UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )

Filed by the Registrant þ
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant o

Check the appropriate box:

o      Preliminary Proxy Statement

o      Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

þ      Definitive Proxy Statement

o     Definitive Additional Materials

o      Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

þ     No fee required.

o     Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.

	(1)		Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
	(2)		Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:
	(3)		Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):
	(4)		Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:
	(5)		Total fee paid:

o     Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

o     Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.

	(1)		Amount Previously Paid:
	(2)		Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
	(3)		Filing Party:
	(4)		Date Filed:

 

 

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2009

 

 

To our Stockholders:

 

You are cordially invited to attend our Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be held on Wednesday, May 27, 2009, at 9:00 a.m., New York City time, in The Auditorium at The Equitable Center, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019. The annual meeting is being held to:

 

1. Elect twelve directors.

 

2. Approve an amendment to our certificate of incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of our common stock from 8,000,000,000 to 9,000,000,000 shares.

 

3. Approve an amendment to our certificate of incorporation to (i) effect a reverse stock split of our common stock by a ratio of not less than one-for-ten and not more than one-for-fifty at any time prior to June 30, 2010, with the exact ratio to be set at a whole number within this range to be determined by our board of directors in its discretion, and (ii) reduce the number of authorized shares of our common stock as set forth in the proxy statement. Our stockholders approved an amendment to our certificate of incorporation at our 2008 annual meeting of stockholders held on December 18, 2008 to authorize an amendment to our certificate of incorporation to effect a reverse stock split, increase the number of authorized shares under our certificate of incorporation following a reverse stock split, and provide for certain other actions described herein. Approval of this amendment to our certificate of incorporation would extend previous authority to effect a reverse stock split to June 30, 2010 from December 31, 2009.

 

4. Approve the Sirius XM Radio Inc. 2009 Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan.

 

5. Ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accountants for 2009.

 

6. Transact any other business, including consideration of one stockholder proposal, that may properly come before the meeting and any adjournments thereof.

 

Only stockholders of record at the close of business on March 30, 2009 are entitled to vote at the annual meeting. A list of stockholders entitled to vote will be available for examination for the ten days prior to the annual meeting, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., New York City time, at our offices at 1221 Avenue of the Americas, 36th Floor, New York, New York 10020.

 

Whether or not you expect to attend in person, we urge you to vote your shares via the Internet, by phone, or by signing, dating, and returning the enclosed proxy card at your earliest convenience. This will ensure the presence of a quorum at the meeting. If you wish to vote your shares by mail, an addressed envelope for which no postage is required if mailed in the United States is enclosed.

 

Voting over the Internet or by telephone is fast, convenient, and your vote is immediately confirmed and tabulated. Most important, by using the Internet or telephone, you help us reduce postage and proxy tabulation costs. If you received a paper copy of the proxy materials, please do not return the enclosed paper ballot if you are voting over the Internet or by telephone.

 

If You Plan to Attend

 

Please note that space limitations make it necessary to limit attendance to stockholders. Admission to the meeting will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Stockholders holding stock in brokerage accounts (“street name” holders) will need to bring a copy of a brokerage statement reflecting stock ownership as of the record date to enter the meeting. Cameras, recording devices and other electronic equipment will not be permitted in the meeting.

 

By Order of the Board of Directors,

 

 

PATRICK L. DONNELLY

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

 

New York, New York

April 30, 2009

 

Table of Contents

 

 

 

PROXY STATEMENT

 

 

This proxy statement contains information related to the annual meeting of stockholders of Sirius XM Radio Inc. to be held on Wednesday, May 27, 2009, beginning at 9:00 a.m., New York City time, in The Auditorium at The Equitable Center, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, and at any postponements or adjournments thereof. This proxy statement is being distributed or made available, as the case may be, to stockholders on or about May 5, 2009.

 

A copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, except for exhibits, will be furnished without charge to any stockholder upon written request to Sirius XM Radio Inc., Attention: Corporate Secretary, 1221 Avenue of the Americas, 36th Floor, New York, New York 10020.

 

At our annual meeting, stockholders will act upon the matters outlined in the Notice of Annual Meeting, including:

 

 

An affiliate of Liberty Media Corporation owns all of the outstanding shares of our Series B-1 Preferred Stock. That holder of the Series B-1 Preferred Stock does not have the right to vote with the holders of our common stock and the holders of our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock to elect the Common Stock Directors at the annual meeting. Instead, the Series B-1 Preferred Stock is entitled to designate and elect up to six members of our board of directors (the “Preferred Stock Directors”). Gregory B. Maffei was elected to our board of directors on March 17, 2009 as a Preferred Stock Director, and John C. Malone and David J.A. Flowers were elected to our board of directors on April 21, 2009 as Preferred Stock Directors. Liberty Media Corporation has informed us that, at this time, it does not intend to exercise its rights to appoint additional members to our board of directors.

 

At the annual meeting management will also report on our performance and respond to questions from stockholders.

 

Each holder of our common stock is entitled to one vote per common share on all matters to be acted upon at the annual meeting and the holder of our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock is entitled to 1/5 of a vote per share of our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock on all matters to be acted upon at the annual meeting. Holders of our common stock shall also vote separately as a class to approve each amendment to our certificate of incorporation.

 

The holder of our Series B-1 Preferred Stock does not have the right to vote with the holders of our common stock and our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock to elect the Common Stock Directors at the annual meeting. On all other matters submitted to a vote of the holders of our common stock, the holder of our Series B-1 Preferred Stock is entitled to slightly less than 207 votes per share of Series B-1 Preferred Stock, voting together with the holders of our common stock and Series A Convertible Preferred Stock as a single class. On the record date, 3,856,414,132 shares of our common stock were outstanding. In addition, 24,808,959 shares of our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, representing aggregate voting power of 4,961,792 shares of common stock, and 12,500,000 shares of our Series B-1 Preferred Stock, representing aggregate voting power of 2,586,976,762 shares of common stock, are outstanding.

 

Assuming the presence of a quorum, the twelve Common Stock Directors who receive the most votes from the holders of shares of our common stock and our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock for their election will be elected, i.e., the affirmative vote of the holders of a plurality of the shares of common stock and Series A Convertible Preferred Stock voting at the annual meeting is required for the election of the Common Stock Directors, voting together as a single class.

 

Approval of an amendment to our certificate of incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of our common stock from 8,000,000,000 to 9,000,000,000 shares requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of our common stock, our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and our Series B-1 Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class, and a majority of holders of our common stock, voting as a separate class. As a result, abstentions and broker non-votes will have the same effect as negative votes.

 

Approval of an amendment to our certificate of incorporation to effect a reverse stock split of our outstanding common stock at a ratio of not less than one-for-ten and not more than one-for-fifty, with the exact ratio to be set at a whole number within this range to be determined by our board of directors, together with the reduction in the number of authorized shares of our common stock as set forth in Item 3 below, requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of our common stock, our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and our Series B-1 Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class, and a majority of holders of our common stock, voting as a separate class. As a result, abstentions and broker non-votes will have the same effect as negative votes.

 

The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of our common stock, our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and our Series B-1 Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class, present, in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote at the annual meeting is required to ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accountants, to approve the Sirius XM Radio Inc. 2009 Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan and to act upon any other matter that may properly come before the meeting.

 

We will announce preliminary results at the annual meeting. We will report final results in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the second quarter of 2009.

 

Subject to space availability, all stockholders as of March 30, 2009 (the “Record Date”), or their duly appointed proxies, may attend the meeting. Since seating is limited, admission to the meeting will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration and seating will begin at 8:30 a.m., New York City time.

 

The presence, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock, our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and our Series B-1 Preferred Stock entitled to vote at the annual meeting is necessary to constitute a quorum to transact business. In addition, the presence, in person or by proxy, of a majority of the voting power of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote at the annual meeting is necessary to constitute a quorum to transact business with regards to the proposals amending our certificate of incorporation. If a quorum is not present or represented at the annual meeting, the stockholders entitled to vote thereat, present in person or by proxy, may adjourn the annual meeting from time to time without notice or other announcement until a quorum is present or represented.

 

As of the Record Date, holders of our common stock and our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock held approximately 60% of the general voting power, and holders of our Series B-1 Preferred Stock held approximately 40% of the general voting power. General voting power refers to all securities entitled to vote at the annual meeting. With respect to an individual proposal, voting power refers to all securities entitled to vote on the proposal.

 

Brokers who hold shares on behalf of their customers have the authority to vote on certain proposals when they have not received instructions from beneficial owners. A broker non-vote occurs when a broker holding shares for a beneficial owner does not vote on a particular proposal because the broker does not have discretionary voting power with respect to that item and has not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner.

