e424b3
The
information in this preliminary prospectus supplement is not
complete and may be changed. This preliminary prospectus
supplement and the accompanying preliminary prospectus are not
offering to sell or soliciting an offer to buy, nor shall there
be any offer or sale of, the securities to which this
preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying
prospectus relate in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or
sale is not permitted.
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Filed
Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
Registration Statement No. 333-173760
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MAY
19, 2011
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(To Prospectus Dated April 28, 2011)
£ % Notes
due 2031
The % Notes due 2031, which we
refer to as the notes, will be issued by Time Warner
Cable Inc. and will be guaranteed by our subsidiaries, Time
Warner Entertainment Company, L.P. and TW NY Cable Holding Inc.
(together, the Guarantors). The notes and related
guarantees will be unsecured and will rank equally in right of
payment with all of our and the Guarantors respective
unsecured and unsubordinated obligations from time to time
outstanding.
The notes will mature on June , 2031 and bear
interest at a rate of % per year.
Interest on the notes will be payable annually on
June of each year, beginning on
June , 2012.
We may redeem any of the notes at any time by paying the greater
of the principal amount of such notes or a
make-whole amount, plus, in each case, accrued and
unpaid interest. See Description of the
NotesOptional Redemption.
Investing in the notes involves risks. See the Risk
Factors section in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2010 and the risks that are
described in the Risk Factors section of this
prospectus supplement beginning on
page S-7.
We intend to apply to list the notes on the New York Stock
Exchange. Currently, there is no public market for the notes.
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Per Note
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due 2031
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Total
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Public Offering Price
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%
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£
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Underwriting Discount
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%
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£
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Proceeds to Time Warner Cable
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%
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£
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Interest on the notes will accrue from May ,
2011.
Neither the United States Securities and Exchange Commission
nor any state or foreign securities commission has approved or
disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus
supplement or the accompanying prospectus is truthful or
complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense.
Delivery of the notes in book-entry form will be made only
through Clearstream Banking S.A. Luxembourg and the Euroclear
System on or about May , 2011 against payment
in immediately available funds.
Joint Book-Running Managers
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Barclays
Bank |
Deutsche Bank |
The Royal Bank of Scotland |
UBS Investment Bank |
The date of this Prospectus Supplement is May ,
2011.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
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Prospectus
Supplement
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S-1
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S-3
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S-10
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S-12
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S-20
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S-25
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S-28
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S-28
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Prospectus
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S-i
ABOUT
THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus
supplement, which describes the terms of the notes that we are
currently offering. The second part is the accompanying
prospectus, which gives more general information about
securities we may offer from time to time, some of which may not
apply to the notes that we are currently offering. Generally,
the term prospectus refers to both parts combined.
If the information varies between this prospectus supplement and
the accompanying prospectus, the information in this prospectus
supplement supersedes the information in the accompanying
prospectus.
You should rely only on the information contained in or
incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the
accompanying prospectus or any free writing prospectus that we
may provide to you. No person is authorized to provide you with
different information or to offer the notes in any state or
other jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. We do not,
and the underwriters and their affiliates do not, take any
responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the
reliability of, any information that others may give you. This
document may only be used where it is legal to sell these notes.
The information in this document may only be accurate on the
date of this document.
Unless the context otherwise requires, references to Time
Warner Cable, TWC, our company,
we, us and our in this
prospectus supplement and in the accompanying prospectus are
references to Time Warner Cable Inc. and its subsidiaries. Time
Warner Entertainment Company, L.P. is referred to herein as
TWE. TW NY Cable Holding Inc. is referred to herein
as TW NY, and together with TWE, the
Guarantors. Terms used in this prospectus supplement
that are otherwise not defined will have the meanings given to
them in the accompanying prospectus.
The notes are being offered only for sale in jurisdictions where
it is lawful to make such offers. Offers and sales of the notes
in the European Union and the United Kingdom are subject to
restrictions, the details of which are set out in the section
entitled Underwriting. The distribution of this
prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and the
offering of the notes in other jurisdictions may also be
restricted by law. Persons who receive this prospectus
supplement and the accompanying prospectus should inform
themselves about and observe any such restrictions. This
prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not
constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer or
solicitation by anyone in any jurisdiction in which such offer
or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making
such offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the
person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do
so or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or
solicitation. See Underwriting beginning on
page S-25
of this prospectus supplement.
References in this prospectus supplement to $,
dollars and U.S. dollars are to the
currency of the United States of America; references to
£, pounds Sterling, and
Sterling are to the currency of the United Kingdom.
IN CONNECTION WITH THE ISSUE OF THE NOTES, THE UNDERWRITERS
(IN THIS CAPACITY, THE STABILIZING MANAGERS) (OR ANY
PERSON ACTING FOR THEM) MAY OVER-ALLOT NOTES OR EFFECT
TRANSACTIONS WITH A VIEW TO SUPPORTING THE MARKET PRICE OF THE
NOTES AT A LEVEL HIGHER THAN THAT WHICH MIGHT
OTHERWISE PREVAIL. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO ASSURANCE THAT THE
STABILIZING MANAGERS (OR PERSONS ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE
STABILIZING MANAGERS) WILL UNDERTAKE ANY STABILIZATION ACTION.
ANY STABILIZATION ACTION MAY BEGIN ON OR AFTER THE DATE ON WHICH
ADEQUATE PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF THE FINAL TERMS OF THE OFFER OF
THE NOTES IS MADE, AND, IF BEGUN, MAY BE ENDED AT ANY TIME,
BUT IT MUST END NO LATER THAN THE EARLIER OF 30 DAYS AFTER THE
ISSUE OF THE NOTES AND 60 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF THE
ALLOTMENT OF THE NOTES.
ANY STABILIZATION ACTION COMMENCED WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN
ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS.
S-1
INCORPORATION
BY REFERENCE
In this prospectus supplement, we incorporate by
reference certain information that we file with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), which
means that we can disclose important information to you by
referring you to that information. The information we
incorporate by reference is an important part of this prospectus
supplement, and later information that we file with the SEC will
automatically update and supersede this information. The
following documents have been filed by us with the SEC and are
incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement:
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Annual report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2010 (filed
February 18, 2011), including portions of the proxy
statement for our 2011 annual meeting of stockholders (filed
April 6, 2011) to the extent specifically incorporated
by reference therein (collectively, the 2010
Form 10-K);
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Quarterly report on
Form 10-Q
for the quarter ended March 31, 2011 (filed April 28,
2011) (the March 2011
Form 10-Q); and
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Current reports on
Form 8-K
filed on February 24, 2011 and February 28, 2011.
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All documents and reports that we file with the SEC (other than
any portion of such filings that are furnished under applicable
SEC rules rather than filed) under Sections 13(a), 13(c),
14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
from the date of this prospectus supplement until the
termination of the offering under this prospectus supplement
shall be deemed to be incorporated in this prospectus supplement
and the accompanying prospectus by reference. The information
contained on our website
(http://www.timewarnercable.com)
is not incorporated into this prospectus supplement or the
accompanying prospectus. The reference to our website is
intended to be an inactive textual reference.
S-2
SUMMARY
The
Company
We are the second-largest cable operator in the U.S., with
technologically advanced, well-clustered systems located mainly
in five geographic areasNew York State (including New York
City), the Carolinas, Ohio, Southern California (including Los
Angeles) and Texas. As of March 31, 2011, we served
approximately 14.5 million residential and commercial
customers who subscribed to one or more of our three primary
subscription servicesvideo, high-speed data and
voicetotaling approximately 26.9 million primary
service units (PSUs). We market our services
separately and in bundled packages of multiple
services and features. As of March 31, 2011, 59.5% of our
residential and commercial customers subscribed to two or more
of our primary services, including 25.9% of our customers who
subscribed to all three primary services. We also sell
advertising to a variety of national, regional and local
advertising customers.
For a description of our business, financial condition, results
of operations and other important information regarding us, see
our filings with the SEC incorporated by reference in this
prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. For
instructions on how to find copies of these and our other
filings incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement
and the accompanying prospectus, see Where You Can Find
More Information in the accompanying prospectus.
Corporate
Information and Corporate Structure
The following is a brief description of Time Warner Cable, TWE
and TW NY:
Time
Warner Cable Inc.
Time Warner Cable is the issuer of the notes that are the
subject of this offering. Time Warner Cable is a holding company
that derives its operating income and cash flow from its
investments in its subsidiaries, which include the Guarantors.
Although TWC and its predecessors have been in the cable
business for over 40 years in various legal forms, Time
Warner Cable Inc. was incorporated as a Delaware corporation on
March 21, 2003. Its principal executive office, and that of
the Guarantors, is located at 60 Columbus Circle, New York, NY
10023, USA, Telephone
(212) 364-8200.
Time
Warner Entertainment Company, L.P.
TWE is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of ours. TWE was
formed as a Delaware limited partnership in 1992.
TW NY
Cable Holding Inc.
TW NY is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of ours. TW NY was
incorporated as a Delaware corporation in 2004 and is a holding
company with no independent assets of its own.
The following chart illustrates our corporate structure and our
direct or indirect ownership interest in our principal
subsidiaries as of March 31, 2011. The chart is included in
order to show our debt structure, including the principal amount
of our outstanding debt securities and the principal amount of
TWEs debt securities as of March 31, 2011, after
giving effect to the offering of the notes and the use of
proceeds therefrom. See Use of Proceeds. Certain of
our intermediate entities and certain preferred interests held
by us or our subsidiaries are not reflected. The PSUs within
each entity indicate the approximate number of PSUs attributable
to cable systems owned by such entity as of March 31, 2011.
S-3
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(1)
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The principal amount of TWEs
debt securities excludes an unamortized fair value adjustment of
$87 million.
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(2)
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TWC is also the obligor under an
intercompany loan from TWE with an aggregate principal amount of
$6.0 billion.
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(3)
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Time Warner NY Cable LLC is also
the obligor under an intercompany loan from TWC with an
aggregate principal amount of $8.7 billion.
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(4)
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The PSUs and economic ownership
interests listed in the chart for the Time Warner
Entertainment-Advance/Newhouse Partnership (TWE-A/N)
relate only to those TWE-A/N systems in which we have an
economic interest and over which we exercise
day-to-day
supervision.
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S-4
The
Offering
The summary below describes the principal terms of the offering
and is not intended to be complete. You should carefully read
the Description of the Notes section of this
prospectus supplement and Description of the Debt
Securities and the Guarantees in the accompanying
prospectus for a more detailed description of the notes offered
hereby.
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Issuer |
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Time Warner Cable Inc. |
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Securities Offered |
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£ aggregate principal amount
of % Notes due 2031 |
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Maturity Date |
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The notes will mature on June , 2031 |
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Interest |
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Interest on the notes will accrue at the rate
of % per year, payable annually in
cash in arrears on June of each year,
beginning on June , 2012. Interest on the notes
will be computed on the basis of the actual number of days in
the period for which interest is being calculated and the actual
number of days from and including the date from which interest
begins to accrue for the period to (or May ,
2011 if no interest has been paid on the notes), but excluding
the next scheduled interest payment date. If the scheduled
interest payment date is not a business day, then interest will
be paid on the first business day following the scheduled
interest payment date. Interest periods are unadjusted. The day
count convention is ACTUAL/ACTUAL (ICMA). |
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Currency of Payment |
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All payments of interest and principal, including any payments
made upon any redemption of the notes, will be made in Sterling,
or, if the United Kingdom adopts euro as its lawful currency, in
euro. If Sterling or, in the event the notes are redenominated
into euro, euro is unavailable to us due to the imposition of
exchange controls or other circumstances beyond our control,
then all payments in respect of the notes will be made in U.S.
dollars until Sterling or euro, as the case may be, is again
available to us or so used. |
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Denomination |
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We will issue the notes in minimum denominations of £50,000
and in multiples of £1,000 in excess thereof. |
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Guarantors |
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TWE and TW NY |
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Guarantees |
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The notes will be fully, irrevocably and unconditionally
guaranteed by TWE and TW NY. |
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Ranking |
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The notes will be our unsecured senior obligations and will rank
equally in right of payment with our other unsecured and
unsubordinated obligations from time to time outstanding. |
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The guarantees will be unsecured senior obligations of each of
TWE and TW NY, as applicable, and will rank equally in right of
payment with other unsecured and unsubordinated obligations from
time to time outstanding of TWE and TW NY, respectively. |
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Please read Description of the NotesRanking in
this prospectus supplement and Description of the Debt
Securities and the GuaranteesRanking and
Subordination in the accompanying prospectus. Please also
see Description of the Debt Securities and the
GuaranteesGuarantees in the accompanying prospectus
for a discussion of the structural subordination of the notes
with respect to the assets of certain of our subsidiaries. |
S-5
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Optional Redemption |
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We may redeem all or part of the notes at our option at a
redemption price equal to the greater of: |
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100% of the principal amount of the notes
being redeemed; and
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the Make-Whole Amount, as defined in
Description of the NotesOptional Redemption in
this prospectus supplement for the notes being redeemed;
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plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest to, but not
including, the redemption date. |
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Additional Amounts |
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We will, subject to certain exceptions and limitations set forth
herein, pay additional amounts on the notes as are necessary in
order that the net payment by us or a paying agent of the
principal of and interest on the notes to a holder who is not a
United States person, after withholding or deduction for any
present or future tax, assessment or other governmental charge
imposed by the United States or a taxing authority in the United
States will not be less than the amount provided in the notes to
be then due and payable. See Description of the
NotesPayment of Additional Amounts. |
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Redemption for Tax Reasons |
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We may offer to redeem all, but not less than all, of the notes
in the event of certain changes in the tax laws of the United
States (or any taxing authority in the United States). This
redemption would be at a redemption price equal to 100% of the
principal amount, together with accrued and unpaid interest on
the notes to, but not including, the date fixed for redemption.
See Description of the NotesRedemption for Tax
Reasons. |
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Use of Proceeds |
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We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for general
corporate purposes, which may include the repayment of debt. See
Use of Proceeds for further details. |
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Listing |
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We intend to apply to list the notes on the New York Stock
Exchange. |
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Trustee |
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The Bank of New York Mellon |
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Paying and Transfer Agent |
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The Bank of New York Mellon, London Branch |
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Book-Entry |
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The notes will be issued in book-entry form and will be
represented by global notes deposited with, or on behalf of, a
common depositary on behalf of Clearstream Banking,
société anonyme, Luxembourg
(Clearstream) and Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V., as
operator of the Euroclear System (Euroclear) and
registered in the name of the common depositary or its nominee.
Beneficial interests in any of the notes will be shown on, and
transfers will be effected only through, records maintained by
Clearstream and Euroclear and their participants, and these
beneficial interests may not be exchanged for certificated
notes, except in limited circumstances. See Description of
the NotesBook-Entry Delivery and Settlement in this
prospectus supplement. |
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Governing Law |
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State of New York |
S-6
RISK
FACTORS
Investing in the notes offered hereby involves risks. Prior
to deciding to purchase any notes, prospective investors should
consider carefully all of the information set forth in this
prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the
documents incorporated by reference herein. In particular, you
should carefully consider the risk factors that are incorporated
by reference to the section entitled Item 1A. Risk
Factors in the 2010
Form 10-K.
See Incorporation by Reference in this prospectus
supplement and Where You Can Find More Information
in the accompanying prospectus. Some factors in the Risk Factors
section of the 2010
Form 10-K
are forward-looking statements. For a discussion of
those statements and of other factors for investors to consider,
see Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information
in the accompanying prospectus and Caution Concerning
Forward-Looking Statements in the 2010
Form 10-K
and the March 2011
Form 10-Q.
An
investment in the notes by a purchaser whose home currency is
not Sterling entails significant risks.
An investment in the notes by a purchaser whose home currency is
not Sterling entails significant risks. These risks include the
possibility of significant changes in rates of exchange between
the holders home currency and Sterling and the possibility
of the imposition or subsequent modification of foreign exchange
controls. These risks generally depend on factors over which we
have no control, such as economic, financial and political
events and the supply of and demand for the relevant currencies.
In the past, rates of exchange between Sterling and certain
currencies have been highly volatile, and each holder should be
aware that volatility may occur in the future. Fluctuations in
any particular exchange rate that have occurred in the past,
however, are not necessarily indicative of fluctuations in the
rate that may occur during the term of the notes. Depreciation
of Sterling against the holders home currency would result
in a decrease in the effective yield of the notes below its
coupon rate and, in certain circumstances, could result in a
loss to the holder.
The
notes permit us to make payments in U.S. dollars if we are
unable to obtain Sterling.
If Sterling or, in the event the notes are redenominated in
euro, euro is unavailable to us due to the imposition of
exchange controls or other circumstances beyond our control,
then all payments in respect of the notes will be made in
U.S. dollars until Sterling or euro, as the case may be, is
again available to us. The amount payable on any date in
Sterling or, in the event the notes are redenominated in euro,
euro will be converted into U.S. dollars on the basis of
the then most recently available market exchange rate for
Sterling or euro, as the case may be. Any payment in respect of
the notes so made in U.S. dollars will not constitute an
event of default under the senior indenture.
In a
lawsuit for payment on the notes, an investor may bear currency
exchange risk.
The notes will be governed by the laws of the state of New York.
Under New York law, a New York state court rendering a judgment
on the notes would be required to render the judgment in
Sterling or, in the event the notes are redenominated in euro,
euro. However, the judgment would be converted into
U.S. dollars at the exchange rate prevailing on the date of
entry of the judgment. Consequently, in a lawsuit for payment on
the notes, investors would bear currency exchange risk until a
New York state court judgment is entered, which could be a long
time. A Federal court sitting in New York with diversity
jurisdiction over a dispute arising in connection with the notes
would apply the foregoing New York law.
In courts outside of New York, investors may not be able to
obtain a judgment in a currency other than U.S. dollars.
For example, a judgment for money in an action based on the
notes in many other U.S. federal or state courts ordinarily
would be enforced in the United States only in
U.S. dollars. The date used to determine the rate of
conversion of Sterling or euro into U.S. dollars would
depend upon various factors, including which court renders the
judgment.
The
trading market for the notes may be limited.
The notes are a new issue of securities for which no established
trading market exists. If an active trading market does not
develop for the notes, investors may not be able to resell them.
Although we expect the notes to be listed for trading on the New
York Stock Exchange, no assurance can be given that a trading
market for the notes will develop. The underwriters for this
offering have advised us that they intend to make a market in
the notes after completion of the offering. However, the
underwriters are not obligated to do so and may discontinue
market making at any time. Therefore, no assurance can be given
as to the liquidity of, or trading markets for, the notes. The
lack of a trading market could adversely affect investors
ability to sell the notes and the price at which investors may
be able to sell the notes. The liquidity of the trading market,
if any, and future trading prices of the notes will depend on
many factors, including, among other things, the number of
holders of the notes, our operating results, financial
performance and prospects, prevailing interest rates, the market
for similar securities and the overall securities market, and
may be adversely affected by unfavorable changes in these
factors.
S-7
CURRENCY
CONVERSION
Principal and interest payments in respect of the notes will be
payable in Sterling or, if the United Kingdom adopts euro as its
lawful currency, in euro. If Sterling or, in the event the notes
are redenominated into euro, euro is unavailable to us due to
the imposition of exchange controls or other circumstances
beyond our control, then all payments in respect of the notes
will be made in U.S. dollars until Sterling or euro, as the
case may be, is again available to us. The amount payable on any
date in Sterling or, in the event the notes are redenominated
into euro, euro will be converted into U.S. dollars on the
basis of the most recently available market exchange rate for
Sterling or euro, as the case may be. Any payment in respect of
the notes so made in U.S. dollars will not constitute an
event of default under the senior indenture.
Investors will be subject to foreign exchange risks as to
payments of principal and interest that may have important
economic and tax consequences to them. See Risk
Factors.
