Short-term investments...................................... 107 107
-------- --------
$ 2,082 $ 2,702
======== ========
Long-term debt (including current portion):
Bank credit facilities.................................... $ 1,857 $ 1,857
Senior Notes and Debentures............................... 2,469 2,469
Senior Exchangeable Debentures............................ 861 861
Other debt................................................ 99 99
-------- --------
Total debt........................................ 5,286 5,286
-------- --------
Call option obligations (a)................................. 792 792
Stockholders' equity:
Common equity (b)......................................... 35,776 36,396
Accumulated other comprehensive losses, net of taxes...... (221) (221)
Accumulated deficit....................................... (11,308) (11,308)
-------- --------
Total stockholder's equity........................ 24,247 24,867
-------- --------
Total capitalization.............................. $ 30,325 $ 30,945
======== ========
---------------
(a) The call option obligation represents the fair value of the call option
feature associated with our Senior Exchangeable Debentures. In connection
with the adoption of Financial Accounting Standards No. 133, "Accounting
for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities", the call option
obligation was separated from the Senior Exchangeable Debentures and
recorded separately in our financial statements at fair value. Changes in
the fair value of the call option obligations subsequent to January 1, 2001
are recognized as unrealized gains (losses) in our consolidated statements
of operations.
(b) Excludes 15.4 million shares of our Series A common stock issued on August
27, 2002 to a subsidiary of MIH Limited in connection with our acquisition
of a controlling ownership interest in OpenTV. See "Prospectus Summary
-- Recent Developments" for more information regarding this transaction.
14
THE RIGHTS OFFERING
GENERAL
Promptly following 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 31, 2002,
which is the record date for the distribution, we will distribute to each holder
of our common stock, at no charge, 0.04 transferable subscription rights for
each share of common stock, without regard to series, owned as of the record
date. The rights will be evidenced by rights certificates.
Each right entitles the holder to a basic subscription privilege and an
oversubscription privilege. Under the basic subscription privilege, each whole
right entitles the holder to purchase one share of our Series A common stock at
a subscription price of $6.00 per share, a discount to the $8.24 per share
closing price of our Series A common stock on the NYSE on the date that the
subscription price was determined. Each right also has an oversubscription
privilege, as described below under the heading "-- Subscription Privilege --
Oversubscription Privilege."
The following describes the rights offering in general and assumes (unless
specifically provided otherwise) that you are a record holder of our common
stock. If you hold your shares in a brokerage account or through a dealer or
other nominee, please see the information included below under the heading
"-- Beneficial Owners." As used in this prospectus, the term "business day"
means any day on which securities may be traded on the NYSE.
REASONS FOR THE RIGHTS OFFERING
We have an ongoing need for cash to take advantage of business
opportunities as they arise. We intend to use the funds raised pursuant to this
rights offering to fund our future capital needs, including acquisition and
investment opportunities. We continue to review regularly these opportunities as
they become available.
We were split off from AT&T Corp. in August 2001. In connection with the
split off, the Internal Revenue Service issued a private letter ruling
confirming that the split off would qualify as a tax-free transaction to AT&T
and its shareholders. The request for rulings and the private letter ruling
issued by the IRS stated that we intended to issue a total of at least $500
million of our equity within a specified time period following the split off. We
believe that the issuance of stock pursuant to this rights offering conforms
with this statement of our intentions.
DETERMINATION OF SUBSCRIPTION PRICE
On October 30, 2002, the special pricing committee of our board of
directors determined the subscription price. The members of the special pricing
committee are John C. Malone, Donne F. Fisher and Paul A. Gould. The
subscription price represented a discount of $2.24, or approximately 27%, to the
closing market price of our Series A common stock on the date that the
subscription price was determined. In reaching this determination, the special
pricing committee considered, among other things, our financial performance, the
recent market prices of our common stock, discounts used in similar rights
offerings and the general condition of the securities markets.
NO FRACTIONAL RIGHTS
We will not issue or pay cash in lieu of fractional rights. Instead, we
will round up any fractional rights to the nearest whole right. For example, if
you own 220 shares of Series A common stock, you will receive 9 rights, instead
of 8.8 rights you would have received without rounding.
You may request that the subscription agent divide your rights certificate
into transferable parts if you are the record holder for a number of beneficial
owners of common stock. However, the subscription agent will not divide your
rights certificate so that (through rounding or otherwise) you would receive a
greater number of rights than those to which you would be entitled if you had
not divided your certificates.
15
EXPIRATION TIME
You may exercise the basic subscription privilege and the oversubscription
privilege at any time before the expiration time, which is 5:00 p.m., New York
City time, on December 2, 2002, unless the rights offering is extended. If you
do not exercise your rights before the expiration time, then your rights will
expire and become null and void. We will not be obligated to honor your exercise
of rights if the subscription agent receives any of the required documents
relating to your exercise after the expiration time, regardless of when you
transmitted the documents, except if you have timely transmitted the documents
pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures described below.
We may extend the expiration time for any reason, and you will not be able
to revoke your exercise of subscriptions.
If we elect to extend the date the rights expire, we will issue a press
release announcing the extension before 9:00 a.m. on the first business day
after the most recently announced expiration time.
SUBSCRIPTION PRIVILEGES
Your rights entitle you to a basic subscription privilege and an
oversubscription privilege.
BASIC SUBSCRIPTION PRIVILEGE
The basic subscription privilege entitles you to purchase one share of
Series A common stock per whole right held, upon delivery of the required
documents and payment of the subscription price per share, prior to the
expiration time. You are not required to exercise your basic subscription
privilege, in full or in part, unless you wish to also purchase shares under
your oversubscription privilege described below.
OVERSUBSCRIPTION PRIVILEGE
The oversubscription privilege entitles you to purchase up to that number
of shares of Series A common stock offered in the rights offering which are not
purchased by other rightsholders pursuant to their basic subscription privilege,
upon delivery of the required documents and payment of the subscription price
per share prior to the expiration time. You will be permitted to purchase shares
of Series A common stock pursuant to your oversubscription privilege only if
other rightsholders do not exercise their basic subscription privilege in full.
You may exercise your oversubscription privilege only if you exercise your basic
subscription privilege in full. If you wish to exercise your oversubscription
privilege, you must specify the number of additional shares you wish to
purchase, which may be up to the maximum number of shares offered in the rights
offering, less the number of shares you may purchase under your basic
subscription privilege.