 

Stockholders of record can vote as follows:

 

 

If your shares are held in “street name,” please check your proxy card or contact your broker or nominee to determine whether you will be able to vote by telephone or electronically. The deadline for voting by telephone or electronically is 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Tuesday, May 26, 2009. “Street name”

stockholders who wish to vote in person at the meeting will need to obtain a proxy form from the institution that holds their shares.

 

This proxy statement and the 2008 Annual Report to Stockholders are available at http://bnymellon.mobular.net/bnymellon/siri.

 

 

As permitted by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, only one copy of this proxy statement and annual report is being delivered to stockholders residing at the same address, unless the stockholders have notified us of their desire to receive multiple copies of our proxy statement. This is known as householding.

 

We will promptly deliver, upon oral or written request, a separate copy of this proxy statement and annual report to any stockholder residing at an address to which only one copy was mailed. Requests for additional copies for this year or future years should be directed to: Sirius XM Radio Inc., Attention: Corporate Secretary, 1221 Avenue of the Americas, 36th Floor, New York, New York 10020.

 

Stockholders of record residing at the same address and currently receiving multiple copies of this proxy statement may contact our Corporate Secretary to request that only a single copy of our proxy statement be mailed in the future.

 

 

Yes. You may change your vote at any time before your shares are voted at the annual meeting by:

 

 

However, if you have shares held through a brokerage firm, bank or other custodian, you may revoke your instructions only by informing the custodian in accordance with any procedures it has established.

 

 

A representative of BNY Mellon Shareowner Services will tabulate the votes and act as inspector of elections.

 

 

A proxy is a person you appoint to vote on your behalf. We are soliciting your vote so that all shares of our common stock may be voted at the annual meeting.

 

 

You will be designating Patrick L. Donnelly, our Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, and Ruth A. Ziegler, our Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, as your proxies. However, you may appoint a person (who need not be a stockholder) other than Patrick L. Donnelly and Ruth A. Ziegler to represent you at the meeting by completing another proper proxy.

 

 

Your proxy will vote according to your instructions. If you complete your proxy card but do not indicate your vote on one or all of the business matters, your proxy will vote “FOR” items 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 and “AGAINST” item 6. Also, your proxy is authorized to vote on any other business that properly comes before the annual meeting in accordance with the recommendation of our board of directors.

 

If any Common Stock Director nominee becomes unavailable for election, votes will be cast for such substitute nominee or nominees as may be designated by our board of directors, unless our board of directors reduces the number of directors on our board.

 

SIRIUS XM is soliciting your proxy. The cost of soliciting proxies will be borne by SIRIUS XM, which has engaged MacKenzie Partners, Inc. to assist in the distribution and solicitation of proxies. We have agreed to pay MacKenzie $10,000 plus reimburse the firm for its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses. We will also reimburse brokerage firms, banks and other custodians for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for forwarding these proxy materials to you. Our directors, officers and employees may solicit proxies on our behalf by telephone or in writing.

 

To be eligible for inclusion in our proxy statement and form of proxy for next year’s annual meeting, stockholder proposals must be submitted in writing by the close of business on December 24, 2009, which would be at least 120 days prior to the anticipated 2010 meeting, to Patrick L. Donnelly, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Sirius XM Radio Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, 36th Floor, New York, New York 10020.

 

If any proposal that is not submitted for inclusion in next year’s proxy statement (as described in the preceding paragraph) is instead sought to be presented directly at next year’s annual meeting, the proxies may vote in their discretion if (a) we receive notice of the proposal before the close of business on March 9, 2010 and advise stockholders in next year’s proxy statement about the nature of the matter and how management intends to vote on such matter or (b) we do not receive notice of the proposal prior to the close of business on March 9, 2010. Notices of intention to present proposals at next year’s annual meeting should be addressed to Patrick L. Donnelly, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Sirius XM Radio Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, 36th Floor, New York, New York 10020.

 

The following table sets forth information regarding beneficial ownership of our common stock as of April 29, 2009 by each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding common stock. In general, “beneficial ownership” includes those shares a person has the power to vote or transfer, and options to acquire our common stock that are exercisable currently or become exercisable within 60 days. We believe that the beneficial owner of the common stock listed below, based on information furnished by this owner, has sole investment and voting power with respect to these shares.

 

 

 

 

The following table shows the number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by each of our directors, our Chief Executive Officer, our Chief Financial Officer and the four other most highly compensated executive officers as of February 28, 2009. The table also shows common stock beneficially owned by all of our directors and executive officers as a group as of February 28, 2009.

 

 

 

 

 

Based solely upon a review of Form 4s furnished to us during our most recent fiscal year, we know of no director, executive officer or beneficial owner of more than ten percent of our common stock who failed to file on a timely basis reports of beneficial ownership of our common stock as required by Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, other than a late filing by Ms. Dara Altman and Mr. James Rhyu, our former Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer, in connection with the sale of certain common stock to pay federal and state taxes associated with the vesting of restricted stock in December 2008.

 

Shareholder Rights Plan

 

On April 28, 2009, our board of directors adopted a rights plan to protect against limitations on our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax benefits to reduce potential future federal income tax obligations. The rights plan is intended to act as a deterrent to any person or group acquiring 4.9% or more of our outstanding common stock (assuming for purposes of this calculation that all of our outstanding convertible preferred stock is converted into common stock) without the approval of our board of directors. We plan to submit the rights plan to a stockholder vote by June 30, 2010, and if stockholders do not approve the rights plan by this date it will terminate. The rights plan will expire on the earlier of (i) August 1, 2011 and (ii) June 30, 2010 if our stockholders have not approved the rights plan as noted above. Additional information regarding the rights plan is available in the Current Report on Form 8-K dated April 29, 2009 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

The business and affairs of our company are managed by or under the direction of our board of directors. Our board reviews and ratifies senior management selection and compensation, monitors overall corporate performance and ensures the integrity of our financial controls. Our board of directors also oversees our strategic and business planning processes.

 

Our board of directors maintains an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee and a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

 

A copy of the charters for the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are available on our website at www.siriusxm.com. The Compensation Committee has not adopted a charter.

 

The number of committee meetings held during 2008 are as follows: 12 audit committee meetings, 5 compensation committee meetings and one nominating and corporate governance committee meeting.

 

The following table shows the current members and chair of each committee and the principal functions performed by each committee:

 

 

 

 

All Common Stock Directors stand for election annually. The Preferred Stock Directors will serve until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified pursuant to the Certificate of Designations for the Series B-1 Preferred Stock. Our board reaffirms its accountability to common stockholders through this annual election process.

 

Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviews possible candidates to be Common Stock Directors and is responsible for overseeing matters of corporate governance, including the evaluation of performance and practices of the board of directors, the board’s committees, management succession plans and executive resources. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers suggestions from many sources, including stockholders, for possible Common Stock Directors. Such suggestions, together with appropriate biographical information, should be submitted to our Corporate Secretary, Sirius XM Radio Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, 36th Floor, New York, New York 10020. Candidates who are suggested by our stockholders are evaluated by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in the same manner as are other possible candidates to be Common Stock Directors. During 2008, our board of directors did not retain any third parties to assist in the process of identifying and evaluating potential nominees to be Common Stock Directors.

 

In its assessment of each potential candidate, including those recommended by stockholders, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee takes into account all factors it considers appropriate, which may include (a) ensuring that the board of directors, as a whole, is diverse and consists of individuals with various and relevant career experience, relevant technical skills, industry knowledge and experience, financial expertise (including expertise that could qualify a director as a “financial expert,” as that term is defined by the rules of the SEC), local or community ties and (b) minimum individual qualifications, including strength of character, mature judgment, familiarity with our business and related industries, independence of thought and an ability to work collegially. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also may consider the extent to which the candidate would fill a present need on the board of directors. After conducting an initial evaluation of a candidate, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will interview that candidate if it believes the candidate might be suitable to be a Common Stock Director and may also ask the candidate to meet with other directors and management. If the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee believes a candidate would be a valuable addition to the board of directors, it will recommend to the full board that candidate’s election as a Common Stock Director.

 

Gary M. Parsons is the chairman of our board of directors. The chairman of our board organizes the work of the board and ensures that the board has access to sufficient information to enable the board to carry out its functions, including monitoring our performance and the performance of management. The chairman, among other things, presides over meetings of the board of directors, establishes the agendas of each meeting of the board in consultation with our Chief Executive Officer, oversees the distribution of information to directors, and performs other duties or assignments as agreed with either the board of directors or our Chief Executive Officer.

 

Our board reviews the independence of our directors annually. The provisions of our Corporate Governance Guidelines regarding director independence meet, and in some areas exceed, the listing standards of the NASDAQ Global Select Market. A copy of the Guidelines is available on our website at www.siriusxm.com.

 

Pursuant to the Guidelines, the board undertook a review of director independence in January 2009 and April 2009. As part of this review, we reviewed written questionnaires submitted by each director. The questionnaires disclose transactions and relationships between each director or members of his immediate family and SIRIUS XM, other directors, members of our senior management and our affiliates.