As of May , 2011, the Sterling/U.S. $ rate of
exchange was
£ /U.S. $1.00.
S-8
USE OF
PROCEEDS
We estimate that we will receive net proceeds from this offering
of £ , or
$ , based on a Sterling/U.S. $
rate of exchange as of May , 2011, after deducting
estimated underwriting discounts and our estimated offering
expenses. We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering
for general corporate purposes, which may include the repayment
of debt.
RATIO OF
EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND RATIO OF EARNINGS
TO COMBINED FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED DIVIDEND
REQUIREMENTS
Our ratio of earnings to fixed charges and ratio of earnings to
combined fixed charges and preferred dividend requirements are
set forth below for the periods indicated. For periods in which
earnings before fixed charges were insufficient to cover fixed
charges, the dollar amount of coverage deficiency (in millions),
instead of the ratio, is disclosed.
For purposes of computing the ratio of earnings to fixed
charges, earnings were calculated by adding:
(i) pretax net income,
(ii) interest expense,
(iii) preferred stock dividend requirements of
majority-owned companies,
(iv) adjustments for partially-owned subsidiaries and
50%-owned companies, and
(v) the amount of undistributed losses (earnings) of our
less than 50%-owned companies.
The definition of earnings also applies to our unconsolidated
50%-owned affiliated companies.
Fixed charges primarily consist of interest expense.
Earnings, as defined, include significant non cash charges for
depreciation and amortization primarily relating to the
amortization of intangible assets recognized in business
combinations.
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Three Months
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Ended
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Year Ended December 31,
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March 31, 2011
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2010
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2009
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2008
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2007
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2006
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Ratio of earnings to fixed charges (deficiency in the coverage
of fixed charges by earnings before fixed charges)
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2.6
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2.6
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x
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2.4
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$
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(13,063
|
)
|
|
|
3.1
|
x
|
|
|
3.1
|
x
|
Ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred
dividend requirements (deficiency in the coverage of combined
fixed charges and preferred dividend requirements deficiency)
|
|
|
2.6
|
x
|
|
|
2.6
|
x
|
|
|
2.4
|
x
|
|
$
|
(13,063
|
)
|
|
|
3.1
|
x
|
|
|
3.1x
|
|
S-9
CAPITALIZATION
The following table sets forth our cash position and
capitalization as of March 31, 2011, on an actual basis and
on an as adjusted basis after giving effect to this offering and
the application of the net proceeds from this offering. See
Use of Proceeds.
You should read this information in conjunction with Use
of Proceeds included elsewhere in this prospectus
supplement and Managements Discussion and Analysis
of Results of Operations and Financial Condition and our
historical financial statements and related notes in the 2010
Form 10-K
and the March 2011
Form 10-Q,
each of which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus
supplement and the accompanying prospectus.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
March 31, 2011
|
|
|
|
Actual
|
|
|
As Adjusted
|
|
|
|
(in millions)
|
|
|
Cash and equivalents
|
|
$
|
3,033
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Debt:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Credit facility and commercial paper
program(1)
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
TWC notes and debentures:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$1.5 billion 5.40% senior notes due 2012
|
|
|
1,525
|
|
|
|
1,525
|
|
$1.5 billion 6.20% senior notes due 2013
|
|
|
1,542
|
|
|
|
1,542
|
|
$750 million 8.25% senior notes due 2014
|
|
|
766
|
|
|
|
766
|
|
$1.0 billion 7.50% senior notes due 2014
|
|
|
1,035
|
|
|
|
1,035
|
|
$500 million 3.50% senior notes due 2015
|
|
|
507
|
|
|
|
507
|
|
$2.0 billion 5.85% senior notes due 2017
|
|
|
1,989
|
|
|
|
1,989
|
|
$2.0 billion 6.75% senior notes due 2018
|
|
|
1,999
|
|
|
|
1,999
|
|
$1.25 billion 8.75% senior notes due 2019
|
|
|
1,235
|
|
|
|
1,235
|
|
$2.0 billion 8.25% senior notes due 2019
|
|
|
1,989
|
|
|
|
1,989
|
|
$1.5 billion 5.00% senior notes due 2020
|
|
|
1,473
|
|
|
|
1,473
|
|
$700 million 4.125% senior notes due 2021
|
|
|
696
|
|
|
|
696
|
|
$1.5 billion 6.55% senior debentures due 2037
|
|
|
1,492
|
|
|
|
1,492
|
|
$1.5 billion 7.30% senior debentures due 2038
|
|
|
1,496
|
|
|
|
1,496
|
|
$1.5 billion 6.75% senior debentures due 2039
|
|
|
1,459
|
|
|
|
1,459
|
|
$1.2 billion 5.875% senior debentures due 2040
|
|
|
1,176
|
|
|
|
1,176
|
|
Notes offered hereby
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TWE notes and
debentures:(2)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$250 million 10.150% senior notes due 2012
|
|
|
257
|
|
|
|
257
|
|
$350 million 8.875% senior notes due 2012
|
|
|
360
|
|
|
|
360
|
|
$1.0 billion 8.375% senior debentures due 2023
|
|
|
1,032
|
|
|
|
1,032
|
|
$1.0 billion 8.375% senior debentures due 2033
|
|
|
1,046
|
|
|
|
1,046
|
|
Capital leases and other
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
Mandatorily redeemable preferred equity issued by a
subsidiary(3)
|
|
|
300
|
|
|
|
300
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total debt and mandatorily redeemable preferred equity issued by
a subsidiary
|
|
|
23,377
|
|
|
|
|
|
TWC shareholders equity:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share; 8.3 billion shares
authorized, 338.7 million shares issued and outstanding
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
Additional paid-in capital
|
|
|
9,051
|
|
|
|
9,051
|
|
Accumulated deficit
|
|
|
(135
|
)
|
|
|
(135
|
)
|
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net
|
|
|
(287
|
)
|
|
|
(287
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total TWC shareholders equity
|
|
|
8,632
|
|
|
|
8,632
|
|
Noncontrolling interests
|
|
|
7
|
|
|
|
7
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total equity
|
|
|
8,639
|
|
|
|
8,639
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total capitalization
|
|
$
|
32,016
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
|
This represents amounts borrowed
under our $4.0 billion senior unsecured three-year
revolving credit facility (the Revolving Credit
Facility) and commercial paper program. For more
information about the Revolving Credit Facility, the commercial
paper program and our outstanding debt, please see
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Results of
|
S-10
|
|
|
|
|
Operations and Financial
ConditionFinancial Condition and
LiquidityOutstanding Debt and Mandatorily Redeemable
Preferred Equity and Available Financial Capacity in the
2010
Form 10-K
and the March 2011
Form 10-Q.
Our unused committed borrowing capacity as of March 31,
2011 was $6.877 billion, reflecting $3.844 billion of
available borrowing capacity under the Revolving Credit Facility
(which reflects a reduction of $156 million for outstanding
letters of credit backed by the Revolving Credit Facility), as
well as $3.033 billion of cash and equivalents.
|
|
(2)
|
|
The recorded value of each series
of TWEs debt securities exceeds that series face
value because it includes an unamortized fair value adjustment
recorded in connection with the 2001 merger of AOL Inc.
(formerly America Online, Inc.) and Historic TW Inc. (formerly
Time Warner Inc.) and bond discount/premium at issuance, which
is being amortized as a reduction of the weighted average
interest expense over the term of the indebtedness. The
aggregate amount of fair value adjustments for all classes of
TWE debt securities was $87 million as of March 31,
2011. For more information regarding our outstanding debt,
please see Managements Discussion and Analysis of
Results of Operations and Financial ConditionFinancial
Condition and LiquidityOutstanding Debt and Mandatorily
Redeemable Preferred Equity and Available Financial
Capacity in the 2010
Form 10-K
and the March 2011
Form 10-Q.
|
|
(3)
|
|
The mandatorily redeemable
preferred equity issued by a subsidiary represents mandatorily
redeemable non-voting Series A Preferred Equity Membership
Units (the TW NY Cable Series A Preferred Membership
Units) issued by Time Warner NY Cable LLC, which pay
quarterly cash distributions at an annual rate equal to 8.21% of
the sum of the liquidation preference thereof and any accrued
but unpaid dividends thereon. The TW NY Cable Series A
Preferred Membership Units mature and are redeemable on
August 1, 2013.
|
S-11
DESCRIPTION
OF THE NOTES
We are offering £ aggregate
principal amount of our notes. We will issue the notes and the
related Guarantees (as defined below) under the senior indenture
referred to in the accompanying prospectus. The following
description of the particular terms of the notes offered hereby
and the related guarantees supplements the description of the
general terms and provisions of the senior debt securities set
forth under Description of the Debt Securities and the
Guarantees beginning on page 6 in the accompanying
prospectus. This description replaces the description of the
senior debt securities in the accompanying prospectus, to the
extent of any inconsistency.
General
The notes will mature on June , 2031.
We will pay interest on the notes at the rate
of % per year, payable annually on
June of each year, beginning on
June 2012, to holders of record as at the
close of the business day prior to the interest payment date.
The notes will initially be limited to
£ aggregate principal amount,
which aggregate principal amount may, without the consent of
holders of the notes, be increased in the future on the same
terms and conditions as such series of notes, except with
respect to terms such as the issue date, issue price and first
payment of interest on such series of notes.
The notes will be issued in minimum denominations of
£50,000 and integral multiples of £1,000 in excess
thereof.
Issuance
in Sterling
Initial holders will be required to pay for the notes in
Sterling, and principal and interest payments in respect of the
notes will be payable in Sterling. If, on or after the date of
this prospectus supplement, the United Kingdom adopts euro, in
lieu of Sterling, as its lawful currency, the notes will be
redenominated in euro on a date determined by us, with a
principal amount for each note equal to the principal amount of
that note in Sterling, converted into euro at the rate
established by the applicable law; provided that, if we
determine after consultation with the paying agent that the then
current market practice in respect of redenomination into euro
of internationally offered securities is different from the
provisions specified above, such provisions will be deemed to be
amended so as to comply with such market practice and we will
promptly notify the trustee and the paying agent of such deemed
amendment. We will give 30 days notice of the
redenomination date to the paying agent, the trustee, Euroclear
and Clearstream.
If Sterling or, in the event the notes are redenominated in
euro, euro is unavailable to us due to the imposition of
exchange controls or other circumstances beyond our control
(other than due to the circumstances described in the preceding
paragraph), then all payments in respect of the notes will be
made in U.S. dollars until Sterling or euro, as the case
may be, is again available to us. The amount payable on any date
in Sterling or, in the event the notes are redenominated in
euro, euro will be converted to U.S. dollars on the basis
of the then most recently available market exchange rate for
Sterling or euro, as the case may be. Any payment in respect of
the notes so made in U.S. dollars will not constitute an
event of default under the senior indenture.
Business
Day
The term business day means any day other than a
Saturday or Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in The
City of New York or The City of London are authorized or
required by law or executive order to close.
Interest
Payments
Interest on the notes will be computed on the basis of the
actual number of days in the period for which interest is being
calculated and the actual number of days from and including the
date from which interest begins to accrue for the period to (or
May , 2011 if no interest has been paid on the
notes), but excluding the next scheduled interest payment date.
If the scheduled interest payment date is not a business day,
then interest will be paid on the first
S-12
business day following the scheduled interest payment date.
Interest periods are unadjusted. The day count convention is
ACTUAL/ACTUAL (ICMA).
For more information on payment and transfer procedures for the
notes, see Book-Entry Delivery and Settlement
below.
Guarantees
Under the Guarantees, each of TWE and TW NY, as primary obligor
and not merely as surety, will fully, irrevocably and
unconditionally guarantee to each holder of the notes and to the
Senior Indenture Trustee and its successors and assigns,
(1) the full and punctual payment of principal and interest
on the notes when due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, by
redemption or otherwise, and all other monetary obligations of
ours under the senior indenture (including obligations to the
Senior Indenture Trustee) and the notes and (2) the full
and punctual performance within applicable grace periods of all
other obligations of ours under the senior indenture and the
notes. Such guarantees will constitute guarantees of payment,
performance and compliance and not merely of collection (the
Guarantees).
The obligations of each of TWE and TW NY under the Guarantee
will be limited as necessary to prevent that Guarantee from
constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer
under applicable law; however, this limitation may not be
effective to avoid such Guarantee from constituting a fraudulent
conveyance. We cannot assure you that this limitation will
protect the Guarantees from fraudulent transfer challenges or,
if it does, that the remaining amount due and collectible under
the Guarantees would suffice, if necessary, to pay the notes in
full when due. In a recent bankruptcy case, this kind of
provision was found to be unenforceable and, as a result, the
subsidiary guarantees in that case were found to be fraudulent
conveyances. We do not know if that case will be followed if
there is litigation on this point under the senior indenture.
However, if it is followed, the risk that the Guarantees will be
found to be fraudulent conveyances will be significantly
increased.
We describe the terms of the Guarantees in more detail under the
heading Description of the Debt Securities and the
GuaranteesGuarantees in the accompanying prospectus.
Ranking
The notes offered hereby will be unsecured senior obligations of
ours and will rank equally with other unsecured and
unsubordinated obligations of ours. The Guarantees will be
unsecured senior obligations of TWE and TW NY, as applicable,
and will rank equally with all other unsecured and
unsubordinated obligations of TWE and TW NY, respectively.
The notes and the Guarantees will effectively rank junior in
right of payment to any of our or the Guarantors existing
and future secured obligations to the extent of the value of the
assets securing such obligations. We and the Guarantors
collectively had no more than $3 million of secured
obligations as of March 31, 2011.
The notes and the Guarantees will be effectively subordinated to
all existing and future liabilities, including indebtedness and
trade payables, of our non-guarantor subsidiaries. As of
March 31, 2011, our non-guarantor subsidiaries had total
liabilities of approximately $6.4 billion (excluding
intercompany liabilities payable to the Guarantors or us but
including approximately $5.0 billion in deferred income
taxes). The senior indenture does not limit the amount of
unsecured indebtedness or other liabilities that can be incurred
by our non-guarantor subsidiaries.
Furthermore, we and TW NY are holding companies with no material
business operations. The ability of each of us and TW NY to
service our respective indebtedness and other obligations is
dependent primarily upon the earnings and cash flow of our and
TW NYs respective subsidiaries and the distribution or
other payment to us or TW NY of such earnings or cash flow.
Existing
Indebtedness
The following is a summary of the existing public debt and
committed credit facility of our company and the Guarantors. The
following summary does not include intercompany obligations.
Please see the information
S-13
incorporated herein by reference for a further description of
this indebtedness as well as our and our subsidiaries
other indebtedness. In addition to the following indebtedness,
one of our non-guarantor subsidiaries, Time Warner NY Cable LLC,
has issued $300 million of its Series A Preferred
Membership Units, which are subject to mandatory redemption on
August 1, 2013.
Time
Warner Cable Inc.
As of March 31, 2011, the aggregate committed amount under
the Revolving Credit Facility, our only bank credit facility,
including amounts reserved to support letters of credit, was
$4.0 billion. As of March 31, 2011, there were letters
of credit totaling $156 million outstanding under the
Revolving Credit Facility and no outstanding commercial paper.
Our unused committed capacity was $6.877 billion as of
March 31, 2011, reflecting $3.844 billion of available
borrowing capacity under the $4.0 billion Revolving Credit
Facility and $3.033 billion of cash and equivalents.
As of March 31, 2011, the aggregate principal amount
outstanding of all our debt securities under the senior
indenture was $20.400 billion. In addition, we are a
guarantor of the debt securities issued by TWE.
TWE
As of March 31, 2011, the aggregate principal amount
outstanding of public debt securities of TWE was
$2.600 billion. As of March 31, 2011, TWE did not have
any outstanding bank debt. TWE is also a guarantor under the
$4.0 billion Revolving Credit Facility and our commercial
paper program.
TW
NY
As of March 31, 2011, TW NY did not have any outstanding
public debt or bank debt. TW NY is also a guarantor under the
$4.0 billion Revolving Credit Facility and our commercial
paper program.
Release
of Guarantors
The senior indenture for the notes provides that any Guarantor
may be automatically released from its obligations if such
Guarantor has no outstanding Indebtedness For Borrowed Money (as
defined in the accompanying prospectus), other than any other
guarantee of Indebtedness For Borrowed Money that will be
released concurrently with the release of such guarantee.
However, there is no covenant in the senior indenture that would
prohibit any such Guarantor from incurring Indebtedness For
Borrowed Money after the date such Guarantor is released from
its guarantee. In addition, although the senior indenture for
the notes limits the overall amount of secured Indebtedness For
Borrowed Money that can be incurred by us and our subsidiaries,
it does not limit the amount of unsecured indebtedness that can
be incurred by us and our subsidiaries. Thus, there is no
limitation on the amount of indebtedness that could be
structurally senior to the notes. See Description of the
Debt Securities and the GuaranteesGuarantees in the
accompanying prospectus.
Optional
Redemption
We will have the right at our option to redeem any of the notes
in whole or in part, at any time or from time to time prior to
their maturity, on at least 30 days, but not more than
60 days, prior notice mailed to the registered address of
each holder of notes, at a redemption price equal to the greater
of (i) 100% of the principal amount of such notes and
(ii) the sum of the present values of the Remaining
Scheduled Payments of principal and interest thereon (exclusive
of interest accrued to the date of redemption) discounted to the
redemption date on an annual basis (ACTUAL/ACTUAL (ICMA)) at the
Comparable Government Bond Rate
plus basis points (the
Make-Whole Amount) plus, in each case, accrued and
unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the date of
redemption.
Comparable Government Bond Rate means the price,
expressed as a percentage (rounded to three decimal places,
0.0005 being rounded upwards), at which the gross redemption
yield (as calculated by the trustee) on the notes, if they were
to be purchased at such price on the third business day prior to
the date fixed for redemption, would be equal to the gross
redemption yield on such business day of the Comparable
Government Bond (as defined
S-14
below) on the basis of the middle market price of the Comparable
Government Bond prevailing at 11:00 a.m. (London time) on
such business day as determined by an independent investment
bank selected by us.
Comparable Government Bond means, in relation to any
Comparable Government Bond Rate calculation, at the discretion
of an independent investment bank selected by us, a United
Kingdom government bond whose maturity is closest to the
maturity of the notes, or if such independent investment bank in
its discretion considers that such similar bond is not in issue,
such other United Kingdom government bond as such independent
investment bank may, with the advice of three brokers of,
and/or
market makers in, United Kingdom government bonds selected by
such independent investment bank, determine to be appropriate
for determining the Comparable Government Bond Rate.
Remaining Scheduled Payments means, with respect to
each note to be redeemed, the remaining scheduled payments of
the principal thereof and interest thereon that would be due
after the related redemption date but for such redemption;
provided, however, that, if such redemption date is not an
interest payment date with respect to such note, the amount of
the next succeeding scheduled interest payment thereon will be
deemed to be reduced by the amount of interest accrued thereon
to such redemption date.
On and after the redemption date, interest will cease to accrue
on the notes or any portion of the notes called for redemption
(unless we default in the payment of the redemption price and
accrued interest). On or before the redemption date, we will
deposit with the trustee money sufficient to pay the redemption
price of and (unless the redemption date shall be an interest
payment date) accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date
on the notes to be redeemed on such date. If less than all of
the notes are to be redeemed, the notes to be redeemed shall be
selected by the trustee by such method as the trustee shall deem
fair and appropriate. Additionally, we may at any time
repurchase notes in the open market and may hold or surrender
such notes to the trustee for cancellation.
The notes are also subject to redemption prior to maturity if
certain events occur involving United States taxation. If any of
these special tax events do occur, the notes may be redeemed at
a redemption price of 100% of their principal amount plus
accrued and unpaid interest to the date fixed for redemption.
See Redemption for Tax Reasons.