Pro Rata Allocation. If there are not enough shares to satisfy all
subscriptions pursuant to the exercise of the oversubscription privilege, we
will allocate the shares that are available for purchase under the
oversubscription privilege pro rata (subject to the elimination of fractional
shares) among those rightsholders who exercise their oversubscription privilege.
Pro rata means in proportion to the number of shares that you and the other
rightsholders have purchased pursuant to the exercise of the basic subscription
privilege. If there is a need to prorate the exercise of rights pursuant to the
oversubscription privilege and the pro ration results in the allocation to you
of a greater number of shares than you subscribed for pursuant to the
oversubscription privilege, then we will allocate to you only the number of
shares for which you subscribed pursuant to your basic and oversubscription
privileges. We will allocate the remaining shares among all other rightsholders
exercising their oversubscription privileges.
Full Exercise of Basic Subscription Privilege. You may exercise your
oversubscription privilege only if you exercise, in full, your basic
subscription privilege for all rights represented by a single rights
certificate. To determine if you have fully exercised your basic subscription
privilege, we will consider only the basic subscription privilege held by you in
the same capacity under a single rights certificate. For example, if you were
granted rights under a single rights certificate for shares of common stock you
own individually and rights under a single rights certificate for shares of
common stock you own jointly with your spouse, you only need to fully exercise
your basic subscription privilege with respect to your individually owned rights
in order to
16
exercise your oversubscription privilege with respect to those rights. You do
not have to subscribe for any shares under the basic subscription privilege
owned jointly with your spouse to exercise your individual oversubscription
privilege. If you transfer a portion of your rights, you may exercise your
oversubscription privilege if you exercise all of the remaining rights
represented by the rights certificate you receive back from the subscription
agent following the transfer.
You must exercise your oversubscription privilege at the same time as you
exercise your basic subscription privilege in full.
If you own your shares of common stock through your broker, dealer or other
nominee holder and you wish for them to exercise your oversubscription privilege
on your behalf, the nominee holder will be required to certify to us and the
subscription agent:
- the number of shares of our common stock held on the record date on your
behalf;
- the number of rights you exercised under your basic subscription
privilege;
- that your entire basic subscription privilege held in the same capacity
has been exercised in full; and
- the number of shares of Series A common stock you subscribed for pursuant
to the oversubscription privilege.
Your nominee holder must also disclose to us certain other information received
from you.
Return of Excess Payment. If you exercise your oversubscription privilege
and are allocated less than all of the shares of common stock for which you
subscribed, the funds you paid for those shares of common stock that are not
allocated to you will be returned by mail or similarly prompt means, without
interest or deduction as soon as practicable after the expiration time.
EXERCISING YOUR RIGHTS
You may exercise your rights by delivering the following to the
subscription agent before the expiration time:
- your properly completed and executed rights certificate evidencing the
exercised rights with any required signature guarantees or other
supplemental documentation; and
- your payment in full of the subscription price for each share of Series A
common stock subscribed for pursuant to the basic subscription privilege
and the oversubscription privilege.
Alternatively, if you deliver a notice of guaranteed delivery together with
your subscription price payment prior to the expiration time, you must deliver
the rights certificate within three business days after the expiration time
using the guaranteed delivery procedures described below under the heading
"-- Guaranteed Delivery Procedures."
PAYMENT OF SUBSCRIPTION PRICE
Your cash payment of the subscription price must be made by either check or
bank draft drawn upon a U.S. bank or postal, telegraphic or express money order
payable to the subscription agent.
Your cash payment of the subscription price will be deemed to have been
received by the subscription agent only when:
- any uncertified check clears; or
- the subscription agent receives any certified check or bank draft drawn
upon a U.S. bank or any postal, telegraphic or express money order.
You should note that funds paid by uncertified personal checks may take
five business days or more to clear. If you wish to pay the subscription price
in respect of your basic subscription privilege and oversubscription privilege
by an uncertified personal check, we urge you to make payment sufficiently in
17
advance of the time the rights expire to ensure that your payment is received
and clears by that time. We urge you to consider using a certified or cashier's
check, or money order to avoid missing the opportunity to exercise your rights.
We will retain any interest earned on the cash funds held by the
subscription agent prior to the earlier of the consummation or termination of
the rights offering.
The subscription agent will hold your payment of the subscription price in
a segregated escrow account with other payments received from holders of rights
until we issue to you your shares of Series A common stock or return your
overpayment, if any.
EXERCISING A PORTION OF YOUR RIGHTS
If you subscribe for fewer than all of the shares of Series A common stock
that you are eligible to purchase pursuant to the basic subscription privilege
represented by your rights certificate, you may, under certain circumstances,
request from the subscription agent a new rights certificate representing the
unused rights and then attempt to sell your unused rights. See "-- Method of
Transferring and Selling Rights" below. Alternatively, you may transfer a
portion of your rights and request from the subscription agent a new rights
certificate representing the rights you did not transfer. If you exercise less
than all of your rights represented by a single rights certificate, you may not
exercise the oversubscription privilege.
CALCULATION OF RIGHTS EXERCISED
If you do not indicate the number of rights being exercised, or do not
forward full payment of the aggregate subscription price for the number of
rights that you indicate are being exercised, then you will be deemed to have
exercised the basic subscription privilege with respect to the maximum number of
rights that may be exercised for the aggregate subscription price payment you
delivered to the subscription agent. If your aggregate subscription price
payment is greater than the amount you owe for your basic subscription and no
direction is given as to the excess, you will be deemed to have exercised the
oversubscription privilege to purchase the maximum number of shares available to
you pursuant to your oversubscription privilege that may be purchased with your
overpayment. If we do not apply your full subscription price payment to your
purchase of shares of Series A common stock, we will return the excess amount to
you by mail or similarly prompt means, without interest or deduction as soon as
practicable after the expiration time.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
You should read and follow the instructions accompanying the rights
certificate carefully. If you want to exercise your rights, you must send your
completed rights certificates, any necessary accompanying documents and payment
of the subscription price to the subscription agent. YOU SHOULD NOT SEND THE
RIGHTS CERTIFICATES, ANY OTHER DOCUMENTATION OR PAYMENT TO US. Any rights
certificates and other items received by us will be returned to the sender as
promptly as possible.