As a result of this review, the board determined that all of our directors and nominees are independent of the company and its management under the standards set forth in our Guidelines, with the exception of Mel Karmazin and Gary M. Parsons, each of whom is an employee, Chester A. Huber, Jr. and John W. Mendel, who are employees of General Motors and American Honda, respectively, and Gregory B. Maffei, John C. Malone and David J.A. Flowers, each of whom is an employee of Liberty Media Corporation. With respect to Joan L. Amble, the board evaluated ordinary course transactions during the last three fiscal years between us and the American Express Company, for which she serves as an executive officer, and found that the amount paid by us to American Express was less than 5% of American Express’ consolidated gross revenues during its last three fiscal years.

 

The board has also determined that all of the members of the Audit Committee are financially literate and meet the independence requirements mandated by the applicable NASDAQ listing standards, Section 10A(m)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and our Guidelines. The board has determined that all of the members of the Compensation Committee meet the independence requirements mandated by the applicable NASDAQ listing standards, the rules of the SEC and the Internal Revenue Service applicable to serving on the Compensation Committee and our Guidelines. The board has determined that all of the members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee meet the independence requirements mandated by the NASDAQ listing standards applicable to serving on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and our Guidelines.

 

We have adopted a written policy and written procedures for the review, approval and monitoring of transactions involving the company and “related persons.” For the purposes of the policy, “related persons” include executive officers, directors and director nominees or their immediate family members, or stockholders owning five percent or greater of our common stock.

 

Our related person transaction policy requires:

 

 

In connection with the review and approval or ratification of a related person transaction, management must:

 

 

In addition, the related person transaction policy provides that the Compensation Committee, in connection with any approval or ratification of a related person transaction involving a non-employee director or director nominee, should consider whether such transaction would compromise the director or director nominee’s status as an “independent,” “outside,” or “non-employee” director, as applicable, under the rules and regulations of the SEC, NASDAQ and Internal Revenue Code.

 

Since the beginning of 2008, we did not enter into any transactions with related persons that were subject to our related person transaction policy.

 

Relationship with General Motors

 

Distribution Agreement

 

Our wholly-owned subsidiary, XM Satellite Radio Inc. (“XM”), has a long-term distribution agreement with General Motors Corp. GM has a representative on our board of directors and is considered a related party. During the term of the agreement, which expires in 2020, GM has agreed to distribute the XM service.

 

In order to encourage the broad installation of XM radios in GM vehicles, XM has agreed to subsidize a portion of the cost of XM radios, and to make incentive payments to GM when the owners of GM vehicles with installed XM radios become subscribers to XM’s service. XM must also share with GM a percentage of the subscription revenue attributable to GM vehicles with installed XM radios. As part of the agreement, GM provides certain call-center related services directly to XM subscribers who are also GM customers for which we reimburse GM.

 

Bandwidth

 

XM has agreed to make bandwidth available to OnStar Corporation for audio and data transmissions to owners of XM-enabled GM vehicles, regardless of whether they are XM subscribers. XM can use the bandwidth until it is actually used by OnStar. OnStar’s use of XM’s bandwidth must be in compliance with applicable laws, must not compete or adversely interfere with XM’s business, and must meet XM’s quality standards. XM also granted to OnStar a certain amount of time to use XM’s studios on an annual basis and agreed to provide certain audio content for distribution on OnStar’s services.

 

Relationship with American Honda

 

XM has agreed to make a certain amount of its bandwidth available to American Honda. American Honda has a representative on our board of directors and is considered a related party. XM can use the bandwidth until it is actually used by American Honda. American Honda’s use of XM’s bandwidth must be in compliance with applicable laws, must not compete or adversely interfere with XM’s business, and must meet XM’s quality standards. This agreement remains in effect so long as American Honda holds a certain amount of its investment in us. In January 2007, XM announced a 10-year extension to its arrangement with American Honda to be its supplier of satellite radio and related data services in Honda and Acura vehicles. XM also agreed to make incentive payments to American Honda for each purchaser of a Honda or Acura vehicle that becomes a self-paying XM subscriber and share with American Honda a portion of the subscription revenue attributable to Honda and Acura vehicles with installed XM radios.

 

Relationship with Liberty Media

 

Liberty Media Corporation and its affiliate, Liberty Media, LLC, have invested in us an aggregate of $350 million in the form of loans, and are committed to invest an additional $180 million in loans.

 

Sirius Credit Agreement

 

On February 17, 2009, we entered into a Credit Agreement (the “Sirius Credit Agreement”) with Liberty Media Corporation, as administrative agent and collateral agent, and Liberty Media, LLC, as lender. The Sirius Credit Agreement provides for a $250 million term loan and $30 million of purchase money loans.

Concurrently with entering into the Sirius Credit Agreement, we borrowed $250 million under the term loan facility.

 

The loans under the Sirius Credit Agreement bear interest at a rate of 15% per annum. Commencing on March 31, 2010, the loans amortize in quarterly installments equal to: (i) 0.25% of the aggregate principal amount of the loans outstanding on January 1, 2010 and (ii) after December 31, 2011, 25% of the aggregate principal amount of the loans outstanding on January 1, 2012. The loan matures on December 20, 2012. We paid Liberty Media Corporation a structuring fee of $30 million in connection with the Sirius Credit Agreement. In addition, we pay a commitment fee of 2% per annum on the unused portion of the purchase money loan facility.

 

The loans under the Sirius Credit Agreement are guaranteed by Satellite CD Radio, Inc. and Sirius Asset Management Company LLC, our wholly owned subsidiaries. The loans are secured by a lien on substantially all of our assets. The affirmative covenants, negative covenants and event of default provisions in the Sirius Credit Agreement are substantially similar to those in the Term Credit Agreement, dated as of June 20, 2007, among us, the lenders party thereto and Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., as administrative agent and collateral agent.

 

Investment Agreement

 

On February 17, 2009, we entered into an investment Agreement (the “Investment Agreement”) with Liberty Radio, LLC, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation. Pursuant to the Investment Agreement, we agreed to issue to Liberty Radio, LLC 12,500,000 shares of convertible preferred stock with a liquidation preference of $0.001 per share in partial consideration for the loan investments described herein. The preferred stock was issued on March 6, 2009, as described below. See “Relationship with Liberty Media — Issuance of the Preferred Stock”.

 

The preferred stock is convertible into 40% of our outstanding shares of common stock (after giving effect to such conversion). Liberty Radio, LLC has agreed not to acquire more than 49.9% of our outstanding common stock for three years from the date the preferred stock was issued, except that Liberty Radio, LLC may acquire more than 49.9% of our outstanding common stock at any time after the second anniversary of such date pursuant to any cash tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of our common stock that are not beneficially owned by Liberty Radio, LLC or its affiliates at a price per share greater than the closing price of the common stock on the trading day preceding the earlier of the public announcement or commencement of such tender offer. The Investment Agreement also provides for certain other standstill provisions during such three year period.

 

The rights, preferences and privileges of the preferred stock are set forth in the Certificate of Designations of Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series B-1 (the “Certificate of Designations”), filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. The holder of our preferred stock is entitled to appoint a proportionate number of our board of directors based on its ownership levels from time to time. The Certificate of Designations also provides that so long as at least 6,250,000 shares of Series B-1 Preferred Stock are outstanding, we need the consent of the holder of the Series B-1 Preferred Stock for certain actions, including:

 

 

The preferred stock, with respect to dividend rights, ranks on a parity with our common stock, and with respect to rights on liquidation, winding-up and dissolution, ranks senior to our common stock. Dividends on the preferred stock are payable, on a non-cumulative basis, as and if declared on our common stock, in cash, on an as-converted basis.

XM Credit Agreement

 

On February 17, 2009, XM, entered into a Credit Agreement with Liberty Media Corporation, as administrative agent and collateral agent, and Liberty Media, LLC, as lender.

 

On March 6, 2009, XM amended and restated that credit agreement (the “Second-Lien Credit Agreement”) with Liberty Media Corporation. Pursuant to the Second-Lien Credit Agreement, XM may borrow $150 million of term loans on December 1, 2009. The proceeds of these loans will be used to repay a portion of the 10% Convertible Notes due 2009 of our wholly-owned subsidiary, and the parent of XM, XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (“XM Holdings”) on the stated maturity date thereof. The Second-Lien Credit Agreement matures on March 1, 2011, and bears interest at 15% per annum. XM pays a commitment fee of 2% per annum on the undrawn portion of the Second-Lien Credit Agreement until the date of disbursement of the loans or the termination of the commitments.

 

The loans under the Second-Lien Credit Agreement are guaranteed by XM Holdings and each of the subsidiary guarantors named therein. The loan is secured by a second-lien on substantially all the assets of XM Holdings, XM and certain subsidiaries named therein. The affirmative covenants, negative covenants and event of default provisions contained in the Second-Lien Credit Agreement are substantially similar to those contained in the First-Lien Credit Agreement (as defined below).