Payment
of Additional Amounts
We will, subject to the exceptions and limitations set forth
below, pay as additional interest on the notes such additional
amounts as are necessary in order that the net payment by us or
a paying agent of the principal of and interest on the notes to
a holder who is not a United States person (as defined below),
after withholding or deduction for any present or future tax,
assessment or other governmental charge imposed by the United
States or a taxing authority in the United States will not be
less than the amount provided in the notes to be then due and
payable; provided, however, that the foregoing obligation to pay
additional amounts shall not apply:
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
to any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that would
not have been imposed but for the holder, or a fiduciary,
settlor, beneficiary, member or shareholder of the holder if the
holder is an estate, trust, partnership or corporation, or a
person holding a power over an estate or trust administered by a
fiduciary holder, being considered as:
|
|
|
|
|
(a)
|
being or having been engaged in a trade or business in the
United States or having or having had a permanent establishment
in the United States;
|
|
|
|
|
(b)
|
having a current or former connection with the United States
(other than a connection arising solely as a result of the
ownership of the notes, the receipt of any payment or the
enforcement of any rights hereunder), including being or having
been a citizen or resident of the United States;
|
|
|
|
|
(c)
|
being or having been a personal holding company, a passive
foreign investment company or a controlled foreign corporation
with respect to the United States or a corporation that has
accumulated earnings to avoid United States federal income tax;
|
|
|
|
|
(d)
|
being or having been a 10-percent shareholder of
Time Warner Cable as defined in section 871(h)(3) of the
United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
Code) or any successor provision; or
|
S-15
|
|
|
|
(e)
|
being a bank receiving payments on an extension of credit made
pursuant to a loan agreement entered into in the ordinary course
of its trade or business;
|
|
|
|
|
(2)
|
to any holder that is not the sole beneficial owner of the
notes, or a portion of the notes, or that is a fiduciary,
partnership or limited liability company, but only to the extent
that a beneficiary or settlor with respect to the fiduciary, a
beneficial owner or member of the partnership or limited
liability company would not have been entitled to the payment of
an additional amount had the beneficiary, settlor, beneficial
owner or member received directly its beneficial or distributive
share of the payment;
|
|
|
(3)
|
to any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that would
not have been imposed but for the failure of the holder or any
other person to comply with certification, identification or
information reporting requirements concerning the nationality,
residence, identity or connection with the United States of the
holder or beneficial owner of the notes, if compliance is
required by statute, by regulation of the United States or
any taxing authority therein or by an applicable income tax
treaty to which the United States is a party as a
precondition to exemption from such tax, assessment or other
governmental charge;
|
|
|
(4)
|
to any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that is
imposed otherwise than by withholding by us or a paying agent
from the payment;
|
|
|
(5)
|
to any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that would
not have been imposed but for a change in law, regulation, or
administrative or judicial interpretation that becomes effective
more than 15 days after the payment becomes due or is duly
provided for, whichever occurs later;
|
|
|
(6)
|
to any estate, inheritance, gift, sales, excise, transfer,
wealth, capital gains or personal property tax or similar tax,
assessment or other governmental charge;
|
|
|
(7)
|
to any withholding or deduction that is imposed on a payment to
an individual and that is required to be made pursuant to any
law implementing or complying with, or introduced in order to
conform to, any European Union Directive on the taxation of
savings;
|
|
|
(8)
|
to any tax, assessment or other governmental charge required to
be withheld by any paying agent from any payment of principal of
or interest on any note, if such payment can be made without
such withholding by at least one other paying agent;
|
|
|
(9)
|
to any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that would
not have been imposed but for the presentation by the holder of
any note, where presentation is required, for payment on a date
more than 30 days after the date on which payment became
due and payable or the date on which payment thereof is duly
provided for, whichever occurs later; or
|
|
|
(10)
|
in the case of any combination of items (1), (2), (3), (4), (5),
(6), (7), (8) and (9).
|
The notes are subject in all cases to any tax, fiscal or other
law or regulation or administrative or judicial interpretation
applicable to the notes. Except as specifically provided under
this heading Payments of Additional Amounts,
we will not be required to make any payment for any tax,
assessment or other governmental charge imposed by any
government or a political subdivision or taxing authority of or
in any government or political subdivision.
As used under this heading Payments of Additional
Amounts and under the heading Redemption for
Tax Reasons, the term United States means the
United States of America (including the states and the District
of Columbia and any political subdivision thereof), and the term
United States person means any individual who is a
citizen or resident of the United States for U.S. federal
income tax purposes, a corporation, partnership or other entity
created or organized in or under the laws of the United States,
any state of the United States or the District of Columbia
(other than a partnership that is not treated as a United States
person under any applicable Treasury regulations), or any estate
or trust the income of which is subject to United States federal
income taxation regardless of its source.
Redemption
for Tax Reasons
If, as a result of any change in, or amendment to, the laws (or
any regulations or rulings promulgated under the laws) of the
United States (or any taxing authority in the United States), or
any change in, or amendments to, an
S-16
official position regarding the application or interpretation of
such laws, regulations or rulings, which change or amendment is
announced or becomes effective on or after the date of this
prospectus supplement, we become or, based upon a written
opinion of independent counsel selected by us, will become
obligated to pay additional amounts as described herein under
the heading Payment of Additional Amounts with
respect to the notes, then we may at any time at our option
redeem, in whole, but not in part, the notes on not less than 30
nor more than 60 days prior notice, at a redemption price
equal to 100% of their principal amount, together with accrued
and unpaid interest on those notes to, but not including, the
date fixed for redemption.
Additional
Information
See Description of the Debt Securities and the
Guarantees in the accompanying prospectus for additional
important information about the notes. That information includes:
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additional information about the terms of the notes;
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general information about the senior indenture and the Senior
Indenture Trustee;
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a description of certain covenants under the senior
indenture; and
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a description of events of default, notice and waiver under the
senior indenture.
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Book-Entry
Delivery and Settlement
We have obtained the information in this section concerning
Clearstream and Euroclear and their book-entry systems and
procedures from sources that we believe to be reliable. We take
no responsibility for an accurate portrayal of this information.
In addition, the description of the clearing systems in this
section reflects our understanding of the rules and procedures
of Clearstream and Euroclear as they are currently in effect.
Those systems could change their rules and procedures at any
time.
The notes will initially be represented by one or more fully
registered global notes. Each such global note will be deposited
with, or on behalf of, a common depositary, and registered in
the name of the nominee of the common depositary for the
accounts of Clearstream and Euroclear. You may hold your
interests in the global notes in Europe through Clearstream or
Euroclear, either as a participant in such systems or indirectly
through organizations which are participants in such systems.
Clearstream and Euroclear will hold interests in the global
notes on behalf of their respective participating organizations
or customers through customers securities accounts in
Clearstreams or Euroclears names on the books of
their respective depositaries. Book-entry interests in the notes
and all transfers relating to the notes will be reflected in the
book-entry records of Clearstream and Euroclear.
The distribution of the notes will be cleared through
Clearstream and Euroclear. Any secondary market trading of
book-entry interests in the notes will take place through
Clearstream and Euroclear participants and will settle in
same-day
funds. Owners of book-entry interests in the notes will receive
payments relating to their notes in Sterling.
Clearstream and Euroclear have established electronic securities
and payment transfer, processing, depositary and custodial links
among themselves and others, either directly or through
custodians and depositaries. These links allow securities to be
issued, held and transferred among the clearing systems without
the physical transfer of certificates. Special procedures to
facilitate clearance and settlement have been established among
these clearing systems to trade securities across borders in the
secondary market.
The policies of Clearstream and Euroclear will govern payments,
transfers, exchanges and other matters relating to the
investors interest in securities held by them. We have no
responsibility for any aspect of the records kept by Clearstream
or Euroclear or any of their direct or indirect participants. We
also do not supervise these systems in any way.
Clearstream and Euroclear and their participants perform these
clearance and settlement functions under agreements they have
made with one another or with their customers. You should be
aware that they are not obligated to perform or continue to
perform these procedures and may modify them or discontinue them
at any time.
Except as provided below, owners of beneficial interests in the
notes will not be entitled to have the notes registered in their
names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical
delivery of the notes in definitive form and will not be
S-17
considered the owners or holders of the notes under the senior
indenture, including for purposes of receiving any reports
delivered by us or the trustee pursuant to the senior indenture.
Accordingly, each person owning a beneficial interest in a note
must rely on the procedures of the depositary and, if such
person is not a participant, on the procedures of the
participant through which such person owns its interest, in
order to exercise any rights of a holder of notes.
Clearstream
Clearstream has advised that it is incorporated under the laws
of Luxembourg and licensed as a bank and professional
depositary. Clearstream holds securities for its participating
organizations and facilitates the clearance and settlement of
securities transactions among its participants through
electronic book-entry changes in accounts of its participants,
thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of
certificates. Clearstream provides to its participants, among
other things, services for safekeeping, administration,
clearance and settlement of internationally traded securities
and securities lending and borrowing. Clearstream interfaces
with domestic markets in several countries. Clearstream has
established an electronic bridge with the Euroclear operator to
facilitate the settlement of trades between Clearstream and
Euroclear. As a registered bank in Luxembourg, Clearstream is
subject to regulation by the Luxembourg Commission for the
Supervision of the Financial Sector. Clearstream customers are
recognized financial institutions around the world, including
underwriters, securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust
companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations
and may include the underwriters. Indirect access to Clearstream
is also available to others, such as banks, brokers, dealers and
trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial
relationship with a Clearstream participant, either directly or
indirectly.
Distributions with respect to notes held beneficially through
Clearstream will be credited to cash accounts of Clearstream
participants in accordance with its rules and procedures.
Euroclear
Euroclear has advised that it was created in 1968 to hold
securities for its participants and to clear and settle
transactions between Euroclear participants through simultaneous
electronic book-entry delivery against payment, thereby
eliminating the need for physical movement of certificates and
any risk from lack of simultaneous transfers of securities and
cash. Euroclear includes various other services, including
securities lending and borrowing and interfaces with domestic
markets in several countries. Euroclear is operated by Euroclear
Bank S.A. /N.V. (the Euroclear Operator). All
operations are conducted by the Euroclear Operator, and all
Euroclear securities clearance accounts and Euroclear cash
accounts are accounts with the Euroclear Operator. Euroclear
participants include banks (including central banks), securities
brokers and dealers and other professional financial
intermediaries and may include the underwriters. Indirect access
to Euroclear is also available to other firms that clear through
or maintain a custodial relationship with a Euroclear
participant, either directly or indirectly.
Securities clearance accounts and cash accounts with the
Euroclear Operator are governed by the Terms and Conditions
Governing Use of Euroclear and the related Operating Procedures
of Euroclear, and applicable Belgian law (collectively, the
Terms and Conditions). The Terms and Conditions
govern transfers of securities and cash within Euroclear,
withdrawals of securities and cash from Euroclear, and receipts
of payments with respect to securities in Euroclear. All
securities in Euroclear are held on a fungible basis without
attribution of specific certificates to specific securities
clearance accounts. The Euroclear Operator acts under the Terms
and Conditions only on behalf of Euroclear participants, and has
no records of or relationship with persons holding through
Euroclear participants.
Distributions with respect to the notes held beneficially
through Euroclear will be credited to the cash accounts of
Euroclear participants in accordance with the Terms and
Conditions.
Clearance
and Settlement Procedures
We understand that investors that hold their notes through
Clearstream or Euroclear accounts will follow the settlement
procedures that are applicable to conventional eurobonds in
registered form. Notes will be credited to the securities
custody accounts of Clearstream and Euroclear participants on
the business day following the settlement date, for value on the
settlement date. They will be credited either free of payment or
against payment for value on the settlement date.
S-18
We understand that secondary market trading between Clearstream
and/or
Euroclear participants will occur in the ordinary way following
the applicable rules and operating procedures of Clearstream and
Euroclear. Secondary market trading will be settled using
procedures applicable to conventional eurobonds in registered
form.
You should be aware that investors will only be able to make and
receive deliveries, payments and other communications involving
the notes through Clearstream and Euroclear on days when those
systems are open for business. Those systems may not be open for
business on days when banks, brokers and other institutions are
open for business in the United States.
In addition, because of time-zone differences, there may be
problems with completing transactions involving Clearstream and
Euroclear on the same business day as in the United States.
U.S. investors who wish to transfer their interests in the
notes, or to make or receive a payment or delivery of the notes,
on a particular day, may find that the transactions will not be
performed until the next business day in Luxembourg or Brussels,
depending on whether Clearstream or Euroclear is used.
Clearstream or Euroclear will credit payments to the cash
accounts of Clearstream customers or Euroclear participants, as
applicable, in accordance with the relevant systems rules
and procedures, to the extent received by its depositary.
Clearstream or the Euroclear Operator, as the case may be, will
take any other action permitted to be taken by a holder under
the senior indenture on behalf of a Clearstream customer or
Euroclear participant only in accordance with its relevant rules
and procedures.
Clearstream and Euroclear have agreed to the foregoing
procedures in order to facilitate transfers of the notes among
participants of Clearstream and Euroclear. However, they are
under no obligation to perform or continue to perform those
procedures, and they may discontinue those procedures at any
time.
Certificated
Notes
Subject to certain conditions, the notes represented by the
global notes are exchangeable for certificated notes in
definitive form of like tenor in minimum denominations of
£50,000 principal amount and multiples of £1,000 in
excess thereof if:
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(1)
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the common depositary provides notification that it is
unwilling, unable or no longer qualified to continue as
depositary for the global notes and a successor is not appointed
within 90 days;
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(2)
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we in our discretion at any time determine not to have all the
notes represented by the global note; or
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(3)
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default entitling the holders of the applicable notes to
accelerate the maturity thereof has occurred and is continuing.
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Any note that is exchangeable as above is exchangeable for
certificated notes issuable in authorized denominations and
registered in such names as the common depositary shall direct.
Subject to the foregoing, a global note is not exchangeable,
except for a global note of the same aggregate denomination to
be registered in the name of the common depositary (or its
nominee).
Same-Day
Payment
Payments (including principal, premium and interest) and
transfers with respect to notes in certificated form may be
executed at the office or agency maintained for such purpose
within the City of London (initially the office of the paying
agent maintained for such purpose) or, at our option, by check
mailed to the holders thereof at the respective addresses set
forth in the register of holders of the applicable notes,
provided that all payments (including principal, premium and
interest) on notes in certificated form, for which the holders
thereof have given wire transfer instructions, will be required
to be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to
the accounts specified by the holders thereof. No service charge
will be made for any registration of transfer, but payment of a
sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge payable
in connection with that registration may be required.
The paying agent for the notes will initially be The Bank of New
York Mellon, London Branch.
S-19
CERTAIN
U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
The following is a general summary of certain anticipated
U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. Holders
and to
Non-U.S. Holders,
each as defined below, and of certain material anticipated
U.S. federal estate tax consequences to a
Non-U.S. Holder,
of the purchase of the notes at original issuance at their
initial issue price, as well as the ownership and disposition of
the notes by U.S. Holders and
Non-U.S. Holders.
This discussion is based on the Code, Treasury regulations
promulgated under the Code, administrative pronouncements or
practices, and judicial decisions, all as of the date hereof.
Future legislative, judicial, or administrative modifications,
revocations, or interpretations, which may or may not be
retroactive, may result in U.S. federal tax consequences
significantly different from those discussed herein. This
discussion is not binding on the U.S. Internal Revenue
Service (the IRS). No ruling has been or will be
sought or obtained from the IRS with respect to any of the
U.S. federal tax consequences discussed herein. There can
be no assurance that the IRS will not challenge any of the
conclusions discussed herein or that a U.S. court will not
sustain such a challenge.
This discussion does not address any U.S. federal
alternative minimum tax, U.S. federal estate, gift or other
non-income tax (except as expressly provided below), or any
state, local or
non-U.S. tax
consequences of the acquisition, ownership, or disposition of a
note. In addition, this discussion does not address the
U.S. federal income tax consequences to beneficial owners
of notes subject to special rules, including, for example,
beneficial owners that (i) are banks, financial
institutions or insurance companies, (ii) are regulated
investment companies or real estate investment trusts,
(iii) are brokers, dealers or traders in securities or
currencies, (iv) are tax-exempt organizations,
(v) hold notes as part of a hedge, straddle, constructive
sale, conversion transaction, or other integrated investment,
(vi) acquire notes as compensation for services,
(vii) are U.S. Holders (as defined below) that have a
functional currency other than the U.S. dollar,
(viii) use a
mark-to-market
method of accounting, or (ix) are U.S. expatriates.
As used in this discussion, a Holder means a
beneficial owner of a note. A U.S. Holder means
a Holder that is: (i) an individual citizen or resident of
the United States for U.S. federal income tax purposes,
(ii) a corporation or any other entity taxable as a
corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes organized
under the laws of the United States, any State thereof or the
District of Columbia, (iii) an estate the income of which
is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its
source, or (iv) a trust that (a) is subject to the
primary jurisdiction of a court within the United States and for
which one or more U.S. persons have authority to control
all substantial decisions or (b) has a valid election in
effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be
treated as a U.S. person. If a Holder is a partnership or
any other entity or arrangement taxable as a partnership for
U.S. federal income tax purposes (a
Partnership), the U.S. federal income tax
consequences to an owner of or partner in such Partnership
generally will depend on the status of such owner or partner and
on the activities of such Partnership. A Holder that is a
Partnership and any owners or partners in such Partnership are
urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the
U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition,
ownership, or disposition of a note. As used herein, a
Non-U.S. Holder
means a Holder that is neither a U.S. Holder nor a
Partnership.
This discussion assumes that a note will be a capital asset,
within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code, in the
hands of a Holder at all relevant times. This discussion also
assumes that the initial notes were not issued with original
issue discount that exceeded a statutorily defined de minimis
amount, and that a Holder did not purchase initial notes at a
market discount that exceeded a statutorily defined de minimis
amount or at a premium.
A HOLDER IS URGED TO CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE
APPLICATION OF U.S. FEDERAL TAX LAWS TO ITS PARTICULAR
CIRCUMSTANCES AND ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES ARISING UNDER THE LAWS OF
ANY STATE, LOCAL,
NON-U.S., OR
OTHER TAXING JURISDICTION OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE TAX TREATY.
Tax
Considerations for a U.S. Holder
Payments
of Interest
Stated interest on a note generally will be taxable to a
U.S. Holder as ordinary interest income either when it
accrues or when it is received in accordance with a
U.S. Holders method of accounting for
U.S. federal income tax purposes.
S-20
U.S. Holders that use the cash receipts and disbursements
method of accounting for tax purposes must recognize income
equal to the U.S. dollar value of the Sterling received as
a payment of interest (which includes proceeds in Sterling from
a sale, exchange, or other disposition of the notes to the
extent attributable to accrued interest), determined by
translating the Sterling amount into U.S. dollars at the
spot rate in effect on the date of receipt, regardless of
whether the Sterling received is actually converted into
U.S. dollars. U.S. Holders that use an accrual method
of accounting for tax purposes may determine the amount of
income recognized with respect to the Sterling received on each
interest payment date by using one of two methods. Under the
first method, the amount of income accrued is determined by
translating the Sterling amount into U.S. dollars at the
average exchange rate in effect during the accrual period (or,
if the accrual period spans two taxable years, at the exchange
rate for the partial period within the taxable year).
U.S. Holders may elect, under the second method, to
determine the amount of income accrued on the basis of the spot
rate in effect on the last day of the accrual period (or the
last day of the taxable year in the case of an accrual period
that straddles the U.S. Holders taxable year) (and
may use the spot rate on the date the interest payment is
received if that date is within five days of the end of the
accrual period). U.S. Holders that make this election must
apply it consistently to all debt instruments from year to year
and cannot change the election without the consent of the IRS.