You are responsible for the method of delivery of rights certificates, any
necessary accompanying documents and payment of the subscription price to the
subscription agent. If you send the rights certificates and other items by mail,
we recommend that you send them by registered mail, properly insured, with
return receipt requested. You should allow a sufficient number of days to ensure
delivery to the subscription agent and clearance of cash payment prior to the
expiration time.
SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MAY BE REQUIRED
Your signature on each rights certificate must be guaranteed by an eligible
institution such as a member firm of a registered national securities exchange,
a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
18
Inc. or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in
the United States, subject to standards and procedures adopted by the
subscription agent, unless:
- your rights certificate is registered in your name; or
- you are an eligible institution.
DELIVERY OF SUBSCRIPTION MATERIALS AND PAYMENT
You should deliver the rights certificate and payment of the subscription
price, as well as any nominee holder certifications, notices of guaranteed
delivery, Depository Trust Company participant oversubscription forms and any
other required documentation:
If by mail to: If by hand delivery to: If by overnight delivery to:
EquiServe Securities Transfer & Reporting EquiServe
c/o Liberty Media Services, Inc. c/o Liberty Media
PO Box 43025 c/o EquiServe Trust Company, 40 Campanelli Drive
N.A.
Providence, Rhode Island 100 William St. Galleria Braintree, Massachusetts 02184
02940-3025 New York, NY 10038
You may call the subscription agent at (866) 367-6355.
Foreign Shareholders call (781) 575-3580.
GUARANTEED DELIVERY PROCEDURES
If you wish to exercise your rights, but you do not have sufficient time to
deliver the rights certificates evidencing your rights to the subscription agent
before the expiration time, you may exercise your rights by the following
guaranteed delivery procedures:
- provide your payment in full of the subscription price for each share of
Series A common stock being subscribed for pursuant to the basic
subscription privilege and the oversubscription privilege to the
subscription agent before the expiration time;
- deliver a notice of guaranteed delivery to the subscription agent at or
before the expiration time; and
- deliver the properly completed rights certificate evidencing the rights
being exercised (and, if applicable for a nominee holder, the related
nominee holder certification), with any required signatures guaranteed,
to the subscription agent, within three business days following the date
the notice of guaranteed delivery was delivered to the subscription
agent.
Your notice of guaranteed delivery must be substantially in the form
provided with the "Instructions For Use of Liberty Media Corporation Rights
Certificates" distributed to you with your rights certificate. Your notice of
guaranteed delivery must come from an eligible institution which is a member of,
or a participant in, a signature guarantee program acceptable to the
subscription agent. In your notice of guaranteed delivery you must state:
- your name;
- the number of rights represented by your rights certificates, the number
of shares of Series A common stock you are subscribing for pursuant to
the basic subscription privilege, the number of shares of Series A common
stock, if any, you are subscribing for pursuant to the oversubscription
privilege; and
- your guarantee that you will deliver to the subscription agent any rights
certificates evidencing the rights you are exercising within three
business days following the date the subscription agent receives your
notice of guaranteed delivery.
You may deliver the notice of guaranteed delivery to the subscription agent
in the same manner as the rights certificate at the addresses set forth under
"-- Delivery of Subscription Materials and Payment" above.
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You may also transmit the notice of guaranteed delivery to the subscription
agent by facsimile transmission to (781) 380-3388. To confirm facsimile
deliveries, you may call (781) 575-4816.
The information agent will send you additional copies of the form of notice
of guaranteed delivery if you need them. Please call the information agent at
(800) 755-7250.
NOTICE TO NOMINEES
If you are a broker, a dealer, a trustee or a depositary for securities who
holds shares of our common stock for the account of others as a nominee holder,
you should notify the respective beneficial owners of those shares of the
issuance of the rights as soon as possible to find out the beneficial owners'
intentions. You should obtain instructions from the beneficial owner with
respect to the rights, as set forth in the instructions we have provided to you
for your distribution to beneficial owners. If the beneficial owner so
instructs, you should complete the appropriate rights certificates and, in the
case of the oversubscription privilege, the related nominee holder
certification, and submit them to the subscription agent with the proper
payment. A nominee holder that holds shares for the account(s) of more than one
beneficial owner may exercise the number of rights to which all such beneficial
owners in the aggregate otherwise would have been entitled if they had been
direct record holders of common stock on the record date, so long as the nominee
submits the appropriate rights certificates and certifications and proper
payment to the subscription agent.
BENEFICIAL OWNERS
If you are a beneficial owner of shares of our common stock or rights that
you hold through a nominee holder, we will ask your broker, dealer or other
nominee to notify you of this rights offering. If you wish to sell or exercise
your rights, you will need to have your broker, dealer or other nominee act for
you. To indicate your decision with respect to your rights, you should complete
and return to your broker, dealer or other nominee the form entitled "Beneficial
Owners Election Form." You should receive this form from your broker, dealer or
other nominee with the other subscription materials.
PROCEDURES FOR DTC PARTICIPANTS
We expect that the rights will be eligible for transfer through, and that
your exercise of your basic subscription privilege may be made through, the
facilities of DTC. If you exercise your basic subscription privilege through DTC
we refer to your rights as DTC Exercised Rights. If you hold DTC Exercised
Rights, you may exercise your oversubscription privilege by properly executing
and delivering to the subscription agent, at or prior to the expiration time, a
DTC participant oversubscription exercise form and a nominee holder
certification and making payment of the subscription price for the number of
shares of Series A common stock for which your oversubscription privilege is to
be exercised. Please call the information agent at (800) 755-7250 to obtain
copies of the DTC participant oversubscription exercise form and the nominee
holder certification.
DETERMINATIONS REGARDING THE EXERCISE OF RIGHTS
We will decide all questions concerning the timeliness, validity, form and
eligibility of your exercise of rights. Our decisions will be final and binding.
We, in our sole discretion, may waive any defect or irregularity, or permit a
defect or irregularity to be corrected within whatever time we determine. We may
reject the exercise of any of your rights because of any defect or irregularity.
Your subscription will not be deemed to have been received or accepted until all
irregularities have been waived by us or cured by you within the time we decide,
in our sole discretion.
We reserve the right to reject your exercise of rights if your exercise is
not in accordance with the terms of the rights offering or in proper form.
Neither we nor the subscription agent will have any duty to notify you of a
defect or irregularity in your exercise of the rights. We will not be liable for
failing to give you that notice. We will also not accept your exercise of rights
if our issuance of shares of Series A common stock pursuant to your exercise
could be deemed unlawful or materially burdensome. See "-- Regulatory
Limitation" and "-- Compliance with State Regulations Pertaining to the Rights
Offering" below.