 

Amendment and Restatement of Existing XM Bank Facilities

 

On March 6, 2009, XM amended and restated (i) the $100 million Credit Agreement, dated as of June 26, 2008, among XM, XM Holdings, the lenders named therein and UBS AG, as administrative agent (the “UBS Term Loan”) and (ii) the $250 million Credit Agreement, dated as of May 5, 2006, among XM, XM Holdings, the lenders named therein and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (the “JPM Revolver” and, together with the UBS Term Loan, the “Previous Facilities”). The Previous Facilities were combined as term loans into the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of March 6, 2009, among XM, XM Holdings, the lenders named therein and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (the “First-Lien Credit Agreement”), and Liberty Media, LLC purchased $100 million aggregate principal amount of such loans from the lenders. XM paid a restructuring fee of 2% to the existing lenders under the Previous Facilities.

 

Loans under the First-Lien Credit Agreement held by existing lenders (the “Tranche A” and the “Tranche B” term loans) mature on May 5, 2010 and the remaining loans purchased by Liberty (the “Tranche C” term loans) mature on May 5, 2011. The Tranche A and the Tranche B term loans are subject to four scheduled quarterly amortization payments of $25 million, which amortization started on March 31, 2009. The Tranche C term loans are subject to a partial amortization of $25 million on March 31, 2010, with all remaining amounts due on the final maturity date. Pursuant to these maturities and the scheduled amortization payments, of the outstanding principal amount, $100 million of the $350 million is due in 2009; $175 million is due in 2010; and $75 million is due in 2011. The loans bear interest at rates ranging from prime plus 11% to LIBOR (subject to a 3% floor) plus 12%.

 

The loans under the First-Lien Credit Agreement are guaranteed by XM Holdings and each of the subsidiary guarantors named therein. The loans are secured by a first-lien on substantially all of the assets of XM Holdings, XM and certain subsidiaries named therein. The affirmative covenants, negative covenants and event of default provisions contained in the First-Lien Credit Agreement are substantially similar to those contained in the Previous Facilities, except that: (i) XM must maintain cash reserves of $75 million (without taking into account any proceeds from the Second-Lien Credit Agreement (as defined above)), (ii) we must maintain cash reserves of $35 million, (iii) XM Holdings and XM must maintain certain EBITDA levels and (iv) an event of default shall occur upon the acceleration of any of our material indebtedness or in the event of our voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy.

 

Issuance of the Preferred Stock

 

On March 6, 2009, we issued 1,000,000 shares of our Series B-1 Preferred Stock in consideration for the investments described herein and 11,500,000 nonvoting shares of Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series B-2 (the “Series B-2 Preferred Stock”). All of the shares of our Series B-2 Preferred Stock were

converted into 11,500,000 shares of Series B-1 Preferred Stock on April 21, 2009. The rights, preferences and privileges of the preferred stock are described in the Certificate of Designations. A summary of the terms of the Certificate of Designations is described above. The foregoing description of the Certificate of Designations does not purport to be a complete description of all of the terms of such Certificate of Designations and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Certificate of Designations, a copy of which are filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K dated March 6, 2009 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Our board of directors has determined that Joan L. Amble, the chairwoman of the Audit Committee and an independent director, is qualified as an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of SEC regulations, and she has accounting and related financial management expertise within the meaning of the listing standards of the NASDAQ.

 

During 2008, there were nine meetings of our board of directors and one written consent in lieu of a meeting. Each director, other than Leon Black, attended more than 75% of the total number of meetings of the board and meetings held by committees on which he or she served. Directors are encouraged to attend the annual meeting of stockholders. Ms. Amble and Messrs. Gilberti, Shaw, Parsons and Karmazin attended our 2008 annual meeting of stockholders.

 

Stockholders may communicate directly with our board of directors, or specified individual directors, according to the procedures described on our website at www.siriusxm.com.

 

Our Corporate Secretary reviews all correspondence to our directors and forwards to the board a summary and/or copies of any such correspondence that, in the opinion of the Corporate Secretary, deals with the functions of the board or committees thereof or that he otherwise determines requires their attention. Directors may at any time review all correspondence received by us that is addressed to members of our board.

 

In addition, the Audit Committee has established procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment, on a confidential basis, of complaints received by us, our board of directors and the Audit Committee regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, and the confidential, anonymous submissions by employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters. These procedures are available upon request.

 

Our board of directors has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines which set forth a flexible framework within which the board, assisted by its committees, directs our affairs. The Guidelines cover, among other things, the composition and functions of our board of directors, director independence, management succession and review, committee assignments and selection of new members of our board of directors. A copy of the Guidelines is available on our website at www.siriusxm.com.

 

Our board of directors has also adopted a Code of Ethics, which is applicable to all our employees, including our chief executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer.

 

Our Code of Ethics is available on our website at www.siriusxm.com and in print to any stockholder who requests it from our Corporate Secretary. If we amend or waive the Code of Ethics with respect to our chief executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer, we will post the amendment or waiver at this location on our website.

 

The following Report of the Audit Committee does not constitute soliciting material and should not be deemed filed or incorporated by reference into any other filing by us under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent we specifically incorporate this Report by reference therein.

 

The SEC rules require us to include in this proxy statement a report from the Audit Committee of our board of directors. The following report concerns the Audit Committee’s activities regarding oversight of our financial reporting and auditing process.

 

The Audit Committee is comprised solely of independent directors, as defined in the Marketplace Rules of the NASDAQ Global Select Market and under Securities Exchange Act Rule 10A-3(b)(1), and it operates under a written charter adopted by our board of directors. A copy of the Audit Committee’s existing charter is available on our website at www.siriusxm.com. The composition of the Audit Committee, the attributes of its members and the responsibilities of the Audit Committee, as reflected in its charter, are intended to be in accordance with applicable requirements for corporate audit committees. The Audit Committee reviews and assesses the adequacy of its charter on an annual basis.

 

The Audit Committee met twelve times during 2008. The Audit Committee schedules its meetings with a view to ensuring that it devotes appropriate attention to all of its tasks. The Audit Committee’s meetings include regular executive sessions with our independent registered public accounting firm, internal auditor and outside counsel, without the presence of our management. The Audit Committee reviewed our key initiatives and programs aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of our internal and disclosure control structure.

 

As described more fully in its charter, the purpose of the Audit Committee is to assist our board of directors in its general oversight of our financial reporting, internal control and audit functions. Management is responsible for the preparation, presentation and integrity of our consolidated financial statements; accounting and financial reporting principles; and internal controls and procedures designed to ensure compliance with accounting standards, applicable laws and regulations. KPMG LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, is responsible for performing an independent audit of our consolidated financial statements in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States.

 

The Audit Committee members are not professional accountants or auditors, and their functions are not intended to duplicate or to certify the activities of management and our independent registered public accounting firm, nor can the Audit Committee certify that our independent registered public accounting firm is “independent” under applicable rules. The Audit Committee serves a board-level oversight role, in which it provides advice, counsel and direction to management and our independent registered public accounting firm on the basis of the information it receives, its discussions with management and our independent registered public accounting firm and the experience of the Audit Committee’s members in business, financial and accounting matters.

 

Among other matters, the Audit Committee monitors the activities and performance of our independent registered public accounting firm, including the audit scope, external audit fees, auditor independence matters and the extent to which the independent registered public accounting firm may be retained to perform non-audit services. The Audit Committee and our board of directors have ultimate authority and responsibility to select, evaluate and, when appropriate, replace our independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee also reviews the results of the audit work with regard to the adequacy and appropriateness of our financial, accounting and internal controls. The Audit Committee also covers various topics and events that may have significant financial impact or are the subject of discussions between management and the independent registered public accounting firm. In addition, the Audit Committee generally oversees our internal compliance programs.

 

The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed our consolidated financial statements with management and our independent registered public accounting firm. Management represented to the Audit Committee that our consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, and our independent registered public accounting firm represented that its presentations included

the matters required to be discussed with the Audit Committee by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, as amended, “Communication with Audit Committees.” In addition, the Audit Committee has received from the auditors the letter and written disclosures with respect to fiscal 2008, which are required by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, and has discussed with them their independence from the company and its management. Furthermore, the Audit Committee considered and determined that the auditors’ non-audit services to the company were consistent with the guidelines established to ensure auditor independence.

 

Following the Audit Committee’s discussions with management and KPMG LLP, the Audit Committee recommended that our board of directors include the audited consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008.