Accrual method U.S. Holders will recognize foreign currency
gain or loss on the receipt of an interest payment (including a
payment attributable to accrued but unpaid interest upon the
sale or retirement of a note) if the spot rate of exchange on
the date the payment is received differs from the rate
applicable to a previous accrual of that interest income. Such
foreign currency gain or loss generally will be treated as
ordinary income or loss, but generally will not be treated as an
adjustment to interest income received on the notes.
Sale
or Other Disposition of a Note
A U.S. Holder generally will recognize gain or loss on the
sale, exchange, redemption, retirement or other taxable
disposition of a note in an amount equal to the difference
between (i) the U.S. dollar value of cash received
plus the fair market value of any property received (less any
amount received in respect of accrued but unpaid interest not
previously included in income, which will be taxable as ordinary
income), and (ii) such U.S. Holders adjusted tax
basis in the note. A U.S. Holder that uses the cash
receipts and disbursements method of accounting determines the
amount realized in U.S. dollars by using the relevant spot
exchange rate on the settlement date of the sale, exchange or
retirement of the note(s), provided that the notes are traded on
an established securities market. A U.S. Holder that uses
an accrual method of accounting may elect such treatment for all
purchases and sales for foreign currency of stock or securities
traded on an established securities market (which election
cannot be changed without the consent of the IRS). Absent such
an election, the amount realized by an accrual method
U.S. Holder in U.S. dollars is the U.S. dollar
value of the Sterling (or other currency) received, determined
at the spot rate on the trade date of the sale, exchange or
retirement of the note(s). A U.S. Holders adjusted
tax basis in a note generally will be the U.S. dollar value
of the Sterling purchase price on the settlement date of the
purchase. Gain or loss realized upon the taxable disposition of
a note that is attributable to fluctuations in currency exchange
rates will be ordinary income or loss and such income or loss
will not be treated as interest income or expense. Payments
received on a disposition that are attributable to accrued
stated interest will be treated in accordance with the foreign
currency exchange gain and loss rules applicable to payments of
stated interest (and described above). Furthermore, the gain or
loss of a U.S. Holder attributable to fluctuations in
currency exchange rates will be the difference between
(i) the U.S. dollar value of the
U.S. Holders purchase price for the note, determined
using the spot rate on the date the note is disposed of, and
(ii) the U.S. dollar value of the purchase price for
the note, determined using the spot rate on the date the
U.S. Holder acquired the note. The foreign currency gain or
loss will be recognized only to the extent of the total gain or
loss realized by the U.S. Holder on the disposition of the
note. Any gain or loss realized in excess of the foreign
currency gain or loss will be capital gain or loss.
Gain or loss recognized on the sale, exchange, retirement, or
other taxable disposition of a note (except gain or loss
attributable to foreign currency gains or losses) generally will
be capital gain or loss, and will be long-term capital gain or
loss if the U.S. Holders holding period in such note
exceeds one year. Long-term capital gains of a non-corporate
U.S. Holders are taxed at preferential rates, and the
deductibility of capital losses is subject to significant
limitations.
S-21
A U.S. Holder that purchases notes with previously owned
Sterling will generally recognize gain or loss equal to the
difference, if any, between such U.S. Holders basis
in the Sterling and the U.S. dollar fair market value of
the notes on the date of purchase. Any such gain or loss
generally will be ordinary income or loss.
Tax
Return Disclosure Requirement
A U.S. Holder may be required to report a sale, retirement
or other disposition of notes or a payment of accrued stated
interest on the notes on IRS Form 8886 (Reportable
Transaction Disclosure Statement) if such holder recognizes an
exchange loss that exceeds U.S. $50,000 in a single year
with respect to the notes, in the case of an individual or
trust, or higher amounts in the case of non-individual
U.S. Holders. U.S. Holders are advised to consult
their tax advisors in this regard.
Information
Reporting and Backup Withholding
Backup withholding may apply to a non-corporate U.S. Holder
that (i) fails to furnish its taxpayer identification
number (TIN), which for an individual is his or her
social security number, (ii) furnishes an incorrect TIN,
(iii) is notified by the IRS that it failed properly to
report certain interest or dividends, or (iv) fails, under
certain circumstances, to provide a certified statement, signed
under penalty of perjury, that it is a U.S. person, that
the TIN provided is correct, and that it has not been notified
by the IRS that it is subject to backup withholding. The
application for exemption is available by providing a properly
completed IRS
Form W-9
(or successor form). These requirements generally do not apply
with respect to certain U.S. Holders, including
corporations, tax-exempt organizations, qualified pension and
profit sharing trusts, certain financial institutions and
individual retirement accounts. Backup withholding is not an
additional tax. Any amount withheld from a payment to a
U.S. Holder under the backup withholding rules will be
allowed as a credit against such Holders U.S. federal
income tax liability and may entitle such Holder to a refund,
provided that certain required information is timely furnished
to the IRS. A Holder is urged to consult its own tax advisor
regarding the application of information reporting and backup
withholding in its particular circumstances, the availability of
an exemption from backup withholding and the procedure for
obtaining any such available exemption.
Tax
Considerations for a
Non-U.S.
Holder
The rules governing the U.S. federal taxation of a
Non-U.S. Holder
are complex. A
Non-U.S. Holder
is urged to consult its own tax advisor regarding the
application of U.S. federal tax laws, including any
information reporting requirements, to its particular
circumstances and any tax consequences arising under the laws of
any state, local,
non-U.S., or
other taxing jurisdiction.
U.S.
Federal Income Tax
Payments of interest (including additional amounts described
under Description of the NotesPayment of Additional
Amounts above, if any) on a note by us or our paying agent
to a
Non-U.S. Holder
generally will not be subject to withholding of
U.S. federal income tax if such interest will qualify as
portfolio interest. Interest on a note paid to a
Non-U.S. Holder
will qualify as portfolio interest if:
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for U.S. federal income tax purposes, such
Non-U.S. Holder
does not own directly or indirectly, actually or constructively,
10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of
Company stock entitled to vote;
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for U.S. federal income tax purposes, such
Non-U.S. Holder
is not a controlled foreign corporation related directly or
indirectly to us through stock ownership;
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such interest is not effectively connected with such
Non-U.S. Holders
conduct of a trade or business in the United States;
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such
Non-U.S. Holder
is not a bank receiving interest described in
Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code; and
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the certification requirement, described below, has been
fulfilled with respect to such
Non-U.S. Holder
of the note.
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S-22
The certification requirement will be fulfilled if either
(i) the
Non-U.S. Holder
provides to us or our paying agent an IRS
Form W-8BEN
(or successor form), signed under penalty of perjury, that
includes such
Non-U.S. Holders
name, address and a certification as to its
non-U.S. status,
or (ii) a securities clearing organization, bank or other
financial institution that holds customers securities in
the ordinary course of its trade or business holds the note on
behalf of such
Non-U.S. Holder,
and provides to us or our paying agent a statement, signed under
penalty of perjury, in which such organization, bank or other
financial institution certifies that it has received an IRS
Form W-8BEN
(or successor form) from such
Non-U.S. Holder
or from another financial institution acting on behalf of such
Non-U.S. Holder
and provides to us or our paying agent a copy thereof. Other
methods might be available to satisfy the certification
requirement depending on a
Non-U.S. Holders
particular circumstances.
The gross amount of any payment of interest (including
additional amounts described under Description of the
NotesPayment of Additional Amounts above, if any) on
a
Non-U.S. Holders
note that does not qualify for the portfolio interest exception
will be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax
at the statutory rate of 30% unless (i) such
Non-U.S. Holder
provides a properly completed IRS
Form W-8BEN
(or successor form) claiming an exemption from or reduction in
withholding of U.S. federal income tax under an applicable
income tax treaty, or (ii) such interest is effectively
connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business
(and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is
attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment) by such
Non-U.S. Holder
and such
Non-U.S. Holder
provides a properly completed IRS
Form W-8ECI
(or successor form).
Subject to the discussion below concerning backup withholding, a
Non-U.S. Holder
generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax or
to withholding of U.S. federal income tax on any gain
realized on the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement or other
disposition of a note unless (i) such
Non-U.S. Holder
is an individual present in the United States for 183 days
or more in the taxable year of such disposition and other
applicable conditions are met, or (ii) such gain is
effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or
business by such
Non-U.S. Holder
and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is
attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment maintained
by such
Non-U.S. Holder.
If a
Non-U.S. Holder
is engaged in a U.S. trade or business and interest on a
note or gain realized on the disposition of a note is
effectively connected with the conduct of such U.S. trade
or business, such
Non-U.S. Holder
generally will be subject to regular U.S. federal income
tax on such interest (including additional amounts described
under Description of the NotesPayment of Additional
Amounts above, if any) and gain on a net income basis at
graduated rates in the same manner as if such
Non-U.S. Holder
were a U.S. Holder, unless an applicable income tax treaty
provides otherwise. See Tax Considerations for a
U.S. Holder above. In addition, any such
Non-U.S. Holder
that is a
non-U.S. corporation
may be subject to the branch profits tax on its effectively
connected earnings and profits for the taxable year, subject to
certain adjustments, at the statutory rate of 30% unless such
rate is reduced or the branch profit tax is eliminated by an
applicable tax treaty. Although such effectively connected
income will be subject to U.S. federal income tax, and may
be subject to the branch profits tax, it generally will not be
subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax if a
Non-U.S. Holder
provides a properly completed IRS
Form W-8ECI
(or successor form).
U.S.
Federal Estate Tax
A note held or treated as held by an individual who is a
non-resident of the U.S. (as specially defined for
U.S. federal estate tax purposes) at the time of his or her
death will not be subject to U.S. federal estate tax,
provided that the interest on such note is exempt from
withholding of U.S. federal income tax under the portfolio
interest exemption discussed above (without regard to the
certification requirement). An individual may be a
Non-U.S. Holder
but not a non-resident of the U.S. for U.S. federal
estate tax purposes. A
Non-U.S. Holder
that is an individual is urged to consult its own tax advisor
regarding the possible application of the U.S. federal
estate tax to its particular circumstances, including the effect
of any applicable treaty.
Information
Reporting and Backup Withholding
A Holder may be subject, under certain circumstances, to
information reporting
and/or
backup withholding at the applicable rate with respect to
certain payments of principal or interest (including additional
amounts described
S-23
under Description of the NotesPayment of Additional
Amounts above, if any) on a note and the proceeds of a
disposition of a note before maturity.
We generally must report to the IRS and to a
Non-U.S. Holder
the amount of interest on notes paid to such
Non-U.S. Holder
and the amount of any tax withheld in respect of such interest
payments. Copies of information returns that report such
interest payments and any withholding of U.S. federal
income tax may be made available to tax authorities in a country
in which a
Non-U.S. Holder
is a resident under the provisions of an applicable income tax
treaty.
If a
Non-U.S. Holder
provides the applicable IRS
Form W-8BEN
(or successor form) or other applicable form (together with all
appropriate attachments, signed under penalties of perjury, and
identifying such
Non-U.S. Holder
and stating that it is not a U.S. person), and we or our
paying agent, as the case may be, has neither actual knowledge
nor reason to know that such
Non-U.S. Holder
is a U.S. person, then such
Non-U.S. Holder
will not be subject to U.S. backup withholding with respect
to payments of principal or interest on notes made by us or our
paying agent. See Tax Considerations for
U.S. HoldersInformation Reporting and Backup
Withholding. Special rules apply to pass-through entities
and this certification requirement may also apply to beneficial
owners of pass-through entities.
Payment of the proceeds of a disposition of a note by a
Non-U.S. Holder
made to or through a U.S. office of a broker generally will
be subject to information reporting and backup withholding
unless such
Non-U.S. Holder
(i) certifies its
non-U.S. status
on IRS
Form W-8BEN
(or successor form) signed under penalty of perjury, or
(ii) otherwise establishes an exemption. Payment of the
proceeds of a disposition of a note by a
Non-U.S. Holder
made to or through a
non-U.S. office
of a
non-U.S. broker
generally will not be subject to information reporting or backup
withholding unless such
non-U.S. broker
is a U.S. Related Person (as defined below).
Payment of the proceeds of a disposition of a note by a
Non-U.S. Holder
made to or through a
non-U.S. office
of a U.S. broker or a U.S. Related Person generally
will not be subject to backup withholding, but will be subject
to information reporting, unless (i) such
Non-U.S. Holder
certifies its
non-U.S. status
on IRS
Form W-8BEN
(or successor form) signed under penalty of perjury, or
(ii) such U.S. broker or U.S. Related Person has
documentary evidence in its records as to the
non-U.S. status
of such
Non-U.S. Holder
and has neither actual knowledge nor reason to know that such
Non-U.S. Holder
is a U.S. person.
For this purpose, a U.S. Related Person is
(i) a controlled foreign corporation for U.S. federal
income tax purposes, (ii) a
non-U.S. person
50% or more of whose gross income from all sources for the
three-year period ending with the close of its taxable year
preceding the payment (or for such part of the period that the
broker has been in existence) is derived from activities that
are effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade
or business, or (iii) a
non-U.S. partnership
if at any time during its taxable year one or more of its
partners are U.S. persons who, in the aggregate, hold more
than 50% of the income or capital interest of the partnership or
if, at any time during its taxable year, the partnership is
engaged in the conduct of a U.S. trade or business.
The foregoing discussion is for general information only and
is not tax advice. Accordingly, you should consult your tax
advisor as to the particular tax consequences to you of
purchasing, holding and disposing of the notes, including the
applicability and effect of any state, local, or
non-U.S. tax
laws and any tax treaty and any recent or prospective changes in
any applicable tax laws or treaties.
S-24
UNDERWRITING
We are offering the notes described in this prospectus
supplement through a number of underwriters. Barclays Bank plc,
Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch, The Royal Bank of Scotland plc
and UBS Limited are the representatives of the underwriters. We
have entered into a firm commitment underwriting agreement with
the underwriters listed below. Subject to the terms and
conditions of the underwriting agreement, we have agreed to sell
to the underwriters, and each underwriter has severally agreed
to purchase, the aggregate principal amount of the notes listed
next to its name in the following table:
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Principal Amount of
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Underwriter
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Notes due 2031
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Barclays Bank plc
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£
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Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch
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The Royal Bank of Scotland plc
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UBS Limited
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Total
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£
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The underwriting agreement is subject to a number of terms and
conditions and provides that the underwriters must buy all of
the notes if they buy any of them. The underwriters will sell
the notes to the public when and if the underwriters buy the
notes from us.
The underwriters have advised us that they propose initially to
offer the notes to the public at the public offering prices set
forth on the cover of this prospectus supplement and below.
After the initial public offering of the notes, the offering
price and other selling terms may be changed. The offering of
the notes by the underwriters is subject to receipt and
acceptance and subject to the underwriters right to reject
any order in whole or in part.
The following table shows the public offering prices,
underwriting discounts and proceeds before expenses, to us, both
on a per note basis and in total, for the notes.
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Per Note
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due 2031
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Total
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Public Offering Price
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%
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£
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Underwriting Discount
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%
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£
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Proceeds to Time Warner Cable
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%
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£
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We estimate that our share of the total expenses of the
offering, excluding underwriting discounts, will be
approximately $150,000.
We have agreed to jointly or severally indemnify the
underwriters against, or contribute to payments that the
underwriters may be required to make in respect of, certain
liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended.
The notes are a new issue of securities with no established
trading market. We intend to apply to list the notes on the New
York Stock Exchange. The underwriters may make a market in the
notes after completion of the offering, but will not be
obligated to do so and may discontinue any market-making
activities at any time without notice. No assurance can be given
as to the liquidity of the trading market for the notes or that
an active public market for the notes will develop. If an active
public market for the notes does not develop, the market price
and liquidity of the notes may be adversely affected.
In connection with the offering of the notes, the
representatives may engage in transactions that stabilize,
maintain or otherwise affect the price of the notes.
Specifically, the representatives may over allot in connection
with the offering, creating a short position. In addition, the
representatives may bid for, and purchase, the notes in the open
market to cover short positions or to stabilize the price of the
notes. The underwriters also may impose a penalty bid. This
occurs when a particular underwriter repays to the underwriters
a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because
the representatives have repurchased notes sold by or for the
account of such underwriter in stabilizing or short covering
transactions. Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain
the market price of the notes above independent market levels,
but no representation is made hereby of the magnitude of any
S-25
effect that the transactions described above may have on the
market price of the notes. The underwriters will not be required
to engage in these activities, and may engage in these
activities, and may end any of these activities, at any time
without notice. These transactions may be effected in the
over-the-counter
market or otherwise.
The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full
service financial institutions engaged in various activities,
which may include securities trading, commercial and investment
banking, financial advisory, investment management, principal
investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. Certain
of the underwriters and their respective affiliates have, from
time to time, performed, and may in the future perform, various
financial advisory and investment banking services for the
issuer, for which they received or will receive customary fees
and expenses. Certain affiliates of the underwriters
participating in this offering are or have been lenders under
our bank credit facilities, for which they have received or will
receive fees under agreements they have entered into with us.
In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the
underwriters and their respective affiliates may make or hold a
broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity
securities (or related derivative securities) and financial
instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for
the accounts of their customers and may at any time hold long
and short positions in such securities and instruments. Such
investment and securities activities may involve securities and
instruments of the Company or TWE.
We expect that delivery of the notes will be made to investors
on or about May , 2011, which will be the fifth
business day following the date of this prospectus supplement
(such settlement being referred to as T+5). Under
Rule 15c6-1
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, trades in the
secondary market are required to settle in three business days,
unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise.
Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade notes prior to the
delivery of the notes hereunder will be required, by virtue of
the fact that the notes initially settle in T+5, to specify an
alternate settlement arrangement at the time of any such trade
to prevent a failed settlement. Purchasers of the notes who wish
to trade the notes prior to their date of delivery hereunder
should consult their advisors.
Selling
Restrictions
In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area
which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a
Relevant Member State), each underwriter has
represented and agreed that with effect from and including the
date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that
Relevant Member State (the Relevant Implementation
Date) it has not made and will not make an offer of notes
which are the subject of the offering contemplated by this
prospectus supplement as completed by the final terms in
relation thereto to the public in that Relevant Member State
except that it may, with effect from and including the Relevant
Implementation Date, make an offer of such notes to the public
in that Relevant Member State:
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at any time to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as
defined in the Prospectus Directive;
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(b)
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at any time to fewer than 100 or, if the Relevant Member State
has implemented the relevant provision of the 2010 Amending
Directive, 150, natural or legal persons (other than qualified
investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive) subject to
obtaining the prior consent of the relevant Underwriter or
Underwriters nominated by TWC for any such offer; or
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(c)
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at any time in any other circumstances falling within
Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive,
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provided that no such offer of notes referred to in (a) to
(c) above shall require TWC or any underwriter to publish a
prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus
Directive or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 16
of the Prospectus Directive.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an offer of
notes to the public in relation to any notes in any Relevant
Member State means the communication in any form and by any
means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and
the notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to
purchase or subscribe the notes, as the same may be varied in
that Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus
Directive in that Member State and the expression Prospectus
Directive means Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto,
including the 2010 PD Amending Directive, to the extent
implemented in the Relevant Member State) and includes
S-26
any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State
and the expression 2010 PD Amending Directive means Directive
2010/73/EU.
Each Underwriter has represented and agreed that:
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(a)
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in relation to any notes which have a maturity of less than one
year, (i) it is a person whose ordinary activities involve
it in acquiring, holding, managing or disposing of investments
(as principal or agent) for the purposes of its business and
(ii) it has not offered or sold and will not offer or sell
any notes other than to persons whose ordinary activities
involve them in acquiring, holding, managing or disposing of
investments (as principal or as agent) for the purposes of their
businesses or who it is reasonable to expect will acquire, hold,
manage or dispose of investments (as principal or agent) for the
purposes of their businesses where the issue of the notes would
otherwise constitute a contravention of section 19 of the
Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the FSMA)
by TWC;
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(b)
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it has complied and will comply with all applicable provisions
of the FSMA with respect to anything done by it in relation to
any notes in, from or otherwise involving the United
Kingdom; and
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(c)
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it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will
only communicate or cause to be communicated an invitation or
inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning
of section 21 of the FSMA) received by it in connection
with the issue or sale of any notes in circumstances in which
section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply to TWC.