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NO REVOCATION OF EXERCISED RIGHTS
Once you have exercised your basic subscription privilege and, should you
choose, your oversubscription privilege, you may not revoke your exercise. Even
if we extend the expiration time, you may not revoke your exercise.
SUBSCRIPTION AGENT
We have appointed EquiServe Trust Company, N.A. as subscription agent for
the rights offering. We will pay its fees and expenses related to the rights
offering (other than fees associated with the sale of any rights).
INFORMATION AGENT
You may direct any questions or requests for assistance concerning the
method of exercising your rights, additional copies of this prospectus, the
instructions, the nominee holder certification, the notice of guaranteed
delivery or other subscription materials referred to herein, to the information
agent, at the following telephone number and address:
D.F. King & Co., Inc.
77 Water Street
New York, New York 10005
Banks and brokers call collect: (212) 269-5550
All others call toll free: (800) 755-7250
METHOD OF TRANSFERRING AND SELLING RIGHTS
We anticipate that the rights will be traded on the NYSE under the symbol
"LMC.RT". We expect that rights may be purchased or sold through usual
investment channels until the close of business on the last trading day
preceding the expiration time. However, there has been no prior public market
for the rights, and we cannot assure you that a trading market for the rights
will develop or, if a market develops, that the market will remain available
throughout the subscription period. We also cannot assure you of the price at
which the rights will trade, if at all. If you do not exercise or sell your
rights you will lose any value inherent in the rights. See "-- General
Considerations Regarding the Partial Exercise, Transfer or Sale of Rights"
below.
TRANSFER OF RIGHTS
You may transfer rights in whole by endorsing the rights certificate for
transfer. Please follow the instructions for transfer included in the
information sent to you with your rights certificate. If you wish to transfer
only a portion of the rights, you should deliver your properly endorsed rights
certificate to the subscription agent. With your rights certificate, you should
include instructions to register such portion of the rights evidenced thereby in
the name of the transferee (and to issue a new rights certificate to the
transferee evidencing such transferred rights). You may only transfer whole
rights and not fractions of a right. If there is sufficient time before the
expiration of the rights offering, the subscription agent will send you a new
rights certificate evidencing the balance of the rights issued to you but not
transferred to the transferee. You may also instruct the subscription agent to
send the rights certificate to one or more additional transferees. If you wish
to sell your remaining rights, you may request that the subscription agent send
you certificates representing your remaining (whole) rights so that you may sell
them through your broker or dealer. You may also request that the subscription
agent sell your rights for you, as described below.
If you wish to transfer all or a portion of your rights, you should allow a
sufficient amount of time prior to the time the rights expire for the
subscription agent to:
- receive and process your transfer instructions; and
- issue and transmit a new rights certificate to your transferee or
transferees with respect to transferred rights, and to you with respect
to any rights you retained.
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If you wish to transfer your rights to any person other than a bank or
broker, the signatures on your rights certificate must be guaranteed by an
eligible institution.
SALES OF RIGHTS THROUGH THE SUBSCRIPTION AGENT
If you choose not to sell your rights through your broker or dealer, you
may seek to sell your rights through the subscription agent. If you wish to have
the subscription agent seek to sell your rights, you must deliver your properly
executed rights certificate, with appropriate instructions, to the subscription
agent. If you want the subscription agent to seek to sell only a portion of your
rights, you must send the subscription agent instructions setting forth what you
would like done with the rights, along with your rights certificate.
If the subscription agent sells rights for you, it will send you a check
for the net proceeds from the sale of any of your rights as soon as practicable
after the expiration time. If your rights can be sold, the sale will be deemed
to have been made at the weighted average net sale price of all rights sold by
the subscription agent. The aggregate fees charged by the subscription agent for
selling rights will be deducted from the aggregate sale price for all such
rights in determining the weighted average net sale price of all such rights. We
cannot assure you, however, that a market will develop for the rights or that
the subscription agent will be able to sell your rights.
You must have your order to sell your rights to the subscription agent
before 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on November 22, 2002, the fifth business
day before the expiration time. If less than all sales orders received by the
subscription agent are filled, it will prorate the sales proceeds among you and
the other rightsholders based upon the number of rights that each holder has
instructed the subscription agent to sell during that period, irrespective of
when during the period the instructions are received by it. The subscription
agent is required to sell your rights only if it is able to find buyers. If the
subscription agent cannot sell your rights by 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on
November 26, 2002, the third business day before the expiration time, the
subscription agent will return your rights certificate to you by overnight
delivery.
IF YOU SELL YOUR RIGHTS THROUGH YOUR BROKER OR DEALER, YOU WILL LIKELY
RECEIVE A DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF PROCEEDS THAN IF YOU SELL THE SAME AMOUNT OF
RIGHTS THROUGH THE SUBSCRIPTION AGENT. IF YOU SELL YOUR RIGHTS THROUGH YOUR
BROKER OR DEALER INSTEAD OF THE SUBSCRIPTION AGENT, YOUR SALES PROCEEDS WILL BE
THE ACTUAL SALES PRICE OF YOUR RIGHTS RATHER THAN THE WEIGHTED AVERAGE SALES
PRICE DESCRIBED ABOVE.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE PARTIAL EXERCISE, TRANSFER OR SALE OF
RIGHTS
The amount of time needed by your transferee to exercise or sell its rights
depends upon the method by which the transferor delivers the rights
certificates, the method of payment made by the transferee and the number of
transactions which the holder instructs the subscription agent to effect. You
should also allow up to ten business days for your transferee to exercise or
sell the rights transferred to it. Neither we nor the subscription agent will be
liable to a transferee or transferor of rights if rights certificates or any
other required documents are not received in time for exercise or sale prior to
the expiration time.
You will receive a new rights certificate upon a partial exercise, transfer
or sale of rights only if the subscription agent receives your properly endorsed
rights certificate no later than 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on November 22,
2002, five business days before the expiration time. The subscription agent will
not issue a new rights certificate if your rights certificate is received after
that time and date. If your instructions and rights certificate are received by
the subscription agent after that time and date, you will not receive a new
rights certificate and therefore will not be able to sell or exercise your
remaining rights.