 

Audit Committee

 

Joan L. Amble, Chairwoman
Eddy W. Hartenstein
James P. Holden
James F. Mooney

 

The following table sets forth the fees billed to us by KPMG LLP and Ernst & Young LLP, our former independent registered public accounting firm, as of and for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007:

 

 

 

 

It is the Audit Committee’s responsibility to review and consider, and ultimately pre-approve, all audit and permitted non-audit services to be performed by our independent registered public accounting firm. In accordance with its charter, the Audit Committee has established pre-approval policies with respect to audit and permitted non-audit services to be provided by our independent registered public accounting firm. The following sets forth the primary principles of the Audit Committee’s pre-approval policies:

 

 

 

The Audit Committee has delegated to the chair of the Audit Committee the authority to approve permitted services by the independent registered public accounting firm so long as he or she reports decisions to the Audit Committee at its next meeting.

 

All of the services covered under the captions “Audit Fees” and “Audit-Related Fees” were pre-approved by the Audit Committee.

 

The Audit Committee has appointed KPMG LLP to audit our 2009 consolidated financial statements.

 

Our Compensation Discussion and Analysis, or “CD&A,” is organized into the following sections:

 

 

Introduction

 

We have designed our executive compensation program to (1) support our corporate strategy and business by rewarding performance; (2) retain and recruit highly qualified and effective executive talent; and (3) create a strong performance alignment with stockholders’ interests. We have achieved these objectives through a compensation program consisting primarily of three elements: base salary, performance-based annual bonus and equity compensation.

 

Unprecedented global economic conditions presented challenges for many companies in 2008, including us. The decline in current market conditions and related changes in the status of our business caused us to make adjustments to our compensation program in 2008. Our Compensation Committee approved increases in the base salaries of our named executives officers (other than Mr. Karmazin and Ms. Altman), which were in keeping with our historical practices and which the committee believed were necessary in order to remain competitive and compensate the executives for increased responsibilities brought about by the merger and changing economic conditions. However, our Compensation Committee has not yet awarded any annual bonuses with respect to the year ended December 31, 2008. Changes in economic conditions in 2009 may cause us to make additional adjustments to our compensation program. As economic conditions change, we will respond with innovation and flexibility, as needed, to advance our objectives of motivating, attracting and retaining high-quality employees.

Overall Program Objectives and Processes

 

Program Objectives

 

We strive to attract, motivate and retain high-quality executives by providing total compensation that is performance-based and competitive with the various markets and industries in which we compete for talent. We attempt to provide incentives to advance the interests of stockholders and deliver levels of compensation that are commensurate with performance. Overall, we design our executive compensation program to:

 

 

Currently, we seek to achieve these objectives through three key compensation elements:

 

 

The Compensation Committee believes that this three-part approach is consistent with programs adopted by similarly situated companies and best serves the interests of our stockholders. The approach is an effort to meet the requirements of the competitive environment in which we operate, while ensuring that executive officers are compensated in a manner that advances both the short- and long-term interests of our stockholders.

 

The Compensation Committee believes that delivering compensation in the form of, or based on the value of, our common stock promotes alignment between executive performance and stockholder interests. Accordingly, the value of our common stock represents a large portion of our executives’ annual and long-term compensation, including stock options and/or restricted stock units, bonuses settled in stock or restricted stock units, matching contributions under the Sirius 401(k) Savings Plan and the profit sharing component of the Sirius 401(k) Savings Plan. Compensation for our executives also involves a high proportion of pay that is “at risk” — namely, the annual bonus and the value of stock options and restricted stock units. This “at risk” compensation is used to motivate executives to achieve goals and objectives that support our business plan and align with the short- and long-term interests of our stockholders.

 

Processes and Compensation Decisions

 

The Compensation Committee is responsible for developing and maintaining compensation programs for our executive officers, including our named executive officers. The Compensation Committee regularly reviews our compensation practices to assess — in light of current market conditions, the status of our business and development, our financial condition and prospects — whether our existing compensation structure properly advances the near- and long-term interests of our stockholders. The Compensation Committee does not employ a compensation consultant, relying instead on its own significant experience in making executive compensation-related decisions.

 

In making compensation decisions with respect to each element of compensation, the Compensation Committee considers the competitive market for executives and compensation levels paid by comparable companies. The Compensation Committee from time to time reviews the compensation practices, including total compensation, at companies with which it competes for talent, including radio, television, cable, film, software development, consumer electronics and other publicly held businesses with a scope and complexity similar to ours. The Compensation Committee has not established a defined peer group against which it

benchmarks compensation. The businesses chosen for comparison may differ from one executive to the next depending on the scope and nature of the business for which the particular executive is responsible.

 

The Compensation Committee does not attempt to set each compensation element for each executive within a particular range related to levels provided by peers. Instead, the Compensation Committee uses market comparison as one factor in making compensation decisions. Other factors considered when making individual executive compensation decisions include individual contribution and performance, reporting structure, internal pay relationship, complexity and importance of roles and responsibilities, leadership and growth potential.

 

In determining compensation element levels, including the annual grants of restricted stock units and stock options, for each named executive officer (other than the Chief Executive Officer), the Compensation Committee considers the recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer.

 

Executive Compensation Elements

 

Our practices with respect to the key compensation elements identified above, as well as other elements of compensation, are described below, followed by a discussion of the specific factors considered in determining key compensation elements for the named executive officers for 2008.

 

Base Salary

 

The objective of base salary is to reflect job responsibilities, value to us, and individual performance with respect to market competitiveness. Salaries are generally reviewed annually and are often reviewed in connection with the extension of an employment agreement.

 

Base salaries for named executive officers are determined in accordance with employment agreements with those officers. The minimum salaries set forth in the employment agreements and the amount of any increase over these salaries are determined by the Compensation Committee based on a variety of factors, including:

 

 

In setting base salaries, the Compensation Committee also considers the importance of linking a high proportion of each executive officer’s compensation to performance in the form of the annual bonus as well as long-term stock-based compensation, which is tied to our stock price performance. As noted above, the Compensation Committee from time to time reviews peer data of similar executives at comparable companies, depending on the executive, in the radio, television, cable, film, software development, consumer electronics and other publicly held businesses with a scope and complexity similar to ours.

 

In 2008, all of the named executive officers were employed pursuant to agreements described under “Potential Payments upon Termination or Change-in-Control — Employment Agreements” below.

 

Mr. Karmazin’s base salary of $1,250,000 has not changed since he joined the company in 2004.

 

In September 2008, Ms. Dara Altman became our Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer and we entered into an employment agreement with her. Ms. Altman was formerly an Executive Vice President of XM. Ms. Altman is paid a base salary of $446,332 under the employment agreement, the same base salary she was paid in her former position with XM.

Effective February 1, 2008, Mr. Frear’s base salary was increased to $550,000 from $525,000 to reflect the increasing scope of his responsibilities in the areas of finance and information technology, his increasing involvement in our satellite procurement program, and his contributions during 2007. Mr. Frear’s base salary was further increased to $750,000 on August 1, 2008 as part of his execution of a new employment agreement.

 

Effective February 1, 2008, Messrs. Greenstein, Meyer and Donnelly each received an increase in base salary consistent with prior practices and in partial recognition of their contributions in 2007. Specifically, Mr. Greenstein’s base salary was increased to $850,000 from $800,000; Mr. Meyer’s base salary was increased to $950,000 from $900,000; and Mr. Donnelly’s base salary was increased to $525,000 from $500,000.

 

Annual Bonus

 

Our compensation program contemplates an annual bonus that is completely discretionary. The Compensation Committee awards bonuses to incentivize individuals to achieve goals intended to correlate closely with growth of our business and stockholder value and to compensate individuals upon the achievement of such goals. The Compensation Committee has discretion to award any annual bonuses in cash, restricted stock, restricted stock units or a combination thereof. The Compensation Committee did not establish any detailed performance objectives for the year ended December 31, 2008, but considers our performance in the exercise of its discretion.

 

The Compensation Committee has not yet made a decision as to whether any bonuses should be paid with respect to the year ended December 31, 2008. The Compensation Committee believed it was prudent to defer consideration of such bonuses while we worked to refinance our near term debt and improve our liquidity. The Compensation Committee may consider annual bonuses with respect to the year ended December 31, 2008 later in 2009.

 

Long-term Incentive Compensation

 

The Compensation Committee grants long-term incentive compensation to align compensation for named executive officers over a multi-year period directly with the interests of our stockholders by motivating and rewarding actions that create or increase long-term stockholder value. The Compensation Committee determines the level of long-term incentive compensation based on an evaluation of competitive factors in conjunction with total compensation provided to named executive officers and the objectives of the compensation program described above.

 

Our Compensation Committee grants long-term incentive compensation in the form of stock options and restricted stock units because our Compensation Committee believes that these two forms of awards reward stockholder value creation in different ways. Stock options (which have exercise prices equal to the market price on the date of grant) reward named executive officers only if our stock price increases. Restricted stock units have value on the date of grant. Restricted stock units are affected by all stock price changes, so the value to named executive officers is affected by both increases and decreases in our stock price.