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LEGAL
MATTERS
Certain legal matters in connection with the offered notes will
be passed upon for us, TWE and TW NY by Paul, Weiss, Rifkind,
Wharton & Garrison LLP, New York, New York. The
underwriters are represented by Shearman & Sterling
LLP, New York, New York.
EXPERTS
Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public
accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial
statements included in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2010 and the effectiveness
of our internal control over financial reporting as of
December 31, 2010 as set forth in their reports, which are
incorporated by reference in the accompanying prospectus, this
prospectus supplement and elsewhere in the registration
statement. Our financial statements are incorporated by
reference in reliance on Ernst & Young LLPs
reports, given on their authority as experts in accounting and
auditing.
S-27
PROSPECTUS
Debt Securities
Preferred Stock
Common Stock
Depositary Shares
Warrants
Purchase Contracts
Units
This prospectus contains a general description of the securities
which we may offer for sale. The specific terms of the
securities will be contained in one or more supplements to this
prospectus. Read this prospectus and any supplement carefully
before you invest.
The securities will be issued by Time Warner Cable Inc. The debt
securities will be fully, irrevocably and unconditionally
guaranteed on an unsecured basis by each of Time Warner
Entertainment Company, L.P. and TW NY Cable Holding Inc.,
subsidiaries of ours. See Description of the Debt
Securities and the GuaranteesGuarantees.
The common stock of Time Warner Cable Inc. is listed on the New
York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol TWC.
Investing in our securities involves risks that are
referenced under the caption Risk Factors on
page 5 of this prospectus. You should carefully review
the risks and uncertainties described under the heading
Risk Factors contained in the applicable prospectus
supplement and any related free writing prospectus, and under
similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by
reference in this prospectus.
These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the
Securities and Exchange Commission or any state securities
commission nor has the Securities and Exchange Commission or any
state securities commission passed upon the accuracy or adequacy
of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a
criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is April 28, 2011.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
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ABOUT
THIS PROSPECTUS
To understand the terms of the securities offered by this
prospectus, you should carefully read this prospectus and any
applicable prospectus supplement. You should also read the
documents referred to under the heading Where You Can Find
More Information for information on Time Warner Cable Inc.
and its financial statements. Certain capitalized terms used in
this prospectus are defined elsewhere in this prospectus.
This prospectus is part of a registration statement on
Form S-3
that Time Warner Cable Inc., a Delaware corporation, which is
also referred to as Time Warner Cable,
TWC, the Company, our
company, we, us and
our, has filed with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a shelf
registration procedure. Under this procedure, Time Warner Cable
may offer and sell from time to time, any of the following, in
one or more series, which we refer to in this prospectus as the
securities:
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debt securities,
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preferred stock,
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common stock,
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depositary shares,
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warrants,
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purchase contracts, and
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units.
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The securities may be sold for U.S. dollars,
foreign-denominated currency or currency units. Amounts payable
with respect to any securities may be payable in
U.S. dollars or foreign-denominated currency or currency
units as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement.
This prospectus provides you with a general description of the
securities we may offer. Each time we offer securities, we will
provide you with a prospectus supplement that will describe the
specific amounts, prices and terms of the securities being
offered. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or
change information contained or incorporated by reference in
this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the
information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement,
you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement.
The prospectus supplement may also contain information about any
material U.S. Federal income tax considerations relating to
the securities covered by the prospectus supplement.
We may sell securities to underwriters who will sell the
securities to the public on terms fixed at the time of sale. In
addition, the securities may be sold by us directly or through
dealers or agents designated from time to time, which agents may
be affiliates of ours. If we, directly or through agents,
solicit offers to purchase the securities, we reserve the sole
right to accept and, together with our agents, to reject, in
whole or in part, any offer.
The prospectus supplement will also contain, with respect to the
securities being sold, the names of any underwriters, dealers or
agents, together with the terms of the offering, the
compensation of any underwriters, dealers or agents and the net
proceeds to us.
Any underwriters, dealers or agents participating in the
offering may be deemed underwriters within the
meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, which we
refer to in this prospectus as the Securities Act.
WHERE YOU
CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
Time Warner Cable files annual, quarterly and current reports,
proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may
obtain such SEC filings from the SECs website at
http://www.sec.gov.
You can also read and copy these materials at the SECs
public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E.,
Washington, D.C. 20549. You can obtain further information
about the operation of the SECs public reference room by
calling the SEC at
1-800-SEC-0330.
You can also obtain information about Time Warner Cable at the
offices of the New York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad Street,
New York, New York 10005. Time Warner Entertainment Company,
L.P. (TWE) and TW NY Cable
1
Holding Inc. (TW NY and, together with TWE, the
Guarantors) do not file separate reports, proxy
statements or other information with the SEC under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which we refer to
in this prospectus as the Exchange Act.
As permitted by SEC rules, this prospectus does not contain all
of the information we have included in the registration
statement and the accompanying exhibits and schedules we file
with the SEC. You may refer to the registration statement,
exhibits and schedules for more information about us and the
securities. The registration statement, exhibits and schedules
are available through the SECs website or at its public
reference room.
INCORPORATION
BY REFERENCE
In this prospectus, we incorporate by reference
certain information that we file with the SEC, which means that
we can disclose important information to you by referring you to
that information. The information we incorporate by reference is
an important part of this prospectus, and later information that
we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede
this information. The following documents have been filed by us
with the SEC and are incorporated by reference into this
prospectus:
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Annual report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2010 (filed
February 18, 2011), including portions of the proxy
statement for the 2011 annual meeting of stockholders (filed
April 6, 2011) to the extent specifically incorporated
by reference therein (collectively, the 2010
Form 10-K);
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Quarterly report on
Form 10-Q
for the quarter ended March 31, 2011 (filed April 28,
2011) (the March 2011
Form 10-Q);
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Current reports on
Form 8-K
filed on February 24, 2011 and February 28,
2011; and
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The description of our capital stock in our Registration
Statement on
Form 8-A12B,
filed on February 28, 2007 and amended on March 12,
2009 and any amendment thereto.
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All documents and reports that we file with the SEC (other than
any portion of such filings that are furnished under applicable
SEC rules rather than filed) under Sections 13(a), 13(c),
14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act from the date of this prospectus
until the completion of the offering under this prospectus shall
be deemed to be incorporated in this prospectus by reference.
The information contained on or accessible through our website
(http://www.timewarnercable.com)
is not incorporated into this prospectus.
You may request a copy of these filings, other than an exhibit
to these filings unless we have specifically included or
incorporated that exhibit by reference into the filing, from the
SEC as described under Where You Can Find More
Information or, at no cost, by writing or telephoning Time
Warner Cable at the following address:
Time Warner Cable Inc.
Attn: Investor Relations
60 Columbus Circle
New York, NY 10023
Telephone: 1-877-4-INFO-TWC
You should rely only on the information contained or
incorporated by reference in this prospectus, the prospectus
supplement, any free writing prospectus that we authorize and
any pricing supplement. We have not authorized any person,
including any salesman or broker, to provide information other
than that provided in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus
supplement, any free writing prospectus that we authorize or any
pricing supplement. We have not authorized anyone to provide you
with different information. We do not take responsibility for,
and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any
information that others may give you. We are not making an offer
of the securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not
permitted. You should assume that the information in this
prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, any free
writing prospectus that we authorize and any pricing supplement
is accurate only as of the date on its cover page and that any
information we have incorporated by reference is accurate only
as of the date of such document incorporated by reference.
Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to
be incorporated by reference into this prospectus will be deemed
to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to
the extent that a
2
statement contained in this prospectus, any prospectus
supplement, or any other subsequently filed document that is
deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus
modifies or supersedes the statement. Any statement so modified
or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or
superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
STATEMENTS
REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This prospectus contains forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995 and Section 27A of the Securities Act,
particularly statements anticipating future growth in revenues,
Operating Income before Depreciation and Amortization, cash
provided by operating activities and other financial measures.
These statements may be made directly in this prospectus
referring to us and they may also be made a part of this
prospectus by reference to other documents filed with the SEC,
which is known as incorporation by reference. Words such as
anticipates, estimates,
expects, projects, intends,
plans, believes and words and terms of
similar substance used in connection with any discussion of
future operating or financial performance identify
forward-looking statements. All of these forward-looking
statements are based on managements current expectations
and beliefs about future events. As with any projection or
forecast, they are susceptible to uncertainty and changes in
circumstances.
We operate in a highly competitive, consumer and technology
driven and rapidly changing business that is affected by
government regulation and economic, strategic, technological,
political and social conditions. Various factors could adversely
affect our operations, business or financial results in the
future and cause our actual results to differ materially from
those contained in the forward-looking statements, including
those factors discussed under Risk Factors or
otherwise discussed in the 2010
Form 10-K
and in our other filings made from time to time with the SEC
after the date of the registration statement of which this
prospectus is a part, as well as:
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increased competition from video, high-speed data and voice
providers, particularly direct broadcast satellite operators,
incumbent local telephone companies, companies that deliver
programming over broadband Internet connections, and wireless
broadband and phone providers;
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the Companys ability to deal effectively with the current
challenging economic environment or further deterioration in the
economy, which may negatively impact customers demand for
the Companys services and also result in a reduction in
the Companys advertising revenues;
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the Companys continued ability to exploit new and existing
technologies that appeal to residential and commercial customers;
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changes in the regulatory and tax environments in which the
Company operates, including, among others, regulation of
broadband Internet services, net neutrality
legislation or regulation and federal, state and local taxation;
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increased difficulty negotiating programming and retransmission
agreements on favorable terms, resulting in increased costs to
the Company
and/or the
loss of popular programming; and
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changes in the Companys plans, initiatives and strategies.
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For additional information about factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those described in the
forward-looking statements, please see the documents that we
have filed with the SEC, including quarterly reports on
Form 10-Q,
our most recent annual report on
Form 10-K,
current reports on
Form 8-K
and proxy statements.
All subsequent forward-looking statements attributable to us,
TWE or TW NY or any person acting on our or their behalf are
expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary
statements contained or referred to in this section. None of us,
TWE or TW NY is under any obligation to, and each expressly
disclaims any obligation to, update or alter any forward-looking
statements whether as a result of such changes, new information,
subsequent events or otherwise.
3
THE
COMPANY
We are the second-largest cable operator in the U.S., with
technologically advanced, well-clustered systems located mainly
in five geographic areasNew York State (including New York
City), the Carolinas, Ohio, Southern California (including Los
Angeles) and Texas. As of March 31, 2011, we served
approximately 14.5 million residential and commercial
customers who subscribed to one or more of our three primary
subscription servicesvideo, high-speed data and
voicetotaling approximately 26.9 million primary
service units. We market our services separately and in
bundled packages of multiple services and features.
As of March 31, 2011, 59.5% of our residential and
commercial customers subscribed to two or more of our primary
services, including 25.9% of our customers who subscribed to all
three primary services. We also sell advertising to a variety of
national, regional and local advertising customers.
For a description of our business, financial condition, results
of operations and other important information regarding us, see
our filings with the SEC incorporated by reference in this
prospectus. For instructions on how to find copies of the
filings incorporated by reference in this prospectus, see
Where You Can Find More Information.
Our principal executive office, and that of TWE and TW NY, is
located at 60 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023,
Telephone
(212) 364-8200.
4
RISK
FACTORS
Investing in our securities involves risk. You should carefully
consider the specific risks discussed or incorporated by
reference in the applicable prospectus supplement, together with
all the other information contained in the prospectus supplement
or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the
applicable prospectus supplement. You should also consider the
risks, uncertainties and assumptions discussed under the caption
Risk Factors included in the 2010
Form 10-K,
which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and
which may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to
time by other reports we file with the SEC in the future.
RATIO OF
EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND RATIO OF EARNINGS TO COMBINED
FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED DIVIDEND REQUIREMENTS
The ratio of earnings to fixed charges for Time Warner Cable is
set forth below for the periods indicated. For periods in which
earnings before fixed charges were insufficient to cover fixed
charges, the dollar amount of coverage deficiency (in millions),
instead of the ratio, is disclosed.
For purposes of computing the ratio of earnings to fixed
charges, earnings were calculated by adding:
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(i)
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pretax net income,
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(ii)
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interest expense,
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(iii)
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preferred stock dividend requirements of majority-owned
companies,
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(iv)
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adjustments for partially-owned subsidiaries and 50%-owned
companies, and
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(v)
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the amount of undistributed losses (earnings) of our less than
50%-owned companies.
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The definition of earnings also applies to our unconsolidated
50%-owned affiliated companies.
Fixed charges primarily consist of interest expense.
Earnings, as defined, include significant noncash charges for
depreciation and amortization primarily relating to the
amortization of intangible assets recognized in business
combinations.
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Three Months
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Ended
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March 31,
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Year Ended December 31,
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2011
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2010
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2009
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2008
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2007
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2006
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Ratio of earnings to fixed charges (deficiency in the coverage
of fixed charges by earnings before fixed charges)
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2.6x
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2.6x
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2.4x
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$ (13,063)
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3.1x
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3.1x
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Ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred
dividend requirements (deficiency in the coverage of combined
fixed charges and preferred dividend requirements deficiency)
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2.6x
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2.6x
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2.4x
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$ (13,063)
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3.1x
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3.1x
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USE OF
PROCEEDS
We will use the net proceeds we receive from the sale of the
securities offered by this prospectus for general corporate
purposes, unless we specify otherwise in the applicable
prospectus supplement. General corporate purposes may include
additions to working capital, capital expenditures, repayment of
debt, the financing of possible acquisitions and investments or
stock repurchases.
5
DESCRIPTION
OF THE DEBT SECURITIES AND THE GUARANTEES
General
The following description of the terms of our senior debt
securities and subordinated debt securities (together, the
debt securities) sets forth certain general terms
and provisions of the debt securities to which any prospectus
supplement may relate. Unless otherwise noted, the general terms
and provisions of our debt securities discussed below apply to
both our senior debt securities and our subordinated debt
securities. The particular terms of any debt securities and the
extent, if any, to which such general provisions will not apply
to such debt securities will be described in the prospectus
supplement relating to such debt securities. In the following
description, the term Guarantors refers to TWE and
TW NY, as the guarantors of the debt securities.
Our debt securities may be issued from time to time in one or
more series. The senior debt securities will be issued from time
to time in series under an indenture dated as of April 9,
2007, among us, TWE, TW NY and The Bank of New York Mellon
(formerly The Bank of New York), as Senior Indenture
Trustee (as amended or supplemented from time to time, the
senior indenture). The subordinated debt securities
will be issued from time to time under a subordinated indenture
to be entered into among us, TWE, TW NY and The Bank of New York
Mellon, as Subordinated Indenture Trustee (the
subordinated indenture and, together with the senior
indenture, the indentures). The Senior Indenture
Trustee and the Subordinated Indenture Trustee are both referred
to, individually, as the Trustee. The senior debt
securities will constitute our unsecured and unsubordinated
obligations and the subordinated debt securities will constitute
our unsecured and subordinated obligations. A detailed
description of the subordination provisions is provided below
under the caption Ranking and
SubordinationSubordination. In general, however, if
we declare bankruptcy, holders of the senior debt securities
will be paid in full before the holders of subordinated debt
securities will receive anything.
The statements set forth below are brief summaries of certain
provisions contained in the indentures, which summaries do not
purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by
reference to the indentures, each of which is incorporated by
reference as an exhibit or filed as an exhibit to the
registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
Terms used herein that are otherwise not defined shall have the
meanings given to them in the indentures. Such defined terms
shall be incorporated herein by reference.
The indentures do not limit the amount of debt securities which
may be issued under the applicable indenture and debt securities
may be issued under the applicable indenture up to the aggregate
principal amount which may be authorized from time to time by
us. Any such limit applicable to a particular series will be
specified in the prospectus supplement relating to that series.
The applicable prospectus supplement will disclose the terms of
each series of debt securities in respect to which such
prospectus is being delivered, including the following:
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the designation and issue date of the debt securities;
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the date or dates on which the principal of the debt securities
is payable;
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the rate or rates (or manner of calculation thereof), if any,
per annum at which the debt securities will bear interest;
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the date or dates, if any, from which interest will accrue and
the interest payment date or dates for the debt securities;
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any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the debt
securities which may be authenticated and delivered under the
applicable indenture;
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the period or periods within which, the redemption price or
prices or the repayment price or prices, as the case may be, at
which and the terms and conditions upon which the debt
securities may be redeemed at the Companys option or the
option of the holder of such debt securities (a
Holder);
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the obligation, if any, of the Company to purchase the debt
securities pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions
or at the option of a Holder of such debt securities and the
period or periods within
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which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions
upon which such debt securities will be purchased, in whole or
in part, pursuant to such obligation;
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if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple
thereof, the denominations in which the debt securities will be
issuable;
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provisions, if any, with regard to the conversion or exchange of
the debt securities, at the option of the Holders of such debt
securities or the Company, as the case may be, for or into new
securities of a different series, the Companys common
stock or other securities and, if such debt securities are
convertible into the Companys common stock or other
Marketable Securities (as defined in the indentures), the
conversion price;
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if other than U.S. dollars, the currency or currencies or
units based on or related to currencies in which the debt
securities will be denominated and in which payments of
principal of, and any premium and interest on, such debt
securities shall or may be payable;
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if the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest, if any,
on the debt securities are to be payable, at the election of the
Company or a Holder of such debt securities, in a currency
(including a composite currency) other than that in which such
debt securities are stated to be payable, the period or periods
within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, such
election may be made;
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if the amount of payments of principal of (and premium, if any)
or interest, if any, on the debt securities may be determined
with reference to an index based on a currency (including a
composite currency) other than that in which such debt
securities are stated to be payable, the manner in which such
amounts shall be determined;
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provisions, if any, related to the exchange of the debt
securities, at the option of the Holders of such debt
securities, for other securities of the same series of the same
aggregate principal amount or of a different authorized series
or different authorized denomination or denominations, or both;
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the portion of the principal amount of the debt securities, if
other than the principal amount thereof, which shall be payable
upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof as more
fully described under the section Events of Default,
Notice and Waiver below;
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whether the debt securities will be issued in the form of global
securities and, if so, the identity of the depositary with
respect to such global securities;
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with respect to subordinated debt securities only, the amendment
or modification of the subordination provisions in the
subordinated indenture with respect to the debt
securities; and
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any other specific terms.
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We may issue debt securities of any series at various times and
we may reopen any series for further issuances from time to time
without notice to existing Holders of securities of that series.
Some of the debt securities may be issued as original issue
discount debt securities. Original issue discount debt
securities bear no interest or bear interest at below-market
rates. These are sold at a discount below their stated principal
amount. If we issue these securities, the prospectus supplement
will describe any special tax, accounting or other information
which we think is important. We encourage you to consult with
your own competent tax and financial advisors on these important
matters.
Unless we specify otherwise in the applicable prospectus
supplement, the covenants contained in the indentures will not
provide special protection to Holders of debt securities if we
enter into a highly leveraged transaction, recapitalization or
restructuring.
Unless otherwise set forth in the prospectus supplement,
interest on outstanding debt securities will be paid to Holders
of record on the date that is 15 days prior to the date
such interest is to be paid, or, if not a business day, the next
preceding business day. Unless otherwise specified in the
prospectus supplement, debt securities will be issued in fully
registered form only. Unless otherwise specified in the
prospectus supplement, the principal amount of the debt
securities will be payable at the corporate trust office of the
Trustee in New York, New York. The debt securities
7
may be presented for transfer or exchange at such office unless
otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement, subject to the
limitations provided in the applicable indenture, without any
service charge, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient
to cover any tax or other governmental charges payable in
connection therewith.