You are responsible for all commissions, fees and other expenses (including
brokerage commissions and transfer taxes) incurred in connection with the
purchase, sale or exercise of your rights, except that we will pay any fees of
the subscription agent associated with the exercise of rights. Any amounts you
owe will be deducted from your account.
If you do not exercise your rights before the expiration time, your rights
will expire and will no longer be exercisable.
22
EFFECT ON STOCK OPTIONS
As of September 30, 2002, we had outstanding options to purchase 47,763,175
shares of our Series A common stock and 27,462,221 shares of our Series B common
stock. All of our outstanding stock options were issued pursuant to stock
incentive plans. Holders of options to purchase shares of our common stock,
regardless of series, will not receive rights. Rather, the incentive plan
committee of our board of directors will make such equitable adjustments as it
determines to be appropriate to preserve the benefits or potential benefits
intended to be made available pursuant to the options.
NO RECOMMENDATIONS TO RIGHTSHOLDERS
Neither we nor our board of directors has made any recommendation as to
whether you should exercise or transfer your rights. You should decide whether
to transfer your rights, subscribe for shares of our Series A common stock, or
simply take no action with respect to your rights, based upon your own
assessment of your best interests.
TERMINATION
There are no conditions to the consummation of the rights offering.
However, we may terminate the rights offering for any reason at any time before
the expiration time. If we terminate the rights offering, we will promptly issue
a press release announcing the termination, and we will promptly thereafter
return all subscription payments. We will not pay interest on, or deduct any
amounts from, subscription payments if we terminate the rights offering.
FOREIGN SHAREHOLDERS
We will not mail rights certificates to shareholders on the record date or
to subsequent transferees whose addresses are outside the United States.
Instead, we will have the subscription agent hold the rights certificates for
those holders' accounts. To exercise their rights, foreign holders must notify
the subscription agent before 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on November 26,
2002, three business days prior to the expiration time and must establish to the
satisfaction of the subscription agent that such exercise is permitted under
applicable law. If a foreign holder does not notify and provide acceptable
instructions to the subscription agent by such time (and if no contrary
instructions have been received), the rights will be sold, subject to the
subscription agent's ability to find a purchaser. Any such sales will be deemed
to be effected at the weighted average sale price of all rights sold by the
subscription agent. See "-- Method of Transferring and Selling Rights" above. If
the subscription agent sells the rights, the subscription agent will remit a
check for the net proceeds from the sale of any rights to foreign holders by
mail. The proceeds, if any, resulting from sales of rights pursuant to the basic
subscription privilege of holders whose addresses are not known by the
subscription agent or to whom delivery cannot be made will be held in an
interest bearing account. Any amount remaining unclaimed on the second
anniversary of the expiration time will be turned over to us.
REGULATORY LIMITATION
We will not be required to issue to you shares of our Series A common stock
pursuant to the rights offering if, in our opinion, you would be required to
obtain prior clearance or approval from any state or federal regulatory
authorities to own or control such shares and if, at the expiration time, you
have not obtained such clearance or approval.
ISSUANCE OF COMMON STOCK
Unless we earlier terminate the rights offering, the subscription agent
will issue to you the shares of our Series A common stock purchased by you in
the rights offering as soon as practicable after the expiration time. Each
subscribing holder's new shares will be issued in the same form, certificated or
book-entry, as the rights exercised by that holder.
23
Your payment of the aggregate subscription price will be retained by the
subscription agent and will not be delivered to us, unless and until your
subscription is accepted and you are issued your stock certificates. We will not
pay you any interest on funds paid to the subscription agent, regardless of
whether the funds are applied to the subscription price or returned to you. You
will have no rights as a shareholder of our company with respect to the
subscribed for shares of our common stock until the certificates representing
such shares are issued to you or the shares are deposited in the book-entry
account held on your behalf. Upon our issuance of the certificates or the
deposit of the shares in the applicable book-entry account, you will be deemed
the owner of the shares you purchased by exercise of your rights. Unless
otherwise instructed in the rights certificates, the shares issued to you
pursuant to your subscription will be registered in your name or the name of
your nominee, if applicable.
We will not issue any fractional shares of common stock. You may only
exercise whole rights; fractional rights may not be exercised.
SHARES OF COMMON STOCK OUTSTANDING
As of September 30, 2002, we had outstanding 2,373,439,500 shares of our
Series A common stock and 212,045,128 shares of our Series B common stock. Based
on the number of shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 30,
2002, the number of outstanding shares of our Series A common stock will
increase by 103,426,000 following the issuance of all shares purchased in the
rights offering (assuming that the rights offering is fully subscribed), which
represents an approximate 4% increase in the number of outstanding shares of our
Series A common stock. The number of outstanding shares of our Series B common
stock will not change as a result of the rights offering. The share numbers
included in this paragraph exclude outstanding stock options and warrants to
purchase shares of our common stock.
COMPLIANCE WITH STATE REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO THE RIGHTS OFFERING
We are not making the rights offering in any state or other jurisdiction in
which it is unlawful to do so. We will not sell or accept an offer to purchase
shares of our common stock from you if you are a resident of any state or other
jurisdiction in which the sale or offer of the rights would be unlawful. We may
delay the commencement of the rights offering in certain states or other
jurisdictions in order to comply with the laws of those states or other
jurisdictions. However, we may decide, in our sole discretion, not to modify the
terms of the rights offering as may be requested by certain states or other
jurisdictions. If that happens and you are a resident of the state or
jurisdiction that requests the modification, you will not be eligible to
participate in the rights offering. We do not expect that there will be any
changes in the terms of the rights offering.
CERTAIN FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
The following discussion is a summary of the material U.S. federal income
tax consequences to holders of our common stock of the acquisition, ownership,
and disposition, expiration or exercise of the rights distributed pursuant to
the rights offering and the acquisition, ownership and disposition of shares of
our common stock acquired through exercise of the rights. We have received the
opinion of Baker Botts L.L.P., counsel to our company, that the following
discussion, insofar as it relates to statements of United States law or legal
conclusions, is accurate in all material respects. This opinion is included as
an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
The opinion of Baker Botts L.L.P. is conditioned upon the accuracy of the
statements, representations and assumptions upon which the opinion is based,
including, without limitation, the representation by us that, at the time of the
distribution, the exercise price of all of our outstanding warrants and stock
options will be adjusted so that the distribution of rights will not result in
an increase in our shareholders' proportionate interest in our assets or
earnings and profits.