 

Our long-term incentive program calls for stock options to be granted with exercise prices of not less than fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant and, historically, to vest proportionally over four years, if the employee is still employed by us, with exceptions to this vesting schedule made by the Compensation Committee. We define fair market value as the stock price on the close of business on the day of grant for existing employees and on the close of business the day before hiring for new employees.

 

The long-term compensation awarded by the Compensation Committee to named executive officers in 2008 under the programs described above is identified in the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2008 table. The long-term compensation awarded to Messrs. Greenstein, Meyer and Frear was intended by the Compensation Committee to have a value equal to the 2007 bonus awarded to each of the executives. The executives were awarded these long-term incentives in recognition of their contributions in 2007 and as an incentive for the executives to continue to enhance stockholder value. Mr. Donnelly did not receive a long-term incentive award because he received an award as part of the negotiation of an extended employment agreement in 2007.

Ms. Altman became an executive officer in September 2008, following our merger with XM, and did not receive a long-term incentive award from us during 2008.

 

As a result of the decline in the price of our common stock, none of our executive officers hold any stock options that are “in-the-money.” The Compensation Committee will consider the impact of the decline in the price of our common stock on the value of prior long-term equity-based compensation grants, when making decisions with respect to appropriate grant levels for 2009.

 

Retirement and Other Employee Benefits

 

We maintain broad-based benefits for all employees, including health and dental insurance, life and disability insurance and a 401(k) plan. Our executives are eligible to participate in all of our employee benefit plans on the same basis as other employees. Our named executive officers participate in our 401(k) Savings Plan, including the matching and profit sharing component of that plan. We did not make any contributions to the profit sharing component of our 401(k) Savings Plan with respect to the year ended December 31, 2008. We do not sponsor or maintain a retirement plan or deferred compensation plan for any of our employees.

 

Perquisites and Other Benefits for Named Executive Officers

 

The Compensation Committee supports providing perquisites and other benefits to named executive officers that are substantially the same as those offered to our other full time employees and are provided to executives in similarly situated companies.

 

Payments to Named Executive Officers Upon Termination or Change-in-Control

 

The employment agreements we have entered into with our named executive officers provide for severance payments and, in connection with a severance that occurs after a change-in-control, additional payments (including tax “gross-up” payments to protect certain named executive officers from so-called “golden parachute” excise taxes that could arise in such circumstances). These arrangements vary from executive to executive due to individual negotiations based on executive history and individual circumstances.

 

We believe that these severance and change-in-control arrangements mitigate some of the risk that exists for executives working in a nascent industry. These arrangements are intended to attract and retain qualified executives who could have other job alternatives that may appear to them, in the absence of these arrangements, to be less risky.

 

There is a possibility that we could be acquired in the future. Accordingly, we believe that severance payments in connection with a change-in-control are necessary to enable key executives to evaluate objectively the benefits to our stockholders of a proposed transaction, notwithstanding its potential effects on their own job security.

 

Total Compensation for Named Executive Officers

 

The Compensation Committee’s goal is to award compensation that is reasonable when all elements of potential compensation are considered. In making decisions with respect to any element of a named executive officer’s compensation, the Compensation Committee considers the total compensation that may be awarded to the officer, including salary, annual bonus, long-term incentives, perquisites and other benefits. In addition, the Compensation Committee considers the other benefits to which the officer is entitled by his or her employment agreement, including compensation payable upon termination of employment. In making its decisions regarding compensation for 2008, the Compensation Committee reviewed the total compensation potentially payable to, and the benefits accruing to, each named executive officer.

Related Policies and Considerations

 

Compensation of our Chief Executive Officer

 

In November 2004, our board of directors negotiated, and we entered into, a five-year employment agreement with Mel Karmazin to serve as our Chief Executive Officer. The material terms of Mr. Karmazin’s employment agreement are described below under “Potential Payments Upon Termination and Change-in-Control — Employment Agreements — Mel Karmazin.”

 

The terms of Mr. Karmazin’s employment were established by negotiations between Mr. Karmazin and members of our board of directors, including members of the Compensation Committee. The board of directors and the Compensation Committee did not retain an independent compensation consultant specifically to advise them in the negotiation of Mr. Karmazin’s compensation arrangements or to assess the reasonableness of the compensation arrangements. Our board of directors and the Compensation Committee concluded that, in their business judgment, Mr. Karmazin’s profile, qualifications and experience, particularly in radio, were uniquely suited for our needs, and that the compensation, including the base salary, stock option and restricted stock components of the compensation, was, taken as a whole, reasonable and appropriate under the circumstances.

 

Most of the difference in total compensation between Mr. Karmazin and our other named executive officers is attributable to the value reflected in the Summary Compensation Table for “Option Awards.” As reflected in the Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End 2008 table on page 25, and described in footnote (1) to that table, Mr. Karmazin received a stock option award covering a substantial number of shares (as well as shares of restricted stock reflected in the Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End 2008 table and the Options Exercised and Stock Vested for 2008 table) in connection with the execution of his employment agreement in November 2004. Mr. Karmazin did not receive any equity-based awards in 2006, 2007 or 2008. The total compensation in the Summary Compensation Table reflects the inclusion, as noted in footnote (3) to the table, of the expense recognized solely for financial statement reporting purposes in 2006, 2007 and 2008 for option awards.

 

Policy with Respect to Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m)

 

Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code places a $1 million per person limitation on the tax deduction we may take for compensation paid to our Chief Executive Officer and our three other highest paid executive officers other than our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer except that compensation constituting performance-based compensation, as defined by the Internal Revenue Code, is not subject to the $1 million limit. The Compensation Committee reserves the discretion to pay compensation that does not qualify for exemption under Section 162(m) where the Compensation Committee believes such action to be in the best interests of our stockholders.

 

We have reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management and as a committee. Based on our review and discussion with management, we recommended that the board of directors include the Compensation Discussion and Analysis in this proxy statement.

 

Compensation Committee

 

Lawrence F. Gilberti, Chairman

James P. Holden

Jack Shaw

Jeffrey D. Zients

 

The following table provides information concerning total compensation earned or paid to our Chief Executive Officer, our Chief Financial Officer and our four other most highly compensated executive officers who served in such capacities as of December 31, 2008 for services rendered to us during the past three fiscal years. These six officers are referred to herein as the named executive officers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following table provides information with respect to equity grants made during fiscal year 2008 to the named executive officers. Information for Ms. Altman is included for the period after September 26, 2008.

 

 

 

 

The following table provides information with respect to the status at December 31, 2008 of all unexercised options and unvested restricted stock and restricted stock units awarded to each of the named executive officers.

 

 

 

 

 

The following table provides information with respect to option exercises and restricted stock and restricted stock units that vested during 2008.

 

 

 

 

We do not offer non-qualified deferred compensation or pension benefits to our named executive officers.

 

Employment Agreements

 

We have entered into an employment agreement with each of our named executive officers, which contain provisions regarding payments upon a termination or change of control.

 

Mel Karmazin

 

In November 2004, we entered into a five-year agreement with Mel Karmazin to serve as our Chief Executive Officer. We pay Mr. Karmazin an annual salary of $1,250,000, and annual bonuses in an amount determined each year by the Compensation Committee of our board of directors.

 

Pursuant to our agreement with Mr. Karmazin, his stock options and shares of restricted stock will vest upon his death or disability and in the event of a change in control. In the event Mr. Karmazin’s employment is terminated by us without cause, or by Mr. Karmazin for good reason, his unvested stock options and shares of restricted stock will vest and become exercisable, and he will receive his current base salary for the remainder of the term, any earned but unpaid annual bonus, a pro rata portion of his target bonus for the year in which the termination occurs (if established) and medical and life insurance benefits for the remainder of the term.

 

In the event that any payment we make, or benefit we provide, to Mr. Karmazin would require him to pay an excise tax under Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code, we have agreed to pay Mr. Karmazin the amount of such tax and such additional amount as may be necessary to place him in the exact same financial position that he would have been in if the excise tax was not imposed.

 

Scott A. Greenstein

 

Mr. Greenstein has agreed to serve as our President and Chief Content Officer, through July 2009. We pay Mr. Greenstein an annual salary of $850,000, and annual bonuses in an amount determined each year by the Compensation Committee of our board of directors.

 

If Mr. Greenstein’s employment is terminated without cause or he terminates his employment for good reason, he is entitled to receive a lump sum payment equal to (1) his base salary in effect from the termination date through July 2009 and (2) any annual bonuses, at a level equal to 60% of his base salary, that would have been customarily paid during the period from the termination date through July 2009. In the event Mr. Greenstein’s employment is terminated without cause or he terminates his employment for good reason, we are also obligated to continue his medical and dental benefits for 18 months following his termination and life insurance benefits for the remainder of the term.