Guarantees
Under the Guarantees (as defined below), each of TWE and TW NY,
as primary obligor and not merely as surety, will fully,
irrevocably and unconditionally guarantee to each Holder of the
debt securities and to the applicable Trustee and its successors
and assigns, (1) the full and punctual payment of principal
and interest on the debt securities when due, whether at
maturity, by acceleration, by redemption or otherwise, and all
other monetary obligations of ours under the indentures
(including obligations to the applicable Trustee) and the debt
securities and (2) the full and punctual performance within
applicable grace periods of all other obligations of ours under
the indentures and the debt securities (the
Guarantees). Such Guarantees will constitute
guarantees of payment, performance and compliance and not merely
of collection. The obligations of each of TWE and TW NY under
the indentures will be unconditional irrespective of the absence
or existence of any action to enforce the same, the recovery of
any judgment against us or each other or any waiver or amendment
of the provisions of the indentures or the debt securities to
the extent that any such action or similar action would
otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense
of a guarantor (except that any such waiver or amendment that
expressly purports to modify or release such obligations shall
be effective in accordance with its terms). The obligations of
TWE and TW NY to make any payments may be satisfied by causing
us to make such payments. Each of TWE and TW NY shall further
agree to waive presentment to, demand of payment from and
protest to us and shall also waive diligence, notice of
acceptance of its Guarantee, presentment, demand for payment,
notice of protest for non-payment, filing a claim if we complete
a merger or declare bankruptcy and any right to require a
proceeding first against us. These obligations shall be
unaffected by any failure or policy of the Trustee to exercise
any right under the indentures or under any series of security.
If any Holder of any debt security or the Trustee is required by
a court or otherwise to return to us, TWE or TW NY, or any
custodian, trustee, liquidator or other similar official acting
in relation to us, TWE or TW NY, any amount paid by us or any of
them to the Trustee or such Holder, the Guarantees of TWE and TW
NY, to the extent theretofore discharged, shall be reinstated in
full force and effect.
Further, each of the Guarantors agrees to pay any and all
reasonable costs and expenses (including reasonable
attorneys fees) incurred by the Senior Indenture Trustee
or the Subordinated Indenture Trustee, as applicable, or any
Holder of debt securities in enforcing any of their respective
rights under the Guarantees. The indentures provide that each of
the Guarantees of TWE and TW NY is limited to the maximum amount
that can be guaranteed by TWE and TW NY, respectively, without
rendering the relevant Guarantee voidable under applicable law
relating to fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer or
similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally.
Although we believe the Guarantees of TWE and TW NY are valid
and enforceable, under certain circumstances, a court could find
a subsidiarys guarantee void or unenforceable under
fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer or similar laws
affecting the rights of creditors generally.
The indentures provide that any Guarantor shall be automatically
released from its obligations under its Guarantee upon receipt
by the Trustee of a certificate of a Responsible Officer of ours
certifying that such Guarantor has no outstanding Indebtedness
For Borrowed Money, as of the date of such certificate, other
than any other Guarantee of Indebtedness For Borrowed Money that
will be released concurrently with the release of such
Guarantee. In addition, TW NY will be released from its
Guarantee under such circumstances only if it is also a wholly
owned direct or indirect subsidiary of ours. Also, if any of
these conditions are satisfied, the applicable Guarantor may not
guarantee a new issuance of debt securities. However, there is
no covenant in the indentures that would prohibit any such
Guarantor from incurring Indebtedness For Borrowed Money after
the date such Guarantor is released from its Guarantee.
The indentures further provide that we and the Trustee may enter
into a supplemental indenture without the consent of the Holders
to add additional guarantors in respect of the debt securities.
8
Ranking
and Subordination
Ranking
The senior debt securities will be our unsecured, senior
obligations, and will rank equally with our other unsecured and
unsubordinated obligations. The Guarantees of the senior debt
securities will be unsecured and senior obligations of each of
TWE and TW NY, and will rank equally with all other unsecured
and unsubordinated obligations of TWE and TW NY, respectively.
The subordinated debt securities will be our unsecured,
subordinated obligations and the Guarantees of the subordinated
debt securities will be unsecured and subordinated obligations
of each of TWE and TW NY.
The debt securities and the Guarantees will effectively rank
junior in right of payment to any of our or the Guarantors
existing and future secured obligations to the extent of the
value of the assets securing such obligations. The debt
securities and the Guarantees will be effectively subordinated
to all existing and future liabilities, including indebtedness
and trade payables, of our non-guarantor subsidiaries. The
indentures do not limit the amount of unsecured indebtedness or
other liabilities that can be incurred by our non-guarantor
subsidiaries.
Furthermore, we and TW NY are holding companies with no material
business operations. The ability of each of us and TW NY to
service our respective indebtedness and other obligations is
dependent primarily upon the earnings and cash flow of our and
TW NYs respective subsidiaries and the distribution or
other payment to us or TW NY of such earnings or cash flow.
Subordination
If issued, the indebtedness evidenced by the subordinated debt
securities is subordinate to the prior payment in full of all
our Senior Indebtedness (as defined below). During the
continuance beyond any applicable grace period of any default in
the payment of principal, premium, interest or any other payment
due on any of our Senior Indebtedness, we may not make any
payment of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on the
subordinated debt securities. In addition, upon any payment or
distribution of our assets upon any dissolution, winding up,
liquidation or reorganization, the payment of the principal of,
or premium, if any, and interest on the subordinated debt
securities will be subordinated to the extent provided in the
subordinated indenture in right of payment to the prior payment
in full of all our Senior Indebtedness. Because of this
subordination, if we dissolve or otherwise liquidate, Holders of
our subordinated debt securities may receive less, ratably, than
Holders of our Senior Indebtedness. The subordination provisions
do not prevent the occurrence of an event of default under the
subordinated indenture.
The subordination provisions also apply in the same way to each
Guarantor with respect to the Senior Indebtedness of such
Guarantor.
The term Senior Indebtedness of a person means with
respect to such person the principal of, premium, if any,
interest on, and any other payment due pursuant to any of the
following, whether outstanding on the date of the subordinated
indenture or incurred by that person in the future:
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all of the indebtedness of that person for borrowed money,
including any indebtedness secured by a mortgage or other lien
which is (1) given to secure all or part of the purchase
price of property subject to the mortgage or lien, whether given
to the vendor of that property or to another lender, or
(2) existing on property at the time that person acquires
it;
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all of the indebtedness of that person evidenced by notes,
debentures, bonds or other similar instruments sold by that
person for money;
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all of the lease obligations which are capitalized on the books
of that person in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles;
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all indebtedness of others of the kinds described in the first
two bullet points above and all lease obligations of others of
the kind described in the third bullet point above that the
person, in any manner, assumes or guarantees or that the person
in effect guarantees through an agreement to purchase, whether
that agreement is contingent or otherwise; and
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all renewals, extensions or refundings of indebtedness of the
kinds described in the first, second or fourth bullet point
above and all renewals or extensions of leases of the kinds
described in the third or fourth bullet point above;
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unless, in the case of any particular indebtedness,
lease, renewal, extension or refunding, the instrument or lease
creating or evidencing it or the assumption or guarantee
relating to it expressly provides that such indebtedness, lease,
renewal, extension or refunding is not superior in right of
payment to the subordinated debt securities. Our senior debt
securities, and any unsubordinated guarantee obligations of ours
or any Guarantor to which we and the Guarantors are a party,
including the Guarantors Guarantees of our debt securities
and other Indebtedness For Borrowed Money, constitute Senior
Indebtedness for purposes of the subordinated indenture.
Pursuant to the subordinated indenture, the subordinated
indenture may not be amended, at any time, to alter the
subordination provisions of any outstanding subordinated debt
securities without the consent of the requisite holders of each
outstanding series or class of Senior Indebtedness (as
determined in accordance with the instrument governing such
Senior Indebtedness) that would be adversely affected.
Certain
Covenants
Limitation
on Liens
The indentures provide that neither we nor any Material
Subsidiary of ours shall incur, create, issue, assume, guarantee
or otherwise become liable for any Indebtedness For Borrowed
Money that is secured by a lien on any asset now owned or
hereafter acquired by us or it unless we make or cause to be
made effective provisions whereby the debt securities will be
secured by such lien equally and ratably with (or prior to) all
other indebtedness thereby secured so long as any such
indebtedness shall be secured. The foregoing restriction does
not apply to the following:
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liens existing as of the date of the applicable indenture;
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liens issued, created or assumed by Subsidiaries of ours to
secure indebtedness of such Subsidiaries to us or to one or more
other Subsidiaries of ours;
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liens affecting property of a Person existing at the time it
becomes a Subsidiary of ours or at the time it merges into or
consolidates with us or a Subsidiary of ours or at the time of a
sale, lease or other disposition of all or substantially all of
the properties of such Person to us or our Subsidiaries;
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liens on property or assets existing at the time of the
acquisition thereof or incurred to secure payment of all or a
part of the purchase price thereof or to secure indebtedness
incurred prior to, at the time of, or within 18 months
after the acquisition thereof for the purpose of financing all
or part of the purchase price thereof, in a principal amount not
exceeding 110% of the purchase price;
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liens on any property to secure all or part of the cost of
improvements or construction thereon or indebtedness incurred to
provide funds for such purpose in a principal amount not
exceeding 110% of the cost of such improvements or construction;
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liens on shares of stock, indebtedness or other securities of a
Person that is not a Subsidiary of ours;
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liens in respect of capital leases entered into after the date
of the applicable indenture provided that such liens extend only
to the property or assets that are the subject of such capital
leases;
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liens resulting from progress payments or partial payments under
United States government contracts or subcontracts;
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any extensions, renewal or replacement of any lien referred to
above or of any indebtedness secured thereby; provided, however,
that the principal amount of indebtedness secured thereby shall
not exceed the principal amount of indebtedness so secured at
the time of such extension, renewal or replacement, or at the
time the lien was issued, created or assumed or otherwise
permitted, and that such extension, renewal or replacement lien
shall be limited to all or part of substantially the same
property which secured the lien extended, renewed or replaced
(plus improvements on such property);
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liens in favor of the Trustees;
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with respect to the subordinated indenture and subordinated debt
securities only, liens securing Senior Indebtedness and the
guarantees securing such Senior Indebtedness; and
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other liens arising in connection with our indebtedness and our
Subsidiaries indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount
for us and our Subsidiaries not exceeding at the time such lien
is issued, created or assumed the greater of (a) 15% of the
Consolidated Net Worth of our company and
(b) $500 million.
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Limitation on Consolidation, Merger, Conveyance or Transfer
on Certain Terms
None of our company, TWE or TW NY shall consolidate with or
merge into any other Person or convey or transfer its properties
and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, unless:
(1) (a) in the case of our company, the Person
formed by such consolidation or into which our company is merged
or the Person which acquires by conveyance or transfer the
properties and assets of our company substantially as an
entirety shall be organized and existing under the laws of the
United States of America or any State or the District of
Columbia, and shall expressly assume, by supplemental indenture,
executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form reasonably
satisfactory to the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the
principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on all the debt
securities and the performance of every covenant of the
applicable indenture (as supplemented from time to time) on the
part of our company to be performed or observed; (b) in the
case of TWE or TW NY, the Person formed by such consolidation or
into which TWE or TW NY is merged or the Person which acquires
by conveyance or transfer the properties and assets of TWE or TW
NY substantially as an entirety shall be either (i) one of
us, TWE or TW NY or (ii) a Person organized and existing
under the laws of the United States of America or any State or
the District of Columbia, and in the case of clause (ii), shall
expressly assume, by supplemental indenture, executed and
delivered to the Trustee, in form reasonably satisfactory to the
Trustee, the performance of every covenant of the applicable
indenture (as supplemented from time to time) on the part of TWE
or TW NY to be performed or observed;
(2) immediately after giving effect to such
transaction, no Event of Default, and no event which, after
notice or lapse of time, or both, would become an Event of
Default, shall have happened and be continuing; and
(3) we have delivered to the Trustee an
Officers Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel each
stating that such consolidation, merger, conveyance or transfer
and such supplemental indenture comply with this covenant and
that all conditions precedent provided for relating to such
transaction have been complied with.
Upon any consolidation or merger, or any conveyance or transfer
of the properties and assets of our company, TWE or TW NY
substantially as an entirety as set forth above, the successor
Person formed by such consolidation or into which our company,
TWE or TW NY is merged or to which such conveyance or transfer
is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may
exercise every right and power of our company, TWE or TW NY, as
the case may be, under the applicable indenture with the same
effect as if such successor had been named as our company, TWE
or TW NY, as the case may be, in the applicable indenture. In
the event of any such conveyance or transfer, our company, TWE
or TW NY, as the case may be, as the predecessor shall be
discharged from all obligations and covenants under the
applicable indenture and the debt securities issued under such
indenture and may be dissolved, wound up or liquidated at any
time thereafter.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, such provisions with respect to
limitations on consolidation, merger, conveyance or transfer on
certain terms shall not apply to any Guarantor if at such time
such Guarantor has been released from its obligations under its
Guarantee upon receipt by the applicable Trustee of a
certificate of a Responsible Officer of ours certifying that
such Guarantor has no outstanding Indebtedness For Borrowed
Money and, in the case of TW NY, certifying that TW NY is a
wholly owned direct or indirect subsidiary of our company, each
as described above under Guarantees.
Subject to the foregoing, the indentures and the debt securities
do not contain any covenants or other provisions designed to
afford Holders of debt securities protection in the event of a
recapitalization or highly leveraged transaction involving our
company.
Any additional covenants of our company, TW NY or TWE pertaining
to a series of debt securities will be set forth in a prospectus
supplement relating to such series of debt securities.
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Certain
Definitions
The following are certain of the terms defined in the indentures:
Consolidated Net Worth means, with respect to
any Person, at the date of any determination, the consolidated
stockholders or owners equity of the holders of
capital stock or partnership interests of such Person and its
subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance
with GAAP consistently applied.
GAAP means generally accepted accounting
principles as such principles are in effect in the United States
as of the date of the applicable indenture.
Holder when used with respect to any debt
securities, means a holder of the debt securities, which means a
Person in whose name a debt security is registered in the
Security Register.
Indebtedness For Borrowed Money of any Person
means, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such
Person for borrowed money, (b) all obligations of such
Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar
instruments and (c) all guarantee obligations of such
Person with respect to Indebtedness For Borrowed Money of
others. The Indebtedness For Borrowed Money of any Person shall
include the Indebtedness For Borrowed Money of any other entity
(including any partnership in which such Person is general
partner) to the extent such Person is liable therefor as a
result of such Persons ownership interest in or other
contractual relationship with such entity, except to the extent
the terms of such Indebtedness For Borrowed Money provide that
such Person is not liable therefor.
Material Subsidiary means any Person that is
a Subsidiary if, at the end of the most recent fiscal quarter of
our company, the aggregate amount, determined in accordance with
GAAP consistently applied, of securities of, loans and advances
to, and other investments in, such Person held by us and our
other Subsidiaries exceeded 10% of our Consolidated Net Worth.
Person means any individual, corporation,
limited liability company, partnership, joint venture,
association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated
organization or government or any agency or political
subdivision thereof.
Responsible Officer when used with respect to
us, means any of the Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief
Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Senior Executive
Vice President, General Counsel, Treasurer or Controller of our
company (or any equivalent of the foregoing officers).
Security Register means the register or
registers we shall keep or cause to be kept, in which, we shall
provide for the registration of debt securities, or of debt
securities of a particular series, and of transfers of debt
securities or of debt securities of such series.
Subsidiary means, with respect to any Person,
any corporation more than 50% of the voting stock of which is
owned directly or indirectly by such Person, and any
partnership, association, joint venture or other entity in which
such Person owns more than 50% of the equity interests or has
the power to elect a majority of the board of directors or other
governing body.
Optional
Redemption
Unless we specify otherwise in the applicable prospectus
supplement, we may redeem any of the debt securities as a whole
at any time or in part from time to time, at our option, on at
least 30 days, but not more than 60 days, prior notice
mailed to the registered address of each Holder of the debt
securities to be redeemed, at respective redemption prices equal
to the greater of:
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100% of the principal amount of the debt securities to be
redeemed, and
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the sum of the present values of the Remaining Scheduled
Payments, as defined below, discounted to the redemption date,
on a semi-annual basis, assuming a 360 day year consisting
of twelve 30 day months, at the Treasury Rate, as defined
below, plus the number, if any, of basis points specified in the
applicable prospectus supplement;
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plus, in each case, accrued interest to the date of redemption
that has not been paid (such redemption price, the
Redemption Price).
Comparable Treasury Issue means, with respect
to the debt securities, the United States Treasury security
selected by an Independent Investment Banker as having a
maturity comparable to the remaining term (Remaining
Life) of the debt securities being redeemed that would be
utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with
customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate
debt securities of comparable maturity to the Remaining Life of
such debt securities.
Comparable Treasury Price means, with respect
to any redemption date for the debt securities: (1) the
average of two Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for that
redemption date, after excluding the highest and lowest of such
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations; or (2) if the Trustee
obtains fewer than four Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations,
the average of all quotations obtained by the Trustee.
Independent Investment Banker means one of
the Reference Treasury Dealers, to be appointed by us.
Reference Treasury Dealer means four primary
U.S. Government securities dealers to be selected by us.
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations means,
with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any
redemption date, the average, as determined by the Trustee, of
the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue,
expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount,
quoted in writing to the Trustee by such Reference Treasury
Dealer at 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on the third
business day preceding such redemption date.
Remaining Scheduled Payments means, with
respect to each debt security to be redeemed, the remaining
scheduled payments of the principal thereof and interest thereon
that would be due after the related redemption date but for such
redemption; provided, however, that, if such redemption date is
not an interest payment date with respect to such debt security,
the amount of the next succeeding scheduled interest payment
thereon will be deemed to be reduced by the amount of interest
accrued thereon to such redemption date.
Treasury Rate means, with respect to any
redemption date for the debt securities: (1) the yield,
under the heading which represents the average for the
immediately preceding week, appearing in the most recently
published statistical release designated H.15(519)
or any successor publication which is published weekly by the
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and which
establishes yields on actively traded United States Treasury
debt securities adjusted to constant maturity under the caption
Treasury Constant Maturities, for the maturity
corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue; provided that if
no maturity is within three months before or after the maturity
date for the debt securities, yields for the two published
maturities most closely corresponding to the Comparable Treasury
Issue will be determined and the Treasury Rate will be
interpolated or extrapolated from those yields on a straight
line basis, rounding to the nearest month; or (2) if that
release, or any successor release, is not published during the
week preceding the calculation date or does not contain such
yields, the rate per annum equal to the semiannual equivalent
yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, calculated
using a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a
percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable
Treasury Price for that redemption date. The Treasury Rate will
be calculated on the third business day preceding the redemption
date.
On and after the redemption date, interest will cease to accrue
on the debt securities or any portion thereof called for
redemption, unless we default in the payment of the
Redemption Price, and accrued interest. On or before the
redemption date, we shall deposit with a paying agent, or the
applicable Trustee, money sufficient to pay the
Redemption Price of and accrued interest on the debt
securities to be redeemed on such date. If we elect to redeem
less than all of the debt securities of a series, then the
Trustee will select the particular debt securities of such
series to be redeemed in a manner it deems appropriate and fair.