This summary is based upon the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the Code), Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, administrative
pronouncements and judicial decisions as of the date hereof, all of which are
subject to change or differing interpretations at any time, possibly with
retroactive effect. This summary assumes that holders of our common stock hold
all such stock as capital assets within the meaning of the Code (generally
property held for investment) and will hold all stock acquired on exercise
24
of rights as capital assets. We have not obtained and do not intend to obtain a
ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (the IRS) with respect to any of the
tax consequences discussed below, and there is no assurance that the IRS will
not successfully challenge certain of the conclusions.
This summary does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation
that may be applicable to you in light of your particular circumstances and does
not address special classes of holders of our common stock or rights that may be
subject to special treatment under the Code (such as dealers in securities,
partnerships or other pass-through entities, financial institutions, life
insurance companies, tax-exempt organizations, certain expatriates, persons
holding our stock or rights as part of a hedge, constructive sale, wash sale,
straddle or conversion transaction, or persons whose functional currency is not
the U.S. dollar). This summary also does not address the effect of any state,
local or foreign tax laws that may apply or the application of the U.S. federal
estate and gift tax or the alternative minimum tax. Except as otherwise
indicated, references to "tax" mean U.S. federal income tax.
As used herein, a "U.S. Holder" is a beneficial owner of our common stock
that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, (1) a citizen or resident of the
United States, (2) a corporation that is organized under the laws of the United
States or any political subdivision thereof, (3) an estate the income of which
is subject to U.S. federal income tax without regard to its source, or (4) a
trust if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary
supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more U.S. persons
have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or if the
trust has made a valid election in effect to be treated as a U.S. person.
A "Non-U.S. Holder" is a beneficial owner of our common stock that is not a
U.S. Holder.
If a partnership holds our common stock, the tax treatment of a partner
generally will depend on the status of the partner and on the activities of the
partnership. Partners of partnerships holding our common stock should consult
their tax advisors.
Except as otherwise indicated, the following discussion assumes that we
will not terminate the rights offering.
YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR OWN TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF THE
U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS TO YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION, AS WELL AS THE
APPLICABILITY OF ANY FEDERAL ESTATE AND GIFT, STATE, LOCAL OR FOREIGN TAX LAWS
TO WHICH YOU MAY BE SUBJECT.
TAXATION OF U.S. HOLDERS
DISTRIBUTION OF RIGHTS
You will not be required to recognize taxable income upon the distribution
of rights to you.
BASIS AND HOLDING PERIOD OF RIGHTS
If, on the distribution date, the fair market value of rights which we
distribute to you is less than 15% of the fair market value of your common stock
with respect to which the rights were distributed, your basis in those rights
generally will be zero. You may elect, however, to allocate the basis in your
common stock between that stock and the rights in proportion to their relative
fair market values on the distribution date. This election may be made pursuant
to Section 307 of the Code and the Treasury regulations thereunder and will be
irrevocable once made.
If, on the distribution date, the fair market value of rights which we
distribute to you is 15% or more of the fair market value of your common stock
with respect to which the rights were distributed, you will be required to
allocate the basis in your common stock between that stock and the rights in
proportion to their relative fair market values on the distribution date.
In either case, your holding period for the rights that we distribute to
you will include the holding period of your common stock with respect to which
the rights were distributed.
25
If you purchase rights from a third party, your basis in the rights
generally will be the purchase price of such rights. Your holding period for the
purchased rights will begin on the day following the date you purchase the
rights.
SALE, EXCHANGE OR OTHER DISPOSITION OF RIGHTS
Upon the sale, exchange or other disposition of your rights, you generally
will recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount
realized and your basis in the rights. Such gain or loss will be long-term
capital gain or loss if your holding period in the rights is more than one year
on the date of the sale, exchange or other disposition. Long-term capital gains
of certain non-corporate taxpayers generally are taxed at lower rates than items
of ordinary income. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to
limitations.
EXPIRATION OF RIGHTS
If you receive rights in a distribution from us and you allow the rights to
expire (i.e., you retain but do not exercise the rights), then you will not be
permitted to recognize a taxable loss. If your basis in your common stock with
respect to which the rights were distributed was allocated between that stock
and the rights, your basis in the expired rights will be reallocated to that
stock.
If you purchased rights from a third party and allow the rights to expire,
then, in general, you will recognize a capital loss in the year of such
expiration in the amount of your basis in the rights. Your loss on the rights
should be short-term capital loss. The deductibility of capital losses is
subject to limitations.
EXERCISE OF RIGHTS; BASIS AND HOLDING PERIOD OF ACQUIRED SHARES
You will not recognize gain or loss upon the exercise of the rights. Your
basis in the common stock you acquire through exercise of the rights will equal
the sum of (1) the subscription price you paid to acquire such common stock and
(2) your basis in the rights which you exercised. Your holding period in the
acquired common stock will begin on the day you exercise the rights.
SALE, EXCHANGE OR OTHER DISPOSITION OF ACQUIRED SHARES
Upon the sale, exchange or other disposition of our common stock acquired
upon exercise of the rights, you generally will recognize gain or loss equal to
the difference between the amount realized and your basis in such stock. Such
gain or loss will be capital gain or loss and will be long-term capital gain or
loss if your holding period for the common stock exceeds one year at the time of
the sale, exchange or other disposition. Long-term capital gains of certain
non-corporate taxpayers generally are taxed at lower rates than items of
ordinary income. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
TERMINATION OF RIGHTS OFFERING
If you receive rights in a distribution from us and retain such rights,
then, upon a termination of the rights offering by us, (1) you will not
recognize income, gain or loss as a result of the distribution or ownership of
the rights, and (2) your basis in your common stock with respect to which the
rights were distributed will not be affected by the rights offering.
If you receive rights in a distribution from us, and you sell, exchange or
otherwise dispose of such rights, then, while the matter is not entirely free
from doubt, upon a termination of the rights offering by us: (1) you should not
recognize income or gain as a result of the prior distribution of the rights to
you, (2) your basis in the common stock with respect to which the rights were
distributed and your basis and holding period in the rights should be determined
as described above under "-- Taxation of U.S. Holders -- Basis and Holding
Period of Rights," and (3) you should recognize capital gain or loss equal to
the difference between the amount realized and your basis, if any, in the
rights. Such gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if your holding
period for the rights exceeds one year at the time of the sale, exchange or
other disposition.