 

If, following the occurrence of a change in control, Mr. Greenstein is terminated without cause or he terminates his employment for good reason, we are obligated to pay Mr. Greenstein the lesser of (1) four times his base salary and (2) 80% of the multiple of base salary, if any, that our Chief Executive Officer would be entitled to receive under his or her employment agreement if he or she was terminated without cause or terminated for good reason following such change in control. We are also obligated to continue Mr. Greenstein’s medical, dental and life insurance benefits, or pay him an amount sufficient to replace these benefits, until the third anniversary of his termination date.

 

In the event that any payment we make, or benefit we provide, to Mr. Greenstein would require him to pay an excise tax under Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code, we have agreed to pay Mr. Greenstein the amount of such tax and such additional amount as may be necessary to place him in the exact same financial position that he would have been in if the excise tax was not imposed.

James E. Meyer

 

Mr. Meyer has agreed to serve as our President, Operations and Sales, until April 2010. We pay Mr. Meyer an annual salary of $950,000, and annual bonuses in an amount determined each year by the Compensation Committee of our board of directors.

 

In the event Mr. Meyer’s employment is terminated without cause or he terminates his employment for good reason after July 28, 2009, we will pay him a lump sum payment equal to (1) his annual base salary in effect on the termination date plus, (2) the greater of (x) a bonus equal to 60% of his annual base salary or (y) the prior year’s annual bonus actually paid to him (the “Designated Amount”). Pursuant to his employment agreement, Mr. Meyer may elect to retire in April 2010. In the event he elects to retire, we have agreed to pay him a lump sum payment equal to the Designated Amount. In the event Mr. Meyer’s employment is terminated without cause or he terminates his employment for good reason, we are also obligated to continue his medical and dental insurance benefits for 18 months following his termination and to continue his life insurance benefits for twelve months following his termination. If Mr. Meyer’s employment is terminated due to a scheduled retirement, we are obligated to continue his medical, dental and life insurance benefits for 12 months following his termination.

 

If Mr. Meyer is terminated without cause or he terminates his employment for good reason prior to July 28, 2009, we will pay him a lump sum payment equal to two times the Designated Amount. In such event, we are also obligated to continue his medical, dental and life insurance benefits for 24 months following his termination.

 

Upon the expiration of Mr. Meyer’s employment agreement in April 2010 or following his retirement, we have agreed to offer Mr. Meyer a one-year consulting agreement. We expect to reimburse Mr. Meyer for all of his reasonable out-of-pocket expenses associated with the performance of his obligations under this consulting agreement, but do not expect to pay him any cash compensation. Mr. Meyer’s stock options will continue to vest and will be exercisable during the term of this consulting agreement.

 

In the event that any payment we make, or benefit we provide, to Mr. Meyer would require him to pay an excise tax under Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code, we have agreed to pay Mr. Meyer the amount of such tax and such additional amount as may be necessary to place him in the exact same financial position that he would have been in if the excise tax were not imposed.

 

Dara F. Altman

 

On September 26, 2008, we entered into a three year employment agreement with Dara F. Altman to serve as our Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer. We pay Ms. Altman an annual salary of $446,332, and annual bonuses in an amount determined each year by the Compensation Committee of our board of directors.

 

If Ms. Altman’s employment is terminated without cause or she terminates her employment for good reason, she is entitled to receive (1) a lump sum severance payment in cash equal to two times the sum of (a) her base salary as in effect immediately prior to the termination date or, if higher, in effect immediately prior to the first occurrence of an event or circumstance constituting good reason, and (b) the higher of (x) the last annual bonus actually paid to her and (y) 55% of her base salary as in effect immediately prior to the termination date or, if higher, in effect immediately prior to the first occurrence of an event or circumstance constituting good reason, (2) a pro rata portion of her contingent cash incentive compensation awards, (3) outplacement services for two years following her termination of employment, and (4) continued medical, dental and disability insurance benefits for two years following her termination of employment. In addition, in such event, all of Ms. Altman’s stock options and restricted stock units will vest and become exercisable.

 

In the event that any payment we make, or benefit we provide, to Ms. Altman would require her to pay an excise tax under Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code, we have agreed to pay Ms. Altman the amount of such tax and any additional amount as may be necessary to place her in the exact same financial position that she would have been in if the excise tax was not imposed.

Patrick L. Donnelly

 

Mr. Donnelly has agreed to serve as our Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, through April 2010. We pay Mr. Donnelly an annual base salary of $525,000, and annual bonuses in an amount determined each year by the Compensation Committee of our board of directors.

 

If Mr. Donnelly’s employment is terminated without cause or he terminates his employment for good reason, we are obligated to pay him a lump sum payment equal to his annual salary and the annual bonus last paid to him and to continue his medical and life insurance benefits for one year.

 

In the event that any payment we make, or benefit we provide, to Mr. Donnelly would require him to pay an excise tax under Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code, we have agreed to pay Mr. Donnelly the amount of such tax and such additional amount as may be necessary to place him in the exact same financial position that he would have been in if the excise tax was not imposed.

 

David J. Frear

 

Mr. Frear has agreed to serve as our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer through July 2011. We pay Mr. Frear an annual salary of $750,000, and annual bonuses in an amount determined each year by the Compensation Committee of our board of directors.

 

If Mr. Frear’s employment is terminated without cause or he terminates his employment for good reason, we are obligated to pay him a lump sum payment equal to his annual salary and the annual bonus last paid to him and to continue his medical and life insurance benefits for one year.

 

In the event that any payment we make, or benefit we provide, to Mr. Frear would require him to pay an excise tax under Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code, we have agreed to pay Mr. Frear the amount of such tax and such additional amount as may be necessary to place him in the exact same financial position that he would have been in if the excise tax was not imposed.

 

Potential Payments

 

If a triggering event and/or termination of employment had occurred as of December 31, 2008, we estimate that the value of the benefits under the employment agreements would have been as follows:

 

 

 

 

The following table provides compensation information for the year ended December 31, 2008 for each of our non-employee directors. Directors who are employees do not receive compensation for their services as directors. Ms. Amble and Messrs. Hartenstein, Huber, Mendel, Parsons, Shaw and Zients joined our board of directors on July 28, 2008. Their compensation below is for payments following that date:

 

 

 

 

Mr. Huber and Mr. Mendel, who are employees of General Motors and American Honda, respectively, have elected to forgo all compensation paid to directors.

 

Each other member of our board of directors receives a cash annual retainer and equity compensation payable in the following manner:

 

 

Any director who fails to attend at least 75% of the meetings of the board of directors in any given year, forfeits 25% of his or her compensation that is payable in cash. During 2008, all of our directors, other than Leon Black, attended over 75% of the meetings of our board of directors.

 

Each director who serves as chair of a committee of the board of directors receives an additional annual cash retainer as follows: the audit committee chairwoman receives $30,000; the compensation committee chairman receives $20,000; and the nominating and corporate governance chairman receives $10,000.

 

We also pay reasonable travel and accommodation expenses of directors in connection with their participation in meetings of the board of directors.

 

Prior to the merger with XM in July 2008, Joseph P. Clayton was the chairman of our board of directors. We provide Mr. Clayton medical, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits. In 2008, Mr. Clayton did not receive any compensation for serving on our board of directors.

 

Gary M. Parsons is now the chairman of our board of directors. Mr. Parsons has an employment agreement with our subsidiary, XM, which extends until November 18, 2009. Mr. Parsons generally participates in the same executive compensation plans and arrangements available to our other senior executives. His compensation consists of annual base salary, annual bonus and long-term equity-linked compensation. His employment agreement calls for Mr. Parsons to receive a base salary of at least $525,000 annually, subject to increase by the board of directors of XM. The target amount of Mr. Parsons’ discretionary bonus ranges from 100-125% of his base salary.

 

Twelve directors will be elected at the annual meeting. The current size of our board of directors is fifteen. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of our board of directors has nominated twelve directors to be elected as Common Stock Directors by the holders of our common stock and our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Common Stock Director Nominees”). Gregory B. Maffei, John C. Malone and David J.A. Flowers have been appointed to the board of directors by an affiliate of Liberty Media Corporation, the holder of our Series B-1 Preferred Stock, and are referred to as the Preferred Stock Director Designees.

 

Set forth below are the twelve Common Stock Director Nominees to be elected by the holders of our common stock and our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock to serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders or until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified and the three Preferred Stock Director Designees that will serve until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified pursuant to the Certificate of Designations for the Series B-1 Preferred Stock.

 

To be elected as a director, each Common Stock Director Nominee must receive a plurality of the votes cast by the holders of our common stock and our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class.

 

Should any Common Stock Director Nominee become unable or unwilling to accept nomination or election, the proxy holders may vote the proxies for the election, in his or her stead, of any other person our board of directors may nominate or designate. Each Common Stock Director Nominee has expressed his or her intention to serve.