Defeasance
Each indenture provides that we (and, to the extent applicable,
TWE and TW NY), at our option,
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(a) will be Discharged from any and all obligations
in respect of any series of debt securities (except in each case
for certain obligations to register the transfer or exchange of
debt securities, replace stolen, lost or mutilated senior debt
securities, maintain paying agencies and hold moneys for payment
in trust), or
(b) need not comply with the covenants described
above under Certain Covenants, and any other
restrictive covenants described in a prospectus supplement
relating to such series of debt securities, the Guarantors will
be released from the Guarantees and certain Events of Default
(other than those arising out of the failure to pay interest or
principal on the debt securities of a particular series and
certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency and reorganization)
will no longer constitute Events of Default with respect to such
series of debt securities, in each case if we deposit with the
Trustee, in trust, money or the equivalent in securities of the
government which issued the currency in which the debt
securities are denominated or government agencies backed by the
full faith and credit of such government, or a combination
thereof, which through the payment of interest thereon and
principal thereof in accordance with their terms will provide
money in an amount sufficient to pay all the principal
(including any mandatory sinking fund payments) of, and interest
on, such series on the dates such payments are due in accordance
with the terms of such series.
To exercise any such option, we are required, among other
things, to deliver to the Trustee an opinion of counsel to the
effect that the deposit and related defeasance would not cause
the Holders of such series to recognize income, gain or loss for
federal income tax purposes and, in the case of a Discharge
pursuant to clause (a) above, accompanied by a ruling to
such effect received from or published by the United States
Internal Revenue Service.
In addition, we are required to deliver to the Trustee an
Officers Certificate stating that such deposit was not
made by us with the intent of preferring the Holders over other
creditors of ours or with the intent of defeating, hindering,
delaying or defrauding creditors of ours or others.
Events of
Default, Notice and Waiver
Each indenture provides that, if an Event of Default specified
therein with respect to any series of debt securities issued
thereunder shall have happened and be continuing, either the
Trustee thereunder or the Holders of 25% in aggregate principal
amount of the outstanding debt securities of such series (or 25%
in aggregate principal amount of all outstanding debt securities
under such indenture, in the case of certain Events of Default
affecting all series of debt securities issued under such
indenture) may declare the principal of all the debt securities
of such series to be due and payable.
Events of Default in respect of any series
are defined in the indentures as being:
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default for 30 days in payment of any interest installment
with respect to such series;
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default in payment of principal of, or premium, if any, on, or
any sinking or purchase fund or analogous obligation with
respect to, debt securities of such series when due at their
stated maturity, by declaration or acceleration, when called for
redemption or otherwise;
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default for 90 days after written notice to us (or TWE or
TW NY, if applicable) by the Trustee thereunder or by Holders of
25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt
securities of such series in the performance, or breach, of any
covenant or warranty pertaining to debt securities of such
series;
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certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency and reorganization with
respect to us or any Material Subsidiary of ours which is
organized under the laws of the United States or any political
sub-division
thereof or the entry of an order ordering the winding up or
liquidation of our affairs; and
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any Guarantee ceasing to be, or asserted by any Guarantor as not
being, in full force and effect, enforceable according to its
terms, except to the extent contemplated by the applicable
indenture.
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Any additions, deletions or other changes to the Events of
Default which will be applicable to a series of debt securities
will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to such
series of debt securities.
Each indenture provides that the Trustee thereunder will, within
90 days after the occurrence of a default with respect to
the debt securities of any series issued under such indenture,
give to the Holders of the debt securities of such series notice
of all uncured and unwaived defaults known to it; provided,
however, that, except in the case of
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default in the payment of principal of, premium, if any, or
interest, if any, on any of the debt securities of such series,
the Trustee thereunder will be protected in withholding such
notice if it in good faith determines that the withholding of
such notice is in the interests of the Holders of the debt
securities of such series. The term default for the
purpose of this provision means any event which is, or after
notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of
Default with respect to debt securities of such series.
Each indenture contains provisions entitling the Trustee under
such indenture, subject to the duty of the Trustee during an
Event of Default to act with the required standard of care, to
be indemnified to its reasonable satisfaction by the Holders of
the debt securities before proceeding to exercise any right or
power under the applicable indenture at the request of Holders
of such debt securities.
Each indenture provides that the Holders of a majority in
aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of
any series issued under such indenture may direct the time,
method and place of conducting proceedings for remedies
available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power
conferred on the Trustee in respect of such series, subject to
certain conditions.
In certain cases, the Holders of a majority in principal amount
of the outstanding debt securities of any series may waive, on
behalf of the Holders of all debt securities of such series, any
past default or Event of Default with respect to the debt
securities of such series except, among other things, a default
not theretofore cured in payment of the principal of, or
premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any of the senior debt
securities of such series or payment of any sinking or purchase
fund or analogous obligations with respect to such senior debt
securities.
Each indenture includes a covenant that we will file annually
with the Trustee a certificate of no default or specifying any
default that exists.
Modification
of the Indentures
We and the Trustee may, without the consent of the Holders of
the debt securities issued under the indenture governing such
debt securities, enter into indentures supplemental to the
applicable indenture for, among others, one or more of the
following purposes:
(1) to evidence the succession of another
Person to us, TWE or TW NY and the assumption by such successor
of our companys, TWEs or TW NYs obligations
under the applicable indenture and the debt securities of any
series or the Guarantees relating thereto;
(2) to add to the covenants of our
company, TWE or TW NY, or to surrender any rights or powers of
our company, TWE or TW NY, for the benefit of the Holders of
debt securities of any or all series issued under such indenture;
(3) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or
supplement any provision in the applicable indenture which may
be inconsistent with any other provision therein, or to make any
other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising
under such indenture;
(4) to add to the applicable indenture
any provisions that may be expressly permitted by the
Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, or the
Act, excluding the provisions referred to in
Section 316(a)(2) of the Act as in effect at the date as of
which the applicable indenture was executed or any corresponding
provision in any similar federal statute hereafter enacted;
(5) to establish the form or terms of any
series of debt securities to be issued under the applicable
indenture, to provide for the issuance of any series of debt
securities
and/or to
add to the rights of the Holders of debt securities;
(6) to evidence and provide for the
acceptance of any successor Trustee with respect to one or more
series of debt securities or to add or change any of the
provisions of the applicable indenture as shall be necessary to
facilitate the administration of the trusts thereunder by one or
more trustees in accordance with the applicable indenture;
(7) to provide any additional Events of
Default;
(8) to provide for uncertificated
securities in addition to or in place of certificated
securities; provided that the uncertificated securities are
issued in registered form for certain federal tax purposes;
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(9) to provide for the terms and
conditions of converting those debt securities that are
convertible into common stock or another such similar security;
(10) to secure any series of debt securities pursuant
to the applicable indentures limitation on liens;
(11) to add additional guarantors in respect of the
debt securities;
(12) to make any change necessary to comply with any
requirement of the SEC in connection with the qualification of
the applicable indenture or any supplemental indenture under the
Act; and
(13) to make any other change that does not adversely
affect the rights of the Holders of the debt securities.
No supplemental indenture for the purpose identified in clauses
(2), (3), (5) or (7) above may be entered into if to
do so would adversely affect the rights of the Holders of debt
securities of any series issued under the same indenture in any
material respect.
Each indenture contains provisions permitting us and the Trustee
under such indenture, with the consent of the Holders of a
majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities
of all series issued under such indenture to be affected voting
as a single class, to execute supplemental indentures for the
purpose of adding any provisions to or changing or eliminating
any of the provisions of the applicable indenture or modifying
the rights of the Holders of the debt securities of such series
to be affected, except that no such supplemental indenture may,
without the consent of the Holders of affected debt securities,
among other things:
(1) change the maturity of the principal
of, or the maturity of any premium on, or any installment of
interest on, any such debt security, or reduce the principal
amount or the interest or any premium of any such debt
securities, or change the method of computing the amount of
principal or interest on any such debt securities on any date or
change any place of payment where, or the currency in which, any
debt securities or any premium or interest thereon is payable,
or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any
such payment on or after the maturity of principal or premium,
as the case may be;
(2) reduce the percentage in principal
amount of any such debt securities the consent of whose Holders
is required for any supplemental indenture, waiver of compliance
with certain provisions of the applicable indenture or certain
defaults under the applicable indenture;
(3) modify any of the provisions of the
applicable indenture related to (i) the requirement that
the Holders of debt securities issued under such indenture
consent to certain amendments of the applicable indenture,
(ii) the waiver of past defaults and (iii) the waiver
of certain covenants, except to increase the percentage of
Holders required to make such amendments or grant such waivers;
(4) impair or adversely affect the right
of any Holder to institute suit for the enforcement of any
payment on, or with respect to, such senior debt securities on
or after the maturity of such debt securities; or
(5) amend or modify the terms of any of
the Guarantees in a manner adverse to the Holders.
In addition, the subordinated indenture provides that we may not
make any change in the terms of the subordination of the
subordinated debt securities of any series in a manner adverse
in any material respect to the Holders of any series of
subordinated debt securities without the consent of each Holder
of subordinated debt securities that would be adversely affected.
Pursuant to the subordinated indenture, the subordinated
indenture may not be amended, at any time, to alter the
subordination provisions of any outstanding subordinated debt
securities without the consent of the requisite holders of each
outstanding series or class of Senior Indebtedness (as
determined in accordance with the instrument governing such
Senior Indebtedness) that would be adversely affected.
The
Trustee
The Bank of New York Mellon is the Trustee under each indenture.
The Trustee is a depository for funds and performs other
services for, and transacts other banking business with, us in
the normal course of business. The Bank of New York Mellon is
also the trustee under the senior indenture governing the senior
debt securities of TWE.
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Governing
Law
The indentures will be governed by, and construed in accordance
with, the laws of the State of New York.
Global
Securities
We may issue debt securities through global securities. A global
security is a security, typically held by a depositary, that
represents the beneficial interests of a number of purchasers of
the security. If we do issue global securities, the following
procedures will apply.
We will deposit global securities with the depositary identified
in the prospectus supplement. After we issue a global security,
the depositary will credit on its book-entry registration and
transfer system the respective principal amounts of the debt
securities represented by the global security to the accounts of
persons who have accounts with the depositary. These account
Holders are known as participants. The underwriters
or agents participating in the distribution of the debt
securities will designate the accounts to be credited. Only a
participant or a person who holds an interest through a
participant may be the beneficial owner of a global security.
Ownership of beneficial interests in the global security will be
shown on, and the transfer of that ownership will be effected
only through, records maintained by the depositary and its
participants.
We and the Trustee will treat the depositary or its nominee as
the sole owner or Holder of the debt securities represented by a
global security. Except as set forth below, owners of beneficial
interests in a global security will not be entitled to have the
debt securities represented by the global security registered in
their names. They also will not receive or be entitled to
receive physical delivery of the debt securities in definitive
form and will not be considered the owners or Holders of the
debt securities.
Principal, any premium and any interest payments on debt
securities represented by a global security registered in the
name of a depositary or its nominee will be made to the
depositary or its nominee as the registered owner of the global
security. None of us, the Trustee or any paying agent will have
any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records
relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership
interests in the global security or the maintaining, supervising
or reviewing any records relating to the beneficial ownership
interests.
We expect that the depositary, upon receipt of any payments,
will immediately credit participants accounts with
payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial
interests in the principal amount of the global security as
shown on the depositarys records. We also expect that
payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in
the global security will be governed by standing instructions
and customary practices, as is the case with the securities held
for the accounts of customers registered in street
names, and will be the responsibility of the participants.
If the depositary is at any time unwilling or unable to continue
as depositary and a successor depositary is not appointed by us
within 90 days, we will issue registered securities in
exchange for the global security. In addition, we may at any
time in our sole discretion determine not to have any of the
debt securities of a series represented by global securities. In
that event, we will issue debt securities of that series in
definitive form in exchange for the global securities.
DESCRIPTION
OF THE CAPITAL STOCK
The following description of the terms of our common stock and
preferred stock sets forth certain general terms and provisions
of our common stock and preferred stock to which any prospectus
supplement may relate. This section also summarizes relevant
provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which we
refer to as Delaware law. The following summary of
the terms of our common stock and preferred stock does not
purport to be complete and is subject to, and is qualified in
its entirety by reference to, the applicable provisions of
Delaware law and our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended, or our Certificate of
Incorporation and amended and restated by-laws, copies of
which are exhibits to the registration statement of which this
prospectus forms a part.
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Common
Stock
Common stock authorized and outstanding. Under
our Certificate of Incorporation, we are authorized to issue up
to 8,333,333,333 shares of common stock, par value $0.01
per share. The common stock is non-assessable. As of
March 31, 2011, approximately 343.4 million shares of
common stock were issued and outstanding.
Voting. Each holder of our common stock is
entitled to one vote for each share of our common stock held of
record by such holder with respect to all matters on which
stockholders are entitled to vote.
Dividends, Liquidation and Dissolution. The
holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends
when, as, and if declared by our board of directors out of
legally available funds. Upon our liquidation or dissolution,
the holders of our common stock will be entitled to share
ratably in those of our assets that are legally available for
distribution to stockholders after payment of liabilities and
subject to the prior rights of any holders of preferred stock
then outstanding.
Listing and CUSIP Number. The common stock is
listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol
TWC under the CUSIP number 88732J 207.
Preemptive Rights. The holders of our common
stock do not have preemptive rights to purchase or subscribe for
any of our stock or other securities.
The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of our common
stock will be subject to the rights of the holders of shares of
any series of preferred stock that may be issued in the future.
Preferred
Stock
Under our Certificate of Incorporation, we are authorized to
issue up to 1,000,000,000 shares of preferred stock. Our
board of directors is authorized under our Certificate of
Incorporation, subject to limitations prescribed by Delaware
law, to determine the terms and conditions of the preferred
stock, including whether the shares of preferred stock will be
issued in one or more series, the number of shares to be
included in each series and the powers, designations,
preferences and rights of the shares. Our board of directors is
also authorized to designate any qualifications, limitations or
restrictions on the shares without any further vote or action by
the holders of our common stock. The issuance of preferred stock
may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a
change in control of the Company and may adversely affect the
voting and other rights of the holders of our common stock,
which could have an adverse impact on the market price of our
common stock. We have no current plan to issue any shares of
preferred stock.
The powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional
and other special rights of each series of preferred stock, and
the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, may
differ from those of any and all other series at any time
outstanding.
Selected
Provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and
Restated By-laws and Delaware Law
Board of Directors. Our Certificate of
Incorporation and our amended and restated by-laws provide that
the number of directors constituting our board of directors
shall be fixed from time to time by our board of directors,
subject to the right of holders of any series of preferred stock
that we may issue in the future to designate additional
directors. Uncontested elections of directors are subject to a
majority vote whereby nominees must receive more votes cast
for such director than votes cast
against such director (with abstentions,
withheld votes and broker non-votes not
counted as a vote cast) and any incumbent director who fails to
receive a majority of the votes cast in such election must
submit an offer to resign to our board of directors. Our board
of directors may either accept such resignation offer or reject
such resignation offer and address the underlying cause(s) of
the votes cast against such director. In any contested election
of directors, the persons receiving a plurality of the votes
cast, up to the number of directors to be elected in such
election, will be deemed elected. Our Certificate of
Incorporation does not provide for cumulative voting in the
election of directors.
Any of our directors may be removed with or without
cause by a majority vote of the holders of our
common stock at any annual or special meeting of the
stockholders, subject to the provisions of our Certificate of
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Incorporation and our amended and restated by-laws. If a
director resigns, is removed from office or otherwise is unable
to serve, such vacancy will be filled by a vote of a majority of
the directors then serving, whether or not they represent a
quorum.
Special meetings of stockholders. Our amended
and restated by-laws provide that special meetings of our
stockholders may be called only by our chairman, our chief
executive officer or by a majority of the members of our board
of directors, excluding any vacancies or unfilled newly-created
directorships, and, subject to the rights of any holders of any
series of preferred stock that we may issue in the future, our
stockholders are not permitted to call a special meeting of
stockholders, to require that the chairman or chief executive
officer call such a special meeting, or to require that the
board of directors request the calling of a special meeting of
stockholders.
Advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals and
director nominations. Our amended and restated
by-laws establish advance notice procedures for:
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stockholders to nominate candidates for election as a
director; and
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stockholders to propose topics at annual stockholders
meetings.
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Stockholders must notify the corporate secretary in writing
prior to the meeting at which the matters are to be acted upon
or the directors are to be elected. The notice must contain the
information specified in our amended and restated by-laws
including, but not limited to, information with respect to the
beneficial ownership of our common stock
and/or the
ownership of derivative securities that have a value associated
with our common stock held by the proposing stockholder and its
associates and any voting or similar agreement the proposing
stockholder has entered into with respect to our common stock.
To be timely, the notice must be received at our corporate
headquarters not less than 90 days nor more than
120 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the
preceding years annual meeting of stockholders. If the
annual meeting is advanced by more than 30 days, or delayed
by more than 60 days, from the anniversary of the preceding
years annual meeting, to be timely, notice by the
stockholder must be received not earlier than the 120th day
prior to the annual meeting and not later than the later of the
90th day prior to the annual meeting or the 10th day
following the day on which we first notify stockholders of the
date of the annual meeting by public announcement, including
disclosures in a press release reported by a news wire service,
in a communication distributed generally to stockholders and in
a public filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission or in a public posting on our website (Public
Announcement). In the case of a special meeting of
stockholders called to elect directors, the stockholder notice
must be received not earlier than the 90th day prior to the
special meeting and not later than the later of the
60th day prior to the special meeting or the 10th day
following the day on which Public Announcement is made. These
provisions may preclude some stockholders from bringing matters
before the stockholders at an annual or special meeting or from
nominating candidates for director at an annual or special
meeting.
Action by written consent. Our Certificate of
Incorporation permits our stockholders to act only at annual and
special meetings of stockholders and not by written consent.
Notwithstanding this provision, holders of any series of
preferred stock are entitled to take action by written consent
to such extent as may be provided pursuant to any resolutions of
the board of directors with respect to any preferred stock.
Limitations on the ability of stockholders to act by written
consent included in our Certificate of Incorporation could delay
or prevent entirely a merger, acquisition or change in control
of us, which its stockholders may consider favorable.
Limitation
of Liability of Directors
Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that, to the fullest
extent permitted by applicable law, a director will not be
liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for breach
of fiduciary duty as a director.
The inclusion of this provision in our Certificate of
Incorporation may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of
derivative litigation against our directors, and may discourage
or deter stockholders or us from bringing a lawsuit against our
directors for breach of their duty of care, even though such an
action, if successful, might benefit us and our stockholders.
This provision does not limit or eliminate our rights or those
of any stockholder to seek non-monetary relief such as an
injunction or rescission in the event of a breach of a
directors duty of care. The provisions will not alter the
liability of directors under federal securities laws. In
addition, our amended and restated by-laws provide that we will
indemnify each director and officer and may indemnify
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employees and agents, as determined by our board of directors,
to the fullest extent provided by the laws of the State of
Delaware.
Anti-Takeover
Provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and
Restated By-laws and Delaware Law
In general, Section 203 of Delaware law prevents an
interested stockholder, which is defined generally as a person
owning 15% or more of the corporations outstanding voting
stock, of a Delaware corporation from engaging in a business
combination (as defined therein) for three years following the
date that person became an interested stockholder unless various
conditions are satisfied. Under our Certificate of
Incorporation, we have elected to be subject to the provisions
of Section 203. Under certain circumstances,
Section 203 makes it more difficult for a person who would
be an interested stockholder to effect various
business combinations with a corporation for a three-year period.
Transfer
Agent and Registrar
The Transfer Agent and Registrar for the common stock is BNY
Mellon Shareowner Services.
DESCRIPTION
OF THE DEPOSITARY SHARES
General
We may, at our option, elect to offer fractional shares rather
than full shares of the preferred stock of a series. In the
event that we determine to do so, we will issue receipts for
depositary shares, each of which will represent a fraction (to
be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to a
particular series of preferred stock) of a share of a particular
series of preferred stock as more fully described below.