If you purchase rights from a third party, and we terminate the rights
offering, then you should recognize a capital loss in the taxable year of such
termination in the amount of your basis in the rights. In such case,
26
your loss on the rights should be short-term capital loss. The deductibility of
capital losses is subject to limitations.
INFORMATION REPORTING AND BACKUP WITHHOLDING
Your sale, exchange or other disposition of rights or acquired common stock
may be subject to information reporting to the IRS and to backup withholding.
Backup withholding (currently 30%) may apply to "reportable payments" if a U.S.
Holder fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number and certain
other information, fails to provide a certification of exempt status or fails to
report the holder's full dividend and interest income. You are not subject to
backup withholding if you (1) are a corporation or fall within certain other
exempt categories and, when required, demonstrate that fact; or (2) provide a
correct taxpayer identification number, certify under penalties of perjury that
you are not subject to backup withholding, and otherwise comply with the
applicable requirements of the backup withholding rules.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax; any amounts withheld under the
backup withholding rules will be allowed as a refund or credit against your U.S.
federal income tax liability provided the required information is furnished to
the IRS. The information reporting requirements may apply regardless of whether
backup withholding is required.
TAXATION OF NON-U.S. HOLDERS
SCOPE OF DISCUSSION
In this discussion of taxation of Non-U.S. Holders, it is assumed that no
income, gain or loss of the Non-U.S. Holder from the acquisition, ownership, and
disposition, expiration or exercise of the rights distributed pursuant to the
rights offering and the acquisition, ownership and disposition of shares of our
common stock acquired through exercise of the rights will be effectively
connected with the conduct by the Non-U.S. Holder of a trade or business in the
United States. Non-U.S. Holders for which any such income, gain or loss might
represent income that is effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade
or business should consult their own tax advisors, including as to the
availability of an exemption from U.S. federal withholding tax and, in the case
of a Non-U.S. Holder which is a corporation, the applicability of the "branch
profits tax."
DISTRIBUTION OF RIGHTS
Non-U.S. Holders will not be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax upon
the distribution of rights.
EXERCISE OF RIGHTS
A Non-U.S. Holder will not be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax upon
exercise of the rights.
EXPIRATION OF RIGHTS
The expiration of rights held by a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not have
tax consequences to the holder unless the holder would have been subject to tax
upon the sale, exchange, or other disposition of the rights or common stock
acquired on exercise of the rights, as described below.
SALE, EXCHANGE OR OTHER DISPOSITION OF RIGHTS OR ACQUIRED SHARES
Generally, a Non-U.S. Holder will not be subject to U.S. federal income or
withholding tax on any gain realized upon the sale, exchange or other
disposition of rights or any acquired common stock unless (1) the Non-U.S.
Holder is an individual that is present in the United States for 183 days or
more in the taxable year of the sale, exchange or other disposition and certain
other conditions are met, or (2) we are or have previously been a "U.S. real
property holding corporation" for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We do not
believe that we are currently or at any relevant time have previously been a
"U.S. real property holding corporation" or that we will become one in the
future.
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TERMINATION OF RIGHTS OFFERING
If a Non-U.S. Holder receives rights in a distribution from us and retains
such rights, then, upon a termination of the rights offering by us, the Non-U.S.
Holder should not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax as a
result of the distribution, ownership or expiration of the rights.
If a Non-U.S. Holder receives rights in a distribution from us, and such
holder sells, exchanges or otherwise disposes of such rights, then, while the
matter is not entirely free from doubt, upon a termination of the rights
offering by us: (1) the Non-U.S. Holder should not be subject to U.S. federal
income or withholding tax as a result of the prior distribution of the rights,
(2) the Non-U.S. Holder should be treated as selling rights that have a basis
determined as described above under "-- Taxation of U.S. Holders -- Basis and
Holding Period of Rights," and (3) the Non-U.S. Holder should not be subject to
U.S. federal income or withholding tax upon the sale, exchange or other
disposition of rights except as described above under "-- Taxation of Non-U.S.
Holders -- Sale, Exchange or Other Disposition of Rights or Acquired Shares."
If a Non-U.S. Holder has purchased rights, then our termination of the
rights offering generally will not have tax consequences to the Non-U.S. Holder
unless such holder would have been subject to tax upon the sale, exchange, or
other disposition of the rights as described above under "-- Taxation of
Non-U.S. Holders -- Sale, Exchange or Other Disposition of Rights or Acquired
Shares."
INFORMATION REPORTING AND BACKUP WITHHOLDING
A Non-U.S. Holder's sale, exchange or other disposition of rights or
acquired common stock may be subject to information reporting to the IRS. Copies
of these information returns also may be made available under the provisions of
a specific treaty or agreement to the tax authorities of the country in which
the Non-U.S. Holder resides. Backup withholding (currently 30%) may apply to
"reportable payments" if a Non-U.S. Holder fails to provide a correct taxpayer
identification number and certain other information, fails to provide a
certification of exempt status or fails to report the holder's full dividend and
interest income.
Payment of the proceeds of the disposition of our rights or acquired common
stock to or through the U.S. office of any broker, U.S. or foreign, generally
will be subject to information reporting and backup withholding unless the
Non-U.S. Holder certifies as to the holder's non-U.S. status under penalties of
perjury or otherwise establishes that the holder qualifies for an exemption,
provided that the broker does not have actual knowledge that the holder is a
U.S. Holder or that the conditions of any other exemption are not in fact
satisfied. Payment of the proceeds of the disposition of our rights or acquired
common stock to or through a foreign office of a broker generally will not be
subject to information reporting or backup withholding; however, if such broker
has certain connections to the United States, then information reporting, but
not backup withholding, will apply unless the holder establishes its non-U.S.
status.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax; any amounts withheld under the
backup withholding rules will be allowed as a refund or credit against the
Non-U.S. Holder's U.S. federal income tax liability provided the required
information is furnished to the IRS. The information reporting requirements may
apply regardless of whether backup withholding is required.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We are making this rights offering directly to you, the holders of our
common stock, on a pro rata basis for each share of our common stock held at the
close of business on October 31, 2002.
We will pay D.F. King, the information agent, a fee of approximately
$15,000 and EquiServe, the subscription agent, a fee of approximately $35,000
for their services in connection with this rights offering (which includes the
subscription agent's fees associated with the exercise but not the sale of
rights). We have also agreed to reimburse the information agent and the
subscription agent their reasonable expenses.
