UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 10, 2022
TEGNA INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Delaware | 1-6961 | 16-0442930 | ||
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
8350 Broad Street, Suite 200, Tysons, Virginia | 22102-5151 | |
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) |
(703) 873-6600
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
Not Applicable
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
☒ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Title of each class | Trading symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
Common Stock | TGNA | New York Stock Exchange |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 1.01 | Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. |
On March 10, 2022, TEGNA Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), entered into an amendment (the “Amendment”) to the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), dated as of February 22, 2022, by and among Teton Parent Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), Teton Merger Corp., a Delaware corporation and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (“Merger Sub”), and solely for purposes of certain provisions specified therein, certain subsidiaries of Parent, certain affiliates of Standard General L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, CMG Media Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“CMG”), and certain of CMG’s subsidiaries. Capitalized terms used in this Current Report on Form 8-K but not otherwise defined herein have the meaning assigned to them in the Merger Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 2.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 22, 2022.
The Amendment provides, among other things and subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein, that certain regulatory efforts covenants will apply with respect to certain station transfers from Parent or an Affiliate of Parent to CMG or an Affiliate of CMG that are contemplated to be consummated as of immediately following the effective time of the merger of Merger Sub with and into the Company.
Other than as expressly modified pursuant to the Amendment, the Merger Agreement remains in full force and effect as originally executed on February 22, 2022.
The foregoing description of the Amendment does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amendment, which is attached hereto as Exhibit 2.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Current Report on Form 8-K includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions about future events and are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the views, beliefs, projections and estimates expressed in such statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, those discussed under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, and the following: (1) the timing, receipt and terms and conditions of any required governmental or regulatory approvals of the proposed transaction and the related transactions involving the parties that could reduce the anticipated benefits of or cause the parties to abandon the proposed transaction, (2) risks related to the satisfaction of the conditions to closing the proposed transaction (including the failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals or the approval of the Company’s stockholders), and the related transactions involving the parties, in the anticipated timeframe or at all, (3) the risk that any announcements relating to the proposed transaction could have adverse effects on the market price of the Company’s common stock, (4) disruption from the proposed transaction making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships, including retaining and hiring key personnel and maintaining relationships with the Company’s customers, vendors and others with whom it does business, (5) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement entered into pursuant to the proposed transaction or of the transactions involving the parties, (6) risks related to disruption of management’s attention from the Company’s ongoing business operations due to the proposed transaction, (7) significant transaction costs, (8) the risk of litigation and/or regulatory actions related to the proposed transaction or unfavorable results from currently pending litigation and proceedings or litigation and proceedings that could arise in the future, (9) other business effects, including the effects of industry, market, economic, political or regulatory conditions, (10) information technology system failures, data security breaches, data privacy compliance, network disruptions, and cybersecurity, malware or ransomware attacks, and (11) changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, which could exacerbate any of the risks described above.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the Company. Each such statement speaks only as of the day it was made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or to revise any forward-looking statements. The factors described above cannot be controlled by the
Company. When used in this Current Report on Form 8-K, the words “believes,” “estimates,” “plans,” “expects,” “should,” “could,” “outlook,” and “anticipates” and similar expressions as they relate to the Company or its management are intended to identify forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this Current Report on Form 8-K may include, without limitation: statements about the potential benefits of the proposed acquisition, anticipated growth rates, the Company’s plans, objectives, expectations, and the anticipated timing of closing the proposed transaction.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed transaction, the Company will file relevant materials with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including a proxy statement on Schedule 14A. The Company will mail to its stockholders a definitive proxy statement in connection with the proposed transaction. THE COMPANY URGES YOU TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY, THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors will be able to obtain a free copy of the proxy statement and other related documents (when available) filed by the Company with the SEC at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Investors also will be able to obtain a free copy of the proxy statement and other documents (when available) filed by the Company with the SEC by accessing the Investors section of the Company’s website at http://tegna.com.
Participants in the Solicitation
The Company and certain of its directors, executive officers and employees may be considered to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company’s stockholders in connection with the proposed transaction. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in the solicitation of the stockholders of the Company in connection with the proposed transaction, including a description of their respective direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be included in the proxy statement when it is filed with the SEC. You may also find additional information about the Company’s directors and executive officers in the Company’s definitive proxy statement for its 2021 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 26, 2021 and in subsequently filed Current Reports on Form 8-K, Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. You can obtain free copies of these documents from the Company using the contact information above.
Item 9.01. | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits.
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
TEGNA INC. (Registrant) | ||||
By: | /s/ Akin S. Harrison | |||
Akin S. Harrison | ||||
Senior Vice President and General Counsel |
Date: March 15, 2022
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