The shares of any series of preferred stock represented by
depositary shares will be deposited under one or more deposit
agreements among us, a depositary to be named in the applicable
prospectus supplement, and the holders from time to time of
depositary receipts issued thereunder. Subject to the terms of
the applicable deposit agreement, each holder of a depositary
share will be entitled, in proportion to the applicable fraction
of a share of preferred stock represented by the depositary
share, to all the rights and preferences of the preferred stock
represented thereby (including, as applicable, dividend, voting,
redemption, subscription and liquidation rights).
The depositary shares will be evidenced by depositary receipts
issued pursuant to the deposit agreement. Depositary receipts
will be distributed to those persons purchasing the fractional
shares of the related series of preferred stock.
The following description sets forth certain general terms and
provisions of the depositary shares to which any prospectus
supplement may relate. The particular terms of the depositary
shares to which any prospectus supplement may relate and the
extent, if any, to which such general provisions may apply to
the depositary shares so offered will be described in the
applicable prospectus supplement. To the extent that any
particular terms of the depositary shares or the deposit
agreement described in a prospectus supplement differ from any
of the terms described below, then the terms described below
will be deemed to have been superseded by that prospectus
supplement relating to such deposited shares. The forms of
deposit agreement and depositary receipt will be filed as
exhibits to the documents incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
The following summary of certain provisions of the depositary
shares and deposit agreement does not purport to be complete and
is subject to, and is qualified in its entirety by express
reference to, all the provisions of the deposit agreement and
the applicable prospectus supplement, including the definitions.
Immediately following our issuance of shares of a series of
preferred stock that will be offered as fractional shares, we
will deposit the shares with the depositary, which will then
issue and deliver the depositary receipts to the purchasers
thereof. Depositary receipts will only be issued evidencing
whole depositary shares. A depositary receipt may evidence any
number of whole depositary shares.
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Pending the preparation of definitive depositary receipts, the
depositary may, upon our written order, issue temporary
depositary receipts substantially identical to (and entitling
the holders thereof to all the rights pertaining to) the
definitive depositary receipts but not in definitive form.
Definitive depositary receipts will be prepared thereafter
without unreasonable delay, and such temporary depositary
receipts will be exchangeable for definitive depositary receipts
at our expense.
Dividends
and Other Distributions
The depositary will distribute all cash dividends or other cash
distributions received in respect of the related series of
preferred stock to the record holders of depositary shares
relating to the series of preferred stock in proportion to the
number of the depositary shares owned by the holders.
In the event of a distribution other than in cash, the
depositary will distribute property received by it to the record
holders of depositary shares entitled thereto in proportion to
the number of depositary shares owned by the holders, unless the
depositary determines that the distribution cannot be made
proportionately among the holders or that it is not feasible to
make the distributions, in which case the depositary may, with
our approval, adopt any method as it deems equitable and
practicable for the purpose of effecting the distribution,
including the sale (at public or private sale) of the securities
or property thus received, or any part thereof, at the place or
places and upon those terms as it may deem proper.
The amount distributed in any of the foregoing cases will be
reduced by any amounts required to be withheld by us or the
depositary on account of taxes or other governmental charges.
Redemption
of Depositary Shares
If any series of the preferred stock underlying the depositary
shares is subject to redemption, the depositary shares will be
redeemed from the proceeds received by the depositary resulting
from any redemption, in whole or in part, of the series of the
preferred stock held by the depositary. The redemption price per
depositary share will be equal to the applicable fraction of the
redemption price per share payable with respect to the series of
the preferred stock. If we redeem shares of a series of
preferred stock held by the depositary, the depositary will
redeem as of the same redemption date the number of depositary
shares representing the shares of preferred stock so redeemed.
If less than all the depositary shares are to be redeemed, the
depositary shares to be redeemed will be selected by lot or
substantially equivalent method determined by the depositary.
After the date fixed for redemption, the depositary shares so
called for redemption will no longer be deemed to be outstanding
and all rights of the holders of the depositary shares will
cease, except the right to receive the moneys payable upon
redemption and any money or other property to which the holders
of the depositary shares were entitled upon such redemption,
upon surrender to the depositary of the depositary receipts
evidencing the depositary shares. Any funds deposited by us with
the depositary for any depositary shares that the holders
thereof fail to redeem will be returned to us after a period of
two years from the date the funds are so deposited.
Voting
the Underlying Preferred Stock
Upon receipt of notice of any meeting at which the holders of
any series of the preferred stock are entitled to vote, the
depositary will mail the information contained in the notice of
meeting to the record holders of the depositary shares relating
to the series of preferred stock. Each record holder of the
depositary shares on the record date (which will be the same
date as the record date for the related series of preferred
stock) will be entitled to instruct the depositary as to the
exercise of the voting rights pertaining to the number of shares
of the series of preferred stock represented by that
holders depositary shares. The depositary will endeavor,
insofar as practicable, to vote or cause to be voted the number
of shares of preferred stock represented by the depositary
shares in accordance with the instructions, provided the
depositary receives the instructions sufficiently in advance of
the meeting to enable it to so vote or cause to be voted the
shares of preferred stock, and we will agree to take all
reasonable action that may be deemed necessary by the depositary
in order to enable the depositary to do so. The depositary will
abstain from voting shares of the preferred stock to the extent
it does not receive specific instructions from the holders of
depositary shares representing the preferred stock.
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Withdrawal
of Stock
Upon surrender of the depositary receipts at the corporate trust
office of the depositary and upon payment of the taxes, charges
and fees provided for in the deposit agreement and subject to
the terms thereof, the holder of the depositary shares evidenced
thereby is entitled to delivery at such office, to or upon his
or her order, of the number of whole shares of the related
series of preferred stock and any money or other property, if
any, represented by the depositary shares. Holders of depositary
shares will be entitled to receive whole shares of the related
series of preferred stock, but holders of the whole shares of
preferred stock will not thereafter be entitled to deposit the
shares of preferred stock with the depositary or to receive
depositary shares therefor. If the depositary receipts delivered
by the holder evidence a number of depositary shares in excess
of the number of depositary shares representing the number of
whole shares of the related series of preferred stock to be
withdrawn, the depositary will deliver to the holder or upon his
or her order at the same time a new depositary receipt
evidencing the excess number of depositary shares.
Amendment
and Termination of a Deposit Agreement
The form of depositary receipt evidencing the depositary shares
of any series and any provision of the applicable deposit
agreement may at any time and from time to time be amended by
agreement between us and the depositary. However, any amendment
that materially adversely alters the rights of the holders of
depositary shares of any series will not be effective unless the
amendment has been approved by the holders of at least a
majority of the depositary shares of the series then
outstanding. Every holder of a depositary receipt at the time
the amendment becomes effective will be deemed, by continuing to
hold the depositary receipt, to be bound by the deposit
agreement as so amended. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no
event may any amendment impair the right of any holder of any
depositary shares, upon surrender of the depositary receipts
evidencing the depositary shares and subject to any conditions
specified in the deposit agreement, to receive shares of the
related series of preferred stock and any money or other
property represented thereby, except in order to comply with
mandatory provisions of applicable law. The deposit agreement
may be terminated by us at any time upon not less than
60 days prior written notice to the depositary, in which
case, on a date that is not later than 30 days after the
date of the notice, the depositary shall deliver or make
available for delivery to holders of depositary shares, upon
surrender of the depositary receipts evidencing the depositary
shares, the number of whole or fractional shares of the related
series of preferred stock as are represented by the depositary
shares. The deposit agreement shall automatically terminate
after all outstanding depositary shares have been redeemed or
there has been a final distribution in respect of the related
series of preferred stock in connection with any liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of us and the distribution has been
distributed to the holders of depositary shares.
Charges
of Depositary
We will pay all transfer and other taxes and the governmental
charges arising solely from the existence of the depositary
arrangements. We will pay the charges of the depositary,
including charges in connection with the initial deposit of the
related series of preferred stock and the initial issuance of
the depositary shares and all withdrawals of shares of the
related series of preferred stock, except that holders of
depositary shares will pay transfer and other taxes and
governmental charges and any other charges as are expressly
provided in the deposit agreement to be for their accounts.
Resignation
and Removal of Depositary
The depositary may resign at any time by delivering to us
written notice of its election to do so, and we may at any time
remove the depositary. Any resignation or removal is to take
effect upon the appointment of a successor depositary, which
successor depositary must be appointed within 60 days after
delivery of the notice of resignation or removal and must be a
bank or trust company having its principal office in the United
States and having a combined capital and surplus of at least
$50,000,000.
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Miscellaneous
The depositary will forward to the holders of depositary shares
all reports and communications from us that are delivered to the
depositary and which we are required to furnish to the holders
of the related preferred stock.
The depositarys corporate trust office will be identified
in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise set
forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, the depositary
will act as transfer agent and registrar for depositary receipts
and if shares of a series of preferred stock are redeemable, the
depositary will also act as redemption agent for the
corresponding depositary receipts.
DESCRIPTION
OF THE WARRANTS
The following description of the terms of the warrants sets
forth certain general terms and provisions of the warrants to
which any prospectus supplement may relate. We may issue
warrants for the purchase of senior debt securities,
subordinated debt securities, preferred stock or common stock.
Warrants may be issued independently or together with debt
securities, preferred stock or common stock offered by any
prospectus supplement and may be attached to or separate from
any such offered securities. Each series of warrants will be
issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into
between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant agent. The
warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with
the warrants and will not assume any obligation or relationship
of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners
of warrants. The following summary of certain provisions of the
warrants does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and
qualified in its entirety by reference to, the provisions of the
warrant agreement that will be filed with the SEC in connection
with the offering of such warrants.
Debt
Warrants
The prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of debt
warrants will describe the terms of such debt warrants,
including the following:
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the title of such debt warrants;
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the offering price for such debt warrants, if any;
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the aggregate number of such debt warrants;
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the designation and terms of the debt securities purchasable
upon exercise of such debt warrants;
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if applicable, the designation and terms of the debt securities
with which such debt warrants are issued and the number of such
debt warrants issued with each such debt security;
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if applicable, the date from and after which such debt warrants
and any debt securities issued therewith will be separately
transferable;
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the principal amount of debt securities purchasable upon
exercise of a debt warrant and the price at which such principal
amount of debt securities may be purchased upon exercise (which
price may be payable in cash, securities or other property);
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the date on which the right to exercise such debt warrants shall
commence and the date on which such right shall expire;
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if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of such debt
warrants that may be exercised at any one time;
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whether the debt warrants represented by the debt warrant
certificates or debt securities that may be issued upon exercise
of the debt warrants will be issued in registered or bearer form;
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information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any;
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the currency or currency units in which the offering price, if
any, and the exercise price are payable;
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if applicable, a discussion of material United States Federal
income tax considerations;
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the antidilution or adjustment provisions of such debt warrants,
if any;
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the redemption or call provisions, if any, applicable to such
debt warrants; and
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any additional terms of such debt warrants, including terms,
procedures, and limitations relating to the exchange and
exercise of such debt warrants.
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Stock
Warrants
The prospectus supplement relating to any particular issue of
preferred stock warrants or common stock warrants will describe
the terms of such warrants, including the following:
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the title of such warrants;
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the offering price for such warrants, if any;
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the aggregate number of such warrants;
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the designation and terms of the preferred stock purchasable
upon exercise of such warrants;
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if applicable, the designation and terms of the offered
securities with which such warrants are issued and the number of
such warrants issued with each such offered security;
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if applicable, the date from and after which such warrants and
any offered securities issued therewith will be separately
transferable;
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the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock
purchasable upon exercise of a warrant and the price at which
such shares may be purchased upon exercise;
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the date on which the right to exercise such warrants shall
commence and the date on which such right shall expire;
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if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of such warrants
that may be exercised at any one time;
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the currency or currency units in which the offering price, if
any, and the exercise price are payable;
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if applicable, a discussion of material United States Federal
income tax considerations;
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the antidilution provisions of such warrants, if any;
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the redemption or call provisions, if any, applicable to such
warrants; and
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any additional terms of such warrants, including terms,
procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise
of such warrants.
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DESCRIPTION
OF THE PURCHASE CONTRACTS
We may issue, from time to time, purchase contracts, including
contracts obligating holders to purchase from us and us to sell
to the holders, a specified principal amount of senior debt
securities, subordinated debt securities, or a specified number
of shares of common stock or preferred stock or any of the other
securities that we may sell under this prospectus at a future
date or dates. The consideration payable upon settlement of the
purchase contracts may be fixed at the time the purchase
contracts are issued or may be determined by a specific
reference to a formula set forth in the purchase contracts. The
purchase contracts may be issued separately or as part of units
consisting of a purchase contract and other securities or
obligations issued by us or third parties, including United
States treasury securities, securing the holders
obligations to purchase the relevant securities under the
purchase contracts. The purchase contracts may require us to
make periodic payments to the holders of the purchase contracts
or units or vice versa, and the payments may be unsecured or
prefunded on some basis. The purchase contracts may require
holders to secure their obligations under the purchase contracts.
The prospectus supplement related to any particular purchase
contracts will describe, among other things, the material terms
of the purchase contracts and of the securities being sold
pursuant to such purchase contracts, and a discussion, if
appropriate, of any special United States Federal income tax
considerations applicable to the purchase
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contracts and any material provisions governing the purchase
contracts that differ from those described above. The
description in the prospectus supplement will not necessarily be
complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to
the purchase contracts, and, if applicable, collateral
arrangements and depositary arrangements, relating to the
purchase contracts.
DESCRIPTION
OF THE UNITS
We may, from time to time, issue units comprised of one or more
of the other securities that may be offered under this
prospectus, in any combination. Each unit will be issued so that
the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security
included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the
rights and obligations of a holder of each included security.
The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that
the securities included in the unit may not be held or
transferred separately at any time, or at any time before a
specified date.
Any prospectus supplement related to any particular units will
describe, among other things:
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the material terms of the units and of the securities comprising
the units, including whether and under what circumstances those
securities may be held or transferred separately;
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any material provisions relating to the issuance, payment,
settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the
securities comprising the units;
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if appropriate, any special United States Federal income tax
considerations applicable to the units; and
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any material provisions of the governing unit agreement that
differ from those described above.
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PLAN OF
DISTRIBUTION
We may offer and sell the securities in any one or more of the
following ways:
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to or through underwriters, brokers or dealers;
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directly to one or more other purchasers;
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through a block trade in which the broker or dealer engaged to
handle the block trade will attempt to sell the securities as
agent, but may position and resell a portion of the block as
principal to facilitate the transaction;
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through agents on a best-efforts basis; or
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otherwise through a combination of any of the above methods of
sale.
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Each time we sell securities, we will provide a prospectus
supplement that will name any underwriter, dealer or agent
involved in the offer and sale of the securities. The prospectus
supplement will also set forth the terms of the offering,
including:
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the purchase price of the securities and the proceeds we will
receive from the sale of the securities;
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any underwriting discounts and other items constituting
underwriters compensation;
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any public offering or purchase price and any discounts or
commissions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers;
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any commissions allowed or paid to agents;
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any securities exchanges on which the securities may be listed;
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the method of distribution of the securities;
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the terms of any agreement, arrangement or understanding entered
into with the underwriters, brokers or dealers; and
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any other information we think is important.
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If underwriters or dealers are used in the sale, the securities
will be acquired by the underwriters or dealers for their own
account. The securities may be sold from time to time in one or
more transactions:
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at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed;
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at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;
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at prices related to such prevailing market prices;
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at varying prices determined at the time of sale; or
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at negotiated prices.
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Such sales may be effected:
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in transactions on any national securities exchange or quotation
service on which the securities may be listed or quoted at the
time of sale;
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in transactions in the
over-the-counter
market;
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in block transactions in which the broker or dealer so engaged
will attempt to sell the securities as agent but may position
and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the
transaction, or in crosses, in which the same broker acts as an
agent on both sides of the trade;
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through the writing of options; or
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through other types of transactions.
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The securities may be offered to the public either through
underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing
underwriters or directly by one or more of such firms. Unless
otherwise set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, the
obligations of underwriters or dealers to purchase the
securities offered will be subject to certain conditions
precedent and the underwriters or dealers will be obligated to
purchase all the offered securities if any are purchased. Any
public offering price and any discount or concession allowed or
reallowed or paid by underwriters or dealers to other dealers
may be changed from time to time.
The securities may be sold directly by us or through agents
designated by us from time to time. Any agent involved in the
offer or sale of the securities in respect of which this
prospectus is delivered will be named, and any commissions
payable by us to such agent will be set forth in, the applicable
prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise indicated in the
applicable prospectus supplement, any such agent will be acting
on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment.
Offers to purchase the securities offered by this prospectus may
be solicited, and sales of the securities may be made, by us
directly to institutional investors or others, who may be deemed
to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with
respect to any resale of the securities. The terms of any offer
made in this manner will be included in the prospectus
supplement relating to the offer.
If indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will
authorize underwriters, dealers or agents to solicit offers by
certain institutional investors to purchase securities from us
pursuant to contracts providing for payment and delivery at a
future date. Institutional investors with which these contracts
may be made include, among others:
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commercial and savings banks;
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insurance companies;
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pension funds;
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investment companies; and
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educational and charitable institutions.
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In all cases, these purchasers must be approved by us. Unless
otherwise set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, the
obligations of any purchaser under any of these contracts will
not be subject to any conditions
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except that (a) the purchase of the securities must not at
the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of any
jurisdiction to which that purchaser is subject, and (b) if
the securities are also being sold to underwriters, we must have
sold to these underwriters the securities not subject to delayed
delivery.
Underwriters and other agents will not have any responsibility
in respect of the validity or performance of these contracts.
Some of the underwriters, dealers or agents used by us in any
offering of securities under this prospectus may be customers
of, engage in transactions with, and perform services for us,
TWE and TW NY or other affiliates of ours in the ordinary course
of business. Underwriters, dealers, agents and other persons may
be entitled under agreements which may be entered into with us
to indemnification against and contribution toward certain civil
liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and
to be reimbursed by us for certain expenses.
Subject to any restrictions relating to debt securities in
bearer form, any securities initially sold outside the United
States may be resold in the United States through underwriters,
dealers or otherwise.
Any underwriters to which offered securities are sold by us for
public offering and sale may make a market in such securities,
but those underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may
discontinue any market making at any time.
The anticipated date of delivery of the securities offered by
this prospectus will be described in the applicable prospectus
supplement relating to the offering.
If more than 10 percent of the net proceeds of any offering
of securities made under this prospectus will be received by
members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, which we
refer to in this prospectus as FINRA, participating
in the offering or by affiliates or associated persons of such
FINRA members, the offering will be conducted in accordance with
NASD Conduct Rule 210(h). The maximum compensation we will
pay to underwriters in connection with any offering of the
securities will not exceed 8% of the maximum proceeds of such
offering.
To comply with the securities laws of some states, if
applicable, the securities may be sold in these jurisdictions
only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In
addition, in some states the securities may not be sold unless
they have been registered or qualified for sale or an exemption
from registration or qualification requirements is available and
is complied with.
LEGAL
MATTERS
Certain legal matters in connection with the offered securities
will be passed upon for us, TWE and TW NY by Paul, Weiss,
Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, New York, New York.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements of Time Warner Cable Inc.
included in the Companys Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2010 and the effectiveness
of the Companys internal control over financial reporting
as of December 31, 2010, have been audited by
Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public
accounting firm, as set forth in their reports thereon and
incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial
statements are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon
such reports given on the authority of such firm as experts in
accounting and auditing.
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£ % Notes
due 2031
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
SUPPLEMENT
May ,
2011
Joint Book-Running Managers
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Barclays
Bank |
Deutsche Bank |
The Royal Bank of Scotland |
UBS Investment Bank |