We estimate that our total expenses in connection with the rights offering,
including registration, legal and accounting fees, will be $1.1 million.
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We have not employed any brokers, dealers or underwriters in connection
with the solicitation or exercise of rights. Except as described in this
section, we are not paying any other commissions, fees or discounts in
connection with the rights offering. Some of our employees may solicit responses
from you as a holder of rights, but we will not pay our employees any
commissions or compensation for such services other than their normal employment
compensation.
LEGAL MATTERS
Certain legal matters with respect to the validity of the shares of Series
A common stock and the rights offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for
us by Baker Botts L.L.P., New York, New York.
EXPERTS
The consolidated balance sheets of Liberty Media Corporation and
subsidiaries ("New Liberty" or "Successor") as of December 31, 2001 and 2000,
and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive earnings,
shareholders' equity, and cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2001 and
2000 and the period from March 1, 1999 to December 31, 1999 (Successor periods)
and from January 1, 1999 to February 28, 1999 (Predecessor period) have been
incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon the report, dated March 8,
2002, of KPMG LLP, independent certified public accountants, incorporated by
reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting
and auditing.
The KPMG LLP report states that Liberty Media Corporation changed its
method of accounting for derivative instruments and hedging activities in 2001.
In addition, the KPMG LLP report contains an explanatory paragraph that
states that, effective March 9, 1999, AT&T Corp., the former parent company of
New Liberty, acquired Tele-Communications, Inc., the former parent company of
Liberty Media Corporation, in a business combination accounted for as a
purchase. As a result of the acquisition, the consolidated financial information
for the periods after the acquisition is presented on a different basis than
that for the periods before the acquisition and, therefore, is not comparable.
The consolidated balance sheets of Telewest Communications plc and
subsidiaries as of December 31, 2001 and 2000, and the related consolidated
statements of operations, shareholders' equity and comprehensive income, and
cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31,
2001, have been incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon the report,
dated February 28, 2002, of KPMG Audit Plc, independent chartered accountants,
incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts
in accounting and auditing.
Our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 13, 2002, as amended on
April 15, 2002, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus, includes
the consolidated balance sheet of UnitedGlobalCom, Inc. (a Delaware corporation
f/k/a New UnitedGlobalCom, Inc.) and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2001, and
the related consolidated statements of operations and cash flows for the period
from February 5, 2001 (inception) through December 31, 2001, and the
consolidated balance sheets of UGC Holdings, Inc. (a Delaware corporation f/k/a
UnitedGlobalCom, Inc.) and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2001 and 2000, and
the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive (loss)
income, shareholders' (deficit) equity and cash flows for each of the three
years in the period ended December 31, 2001 (which we refer to as the UGC
Financial Statements). After reasonable efforts, we have not been able to obtain
the consent of Arthur Andersen LLP to the incorporation by reference in this
prospectus of their report with respect to the UGC Financial Statements, and we
have dispensed with the requirement under Section 7 of the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, to file their consent as an exhibit to the registration
statement of which this prospectus forms a part in reliance on Rule 437(a)
promulgated under the Securities Act. Because we have been unable to obtain the
consent of Arthur Andersen LLP to the incorporation by reference of their audit
report, you will not be able to recover any damages you may incur from Arthur
Andersen LLP under Section 11 of the Securities Act in the event that the UGC
Financial Statements contain any untrue statements of a material fact or omit to
state a material fact required to be stated therein, in each case by virtue of
their incorporation by reference herein.
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WHERE TO FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a registration
statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities
being offered by this prospectus. This prospectus, which forms a part of the
registration statement, does not contain all the information included in the
registration statement and the exhibits thereto. You should refer to the
registration statement, including its exhibits and schedules, for further
information about our company and the securities being offered hereby.
The Securities and Exchange Commission allows us to "incorporate by
reference" information into this document, which means that we can disclose
important information to you by referring you to other documents. The
information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus,
and is deemed to be part of this document except for any information superseded
by this document or any other document incorporated by reference into this
document. Any statement, including financial statements, contained in our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001 shall be deemed to be
modified or superseded to the extent that a statement, including financial
statements, contained in this prospectus or in any other later incorporated
document modifies or supersedes that statement. We incorporate by reference the
documents listed below and any future filings made by us with the Securities and
Exchange Commission under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934:
- Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001,
filed on April 1, 2002.
- Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three-month period ending March
31, 2002, filed on May 14, 2002.
- Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the six-month period ending June
30, 2002, filed on August 14, 2002.
- Our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed on January 9, 2002.
- Our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed on February 13, 2002, as amended by
Current Report on Form 8-K/A, filed on April 15, 2002.
- Our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed on June 17, 2002.
- Our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed on September 30, 2002.
- The description of our capital stock contained in Annex A to our Form 8-A
filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on July 24, 2001, and any
amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating that description.
You may request a copy of these filings at no cost, by writing or
telephoning the office of:
Investor Relations
Liberty Media Corporation
12300 Liberty Boulevard
Englewood, Colorado 80112
Telephone: (877) 772-1518
Our annual, quarterly and special reports and other information are on file
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You may read and copy any document
that we file at the Public Reference Room of the Securities and Exchange
Commission at 450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain
information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the
Securities and Exchange Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330. You may also inspect our
filings at the regional office of the Securities and Exchange Commission located
at Citicorp, 500 West Madison Street, Suite 1400, Chicago, Illinois 60661 or
over the Internet at the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at
http://www.sec.gov. Information contained on any website referenced in this
prospectus is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
This prospectus incorporates by reference documents which include
information concerning The News Corporation Limited, AOL Time Warner Inc., USA
Interactive, Vivendi Universal, S.A., Sprint Corporation, Telewest
Communications plc, Motorola Inc., IDT Corporation and UnitedGlobalCom, Inc.,
among other
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public companies. All of these companies file reports and other information with
the Securities and Exchange Commission in accordance with the requirements of
the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act. Information incorporated by
reference into this prospectus concerning those companies has been derived from
the reports and other information filed by them with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. We had no part in the preparation of those reports and other
information, nor are they incorporated by reference into this prospectus. You
may read and copy any reports and other information filed by those companies
with the Securities and Exchange Commission as set forth above.
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by
reference into this prospectus or to which we have referred you. We have not
authorized any person to provide you with different information or to make any
representation not contained in this prospectus.
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