EchoStar Communications Corporation Prices Senior Notes And Tender Offers
DBS Corporation is offering $2.0 billion of Senior Notes with the
following maturities:
-- $375.0 million of 9 1/4% Senior Notes due 2006
-- $1.625 billion of 9 3/8% Senior Notes due 2009
Closing of the issuance of the Senior Notes is expected to occur
on January 25, 1999 and is subject to the satisfaction of certain
conditions. The Company intends to use most of the proceeds from the
proposed sale of the Senior Notes to fund the Tender Offers. The
remaining proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes and
working capital needs.
Total Consideration offered in connection with the Tender Offers was determined in accordance with a pricing formula that is based on a fixed spread of 75 basis points above the yield to maturity at 2:00 p.m. of the day of pricing of the New Debt Financing on the 6 1/8% U.S. Treasury Note due July 31, 2000, for the 12 1/2% Notes and the Exchange Notes, the 6 3/4% U.S. Treasury Note due June 30, 1999, for the 12 7/8% Notes, and the 6 7/8% U.S. Treasury Note due March 31, 2000 for the 13 1/8% Notes.
The yield to maturity on the 6 1/8% United States Treasury Note due July 31, 2000, the Reference Security for the 12 1/2% Notes and the Exchange Notes, was 4.65% at 2:00 p.m. on January 15, 1999, and the amount payable based on the pricing formula is approximately 115.449%, or $1,154.49 per $1,000 principal amount for the 12 1/2% Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest, and approximately 114.632%, or $1,146.32 per $1,000 principal amount for the Exchange Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest.
The yield to maturity on the 6 3/4% United States Treasury Note due June 30, 1999, the Reference Security for the 12 7/8% Notes, was 4.46% at 2:00 p.m. on January 15, 1999, and the amount payable based on the pricing formula is approximately 107.472% of accreted value, or $1,029.51 per $1,000 of face amount for the 12 7/8% Notes.
The yield to maturity on the 6 7/8% United States Treasury Note due March 31, 2000, the Reference Security for the 13 1/8% Notes, was 4.64% at 2:00 p.m. on January 15, 1999, and the amount payable based on the pricing formula is approximately 115.814% of accreted value, or $1,002.99 per $1,000 of face amount for the 13 1/8% Notes.
The Total Consideration for each of the Tendered Notes includes a Consent Payment of $20 for each $1,000 principal amount of the 12 1/2% Notes and the Exchange Notes and $20 for the accreted value of each $1,000 principal amount at maturity of the 12 7/8% Notes and the 13 1/8% Notes, payable to holders of Tendered Notes who delivered consents on or prior to 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on January 7, 1999, with respect to the 12 1/2% Notes, 12 7/8% Notes and the 13 1/8% Notes and on or prior to 12:00 midnight, New York City time, January 8, 1999, with respect to the Exchange Notes.
The Tender Offers for the 12 1/2% Notes, 12 7/8% Notes and the 13 1/8% Notes expire at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on Friday, January 22, 1999, and the Tender Offer for the Exchange Notes expires at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on Monday, February 1, 1999. The Company's obligations to purchase notes pursuant to the Tender Offers remain subject to certain conditions, including the receipt of proceeds of the New Debt Financing.
The offer of the Senior Notes has not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under the Securities Act or an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
Certain matters discussed in this statement are "forward looking
statements" intended to qualify for the safe harbors from liability
established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
These "forward looking statements" can generally be identified as such
because the context of the statement will include words such as the
Company "believes," "anticipates," "expects," or words of similar
import. Similarly, statements that describe the Company's future
plans, objectives or goals are forward-looking statements. Such
forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those currently anticipated. Such risks and uncertainties
include, but are not limited to: a total or partial loss of a
satellite due to operational failures, space debris or otherwise;
uncertainty as to the Company's future profitability; the Company's
ability to develop and implement operational and financial systems to
manage rapidly growing operations; an increase in competition from
cable television, Direct Broadcast Satellite ("DBS"), other satellite
system operators, and other providers of subscription television
services; the introduction of new technologies and competitors into
the subscription television business; a merger of existing DBS
competitors; the Company's ability to integrate and successfully
operate acquired businesses and the risks associated with such
businesses; the Company's ability to obtain financing on acceptable
terms to finance the Company's growth strategy and for the Company to
operate within the limitations imposed by financing arrangements;
uncertainty as to the future profitability of acquired businesses;
trends in the cable television, broadcast television and satellite
television industries; impediments to the retransmission of local or
distant broadcast network signals; a decrease in sales of digital
equipment and related services to international service providers; a
decrease in Dish Network subscriber growth; an increase in subscriber
acquisition costs; lower than expected demand for the Company's
delivery of local broadcast network signals; changes in relationships
with customers; changes in the regulatory environment, such as the
inability of the Company to retain necessary authorizations from the
Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") or a change in the
regulations governing the subscription television service industry;
the outcome of pending litigation and regulatory inquiries; an
unexpected business interruption due to the failure of third parties
to remediate Year 2000 issues; failure to consummate EchoStar's
pending acquisition with The News Corporation Limited and MCI
WorldCom, Inc. whereby the Company would issue equity securities in
exchange for two satellites that have not yet been completed or the
failure of such satellites to be successfully launched or to become
operational or a delay in such launch or operation; and the impact of
accounting policies required to be adopted. Other factors that could
materially affect such forward-looking statements can be found in
EchoStar's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Shareholders, potential investors and other readers are
urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the
forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made herein
are only made as of the date of this statement and EchoStar undertakes
no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to
reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
CONTACT: EchoStar Communications Corporation, Littleton Judianne Atencio, 303/723-2010