Chapter 11

Legal
January 19, 2012
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Kodak files for Chapter 11 bankrupcy

By on January 19, 2012 at 9:39 AM.

Kodak files for Chapter 11 bankrupcy

Kodak and its U.S. subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Thursday. The petition was filed in the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. During the bankruptcy, Kodak hopes to bolster liquidity in the U.S. and abroad, monetize non-strategic intellectual property, resolve legacy liabilities and focus on its most valuable business lines. ”Our goal is to maximize value for stakeholders, including our employees, retirees, creditors, and pension trustees,” said the company in a press release. “We are also committed to working with our valued customers.”  Kodak received $950 million in debtor-in-possession financing, which the company said should provide the assets needed to continue operations during the restructuring. “We look forward to working with our stakeholders to emerge a lean, world-class, digital imaging and materials science company,” said chairman and CEO Antonio Perez. Read on for Kodak’s press release. More →

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Business
January 4, 2012
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Kodak reportedly preparing for bankruptcy filing

By on January 4, 2012 at 4:10 PM.

Kodak reportedly preparing for bankruptcy filing

Eastman Kodak could file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this month or in early February according to a recent report. The troubled camera maker will likely file if it cannot sell 1,100 patents, The Wall Street Journal said Wednesday. The company is reportedly speaking with J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Citigroup and Wells Fargo, and is asking for as much as $1 billion in debtor-in possession financing. The financing could help keep Kodak alive as it moves through the bankruptcy filing process. If Kodak does indeed have to file for Chapter 11, it will then try to sell its patents through the court in a bankruptcy auction, The Journal explained. Kodak may also soon be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange if it cannot recover within the next six months. More →

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Business
September 23, 2010
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Blockbuster filing for bankruptcy

By on September 23, 2010 at 7:20 AM.

Blockbuster filing for bankruptcy

Via a press release, Blockbuster has announced a “pre-arranged” bankruptcy in order to “recapitalize” and “substantially reduce its indebtedness.” The Chapter 11 filing will take the embattled company’s debt from roughly $1 billion down to $100 million; the filing is for the company’s U.S. branches only. “Blockbuster franchise locations in both the U.S. and abroad are independently owned, operated and funded, and are also continuing normal business operations,” explained the press release. Unfortunately, if you happen to hold some Blockbuster debt — and are not part of the company’s 11 “3/4 percent senior secured note holders” – you’re going to be out in the cold. “Under the proposed plan, there would be no recovery by the holders of the Company’s outstanding subordinated debt, preferred stock or common stock,” reads the filing. Hit the read link for the full release. More →

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Retail
August 27, 2010
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L.A. Times: Blockbuster to file Chapter 11 next month

By on August 27, 2010 at 9:28 AM.

L.A. Times: Blockbuster to file Chapter 11 next month

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the once mighty Blockbuster will file for bankruptcy as early as next month. The Times quotes anonymous sources “familiar with the matter” in the report and explains that the filing could take five months and see 500 to 800 retail outlets closed. The company is seeking protection under Chapter 11 in order to restructure their current debt-load of roughly $1 billion (that’s billion with a “b”). The bankruptcy is being described as pre-planned, and most of Blockbuster’s creditors will have some sort of deal in place with the company when the filing is made official. More →

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General
February 17, 2009
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Liberty Media saves the day, dumps over half a billion into Sirius XM

By on February 17, 2009 at 4:32 PM.

Liberty Media saves the day, dumps over half a billion into Sirius XM

D-Day has arrived for the struggling satellite radio provider and for the time being, all is not lost. Liberty Media has indeed swooped in and pumped $530 million into Sirius XM in order to prevent the company from defaulting on $175 million in debt owed to Echostar today. Echostar’s Charlie Ergen had offered to take control of the company in an effort to “help” it avoid bankruptcy but the Sirius XM board seemingly wouldn’t even consider Ergen’s offer as a possibility. Instead, Sirius opted to work with Echostar’s biggest competitor – Liberty Media is the majority owner of DIRECTV while Echostar owns and operates the DISH Network fleet of satellites – giving Liberty 40 percent of the company and two seats on its board in exchange for the loan, $250 million of which will be funded today. Zing! Despite the fact that Ergen will get his $175 million in full today, something tells us he won’t be doing the happy dance.

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General
February 14, 2009
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Bridge loan could save Sirius XM from Ergen’s grasp

By on February 14, 2009 at 3:46 PM.

Bridge loan could save Sirius XM from Ergen’s grasp

This past week we gave you a brief glimpse into the nightmare that Sirius XM’s business has become and since then things have basically been a cluster… err, mess. Sirius did take a big step in restructuring some of its future debts – $172.5 million that was due in December is now due in June 2011, a move that cost the company 60 million shares of stock. Forget the fact that Sirius XM has $227.5 million of December debt remaining, it also still has $175 million that comes due to Dr. Claw Charlie Ergen and EchoStar this Tuesday and another $350 million due in May. For the time being, the only thing standing between Sirius XM and bankruptcy is Ergen’s willingness to take control of the company, a fate Sirius XM seems to adamantly oppose. But wait! What’s that? A hero emerges to save the day? John Malone and his company Liberty Media are rumored to be in negotiations with Sirius XM at this very moment and may gobble up a healthy chunk of the satellite radio provider’s debt in order to stave off bankruptcy filings or worse yet from the looks of things, Ergen. A quick look at Sirius XM’s near-future debt calendar:

  • $175 million due this Tuesday (to EchoStar)
  • $350 million due in May (to JPMorgan Chase and UBS AB, among others)
  • $227.5 million due in December
  • $172.5 million due in June 2011

That’s right folks, a shade under a billion. To make matters slightly worse, the aforementioned shift of $172.5 million that excited investors on Friday is contingent upon Sirius XM paying Ergen on Tuesday. If it doesn’t come up with the dough, no deal. In the end, Tuesday is basically D-Day for the struggling company and either Liberty or a mysterious third-party must swoop in and save the day. In either of those cases however, Sirius XM is merely looking at a band-aid until May when it will have to come up with another $350 million. We hope Mel and the gang have channel 35 programmed as a favorite – they’re going to need it.

[Via SAI]

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General
February 11, 2009
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Sirius XM staring down bankruptcy filing, Ergen tries to swoop

By on February 11, 2009 at 9:19 AM.

Sirius XM staring down bankruptcy filing, Ergen tries to swoop

It might not have happened exactly as terrestrial radio had planned while it was sitting in the shadows, stroking a hairless cat and plotting the downfall of satellite, but it looks like the delays it caused by lobbying against the Sirius XM merger may have ended up doing enough damage. According to a report from the New York Times, the only game in satellite radio town is preparing to file for bankruptcy. With over $5 billion in assets the company would surely be gobbled up one way or another, but its current debts of $3.25 billion – $175 million of which will be called in next week – are causing serious problems for the once-promising radio provider. As the company grasps at straws in an effort to avoid the filing, EchoStar mogul Charlie Ergen has kept his offer from last year on the table; an offer that would see Ergen gain control of the company after forking over several hundred million dollars into it. As much as we love Mel Karmazin, it could indeed be time for a changing of the guard as Ergen continues to push hard. On a related note, it appears Sirius XM may end up with the option to renegotiate or even terminate big contracts. It looks like remainder of Stern’s $6 gazillion contract will be among the first addressed which means he could finally get the out he’s been looking for. Come on, you know he’s been phoning it in for years. Oh well, he was gone in two years anyway.

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