 

Joan L. Amble, age 55, has been a director since July 2008. From December 2006 until the closing of the merger with XM in July 2008, Ms. Amble served as a director of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. Ms. Amble has served as Executive Vice President and Corporate Comptroller for American Express Company since December 2003. Prior to joining American Express, Ms. Amble served as chief operating officer and chief financial officer of GE Capital Markets, a service business within GE Capital Services, Inc., overseeing securitizations, debt placement and syndication, as well as structured equity transactions. From 1994 to March 2003, Ms. Amble served as vice president and controller for GE Capital.

 

Leon D. Black, age 57, has been a director since June 2001. Mr. Black is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Apollo Global Management, LLC and a Managing Partner of Apollo Management, L.P. which he founded in 1990 to manage investment capital on behalf of a group of institutional investors, focusing on corporate restructuring, leveraged buyouts, and taking minority positions in growth-oriented companies. From 1977 to 1990, Mr. Black worked at Drexel Burnham Lambert Incorporated, where he served as managing director, head of the Mergers & Acquisitions Group and co-head of the Corporate Finance Department. Mr. Black serves on the board of the general partner of AP Alternative Assets. Mr. Black is a trustee of Dartmouth College, The Museum of Modern Art, Mount Sinai Hospital, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Prep for Prep, and the Asia Society. He is also a member of The Council on Foreign Relations, The Partnership for New York City and the National Advisory Board of JPMorganChase. He is also a member of the boards of directors of Faster Cures and the Port Authority Task Force.

 

Lawrence F. Gilberti, age 58, has been a director since September 1993. Since June 2000, Mr. Gilberti has been a partner in the law firm of Reed Smith LLP; from May 1998 through May 2000, he was of counsel to that firm. From August 1994 to May 1998, Mr. Gilberti was a partner in the law firm of Fischbein Badillo Wagner Harding.

 

Eddy W. Hartenstein, age 58, has been a director since July 2008. From May 2005 until the closing of the merger with XM in July 2008, Mr. Hartenstein served as a director of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. In August 2008, Mr. Hartenstein was named Publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times. Mr. Hartenstein was the Vice Chairman and a member of the board of directors of The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (formerly Hughes Electronics Corporation) from December 2003 until his retirement in December 2004. Mr. Hartenstein served as Chairman and CEO of DIRECTV, Inc. from late 2001 to 2004 and as President of DIRECTV, Inc. from its

inception in 1990 to 2001. Prior to 1990, Mr. Hartenstein served in various capacities for Hughes Communications, Inc., Equatorial Communications Services Company and Hughes Communications. Mr. Hartenstein also serves as a member of the board of directors of SanDisk Corporation, The City of Hope and Broadcom, Inc.

 

James P. Holden, age 57, has been a director since August 2001. From October 1999 until November 2000, Mr. Holden was the President and Chief Executive Officer of DaimlerChrysler Corporation, one of the world’s largest automakers. Prior to being appointed President in 1999, Mr. Holden held numerous senior positions within Chrysler Corporation during his 19-year career at the company. Since March 2007, Mr. Holden has been the Non-Executive Chairman of Meridian Automotive, a privately held auto supply company. Mr. Holden is a director of Speedway MotorSports, Inc. and Lead Director of Snap-On Incorporated.

 

Chester A. Huber, Jr., age 54, has been a director since July 2008. From January 2002 until the closing of the merger with XM in July 2008, Mr. Huber served as a director of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. Mr. Huber was named President of OnStar Corporation in December 1999 and was General Manager of the OnStar Division of General Motors Corporation from June 1995 until December 1999. He has held a variety of engineering, operations and marketing roles in his 34-year career with General Motors, including General Director of Aftermarket Parts and Services, and General Director of Sales, Marketing and Product Support for the Electro-Motive Division. Mr. Huber recently served on a Federal Advisory Committee for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and currently serves on another on the Global Positioning System (GPS) convened by NASA.

 

Mel Karmazin, age 65, has served as our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors since November 2004. Prior to joining us, Mr. Karmazin was President and Chief Operating Officer and a member of the board of directors of Viacom Inc. from May 2000 until June 2004. Prior to joining Viacom, Mr. Karmazin was President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS Corporation from January 1999 and a director of CBS Corporation from 1997 until its merger with Viacom in May 2000. He was President and Chief Operating Officer of CBS Corporation from April 1998 through December 1998. Mr. Karmazin joined CBS Corporation in December 1996 as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CBS Radio and served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CBS Station Group (Radio and Television) from May 1997 to April 1998. Prior to joining CBS Corporation, Mr. Karmazin served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Infinity Broadcasting Corporation from 1981 until its acquisition by CBS Corporation in December 1996. Mr. Karmazin served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Infinity from December 1998 until the merger of Infinity Broadcasting Corporation with Viacom in February 2001.

 

John W. Mendel, age 54, has been a director since July 2008. From May 2005 until the closing of the merger with XM in July 2008, Mr. Mendel served as a director of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. Mr. Mendel is Executive Vice President, automobile operations of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., responsible for Product Planning, Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations and Distribution for both Honda and Acura Automobile Divisions. Prior to joining American Honda in December 2004, Mr. Mendel served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Mazda North American Operations from January 2002 until November 2004. From 1976 to 2002, Mr. Mendel held numerous sales and marketing and management positions within Ford and Lincoln Mercury Divisions, Ford Customer Service and Ford of Europe.

 

James F. Mooney, age 54, has been a director since July 2003. Since March 2003, Mr. Mooney has been a director and chairman of the board of directors of Virgin Media Inc., a U.K. entertainment and communications business. From December 2004 to December 2007, Mr. Mooney was the chairman of the board of directors of RCN Corporation, a provider of bundled telephone, cable and high speed internet services. From April 2001 to September 2002, Mr. Mooney was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Nextel Communications Inc., a provider of wireless communications services. From January 2000 to January 2001, Mr. Mooney was the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Tradeout Inc., an asset management firm owned jointly by General Electric Capital, Ebay Inc. and Benchmark Capital. From March 1999 to January 2000, Mr. Mooney was the Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer at Baan Company, a business management software provider. From 1980 until 1999, Mr. Mooney held a number of positions with IBM Corporation, including Chief Financial Officer of the Americas.

Gary M. Parsons, age 58, has served as our Chairman of the Board of Directors since July 2008. From May 1997 until the closing of the merger with XM in July 2008, Mr. Parsons served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and previously served as its Chief Executive Officer. He serves on the board of Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and Devas Multimedia Pvt. Ltd, and is Chairman and was previously Chief Executive Officer of SkyTerra L.P. Mr. Parsons was President and Chief Executive Officer of TerraStar Corporation, formerly Motient Corporation, from July 1996 to March 1998, and subsequently served as Chairman until May 2002. Previously, Mr. Parsons was with MCI Communications Corporation where he served in a variety of roles from 1990 to 1996, including Executive Vice President of MCI Communications, and as Chief Executive Officer of MCI’s subsidiary MCImetro, Inc. From 1984 to 1990, Mr. Parsons was one of the principals of Telecom*USA, which was acquired by MCI.

 

Jack Shaw, age 70, has been a director since July 2008. From May 1997 until the closing of the merger with XM in July 2008, Mr. Shaw served as a director of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. Mr. Shaw served as Chief Executive Officer of Hughes Electronics Corporation from January 2000 until his retirement in December 2003 and served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Hughes Network Systems, Inc. from 1987 and 1988, respectively, through January 2000. Previously, Mr. Shaw held senior management positions with companies including ITT Space Communications, Inc., Digital Communications Corporation and M/A-Com Telecommunications, Inc., which was acquired by Hughes Electronics Corporation in 1987. Mr. Shaw is a member of the Board of Directors of Globecomm Systems, Inc.

 

Jeffrey D. Zients, age 42, has been a director since July 2008. From May 2006 until the closing of the merger with XM in July 2008, Mr. Zients served as a director of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. Mr. Zients leads an investment company that focuses on public and private small-cap companies. Mr. Zients serves as Chairman of the Board of PSA Healthcare, a pediatric home healthcare provider. He also served as the Chairman of the Board of The Advisory Board Company and Chairman of the Board of The Corporate Executive Board Company, two business-to-business content companies from June 2001 to November 2004 and January 2000 to April 2001, respectively. From July 1998 to June 2001, he served as Chief Executive Officer and from 1996 to July 1998 he served as Chief Operating Officer of The Advisory Board Company. Mr. Zients currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Best Practices, a provider of emergency medicine outsourcing services, and Timbuk2 Designs, a messenger bag and apparel retailer.

 

The board of directors unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” each of the Common Stock Director Nominees.

 

Gregory B. Maffei, age 48, has been a director since March 2009. Mr. Maffei has been the Chief Executive Officer and President of Liberty Media Corporation since February 2006 and a director of Liberty Media Corporation since November 2005. Mr. Maffei served as CEO-Elect of Liberty Media Corporation from November 2005 through February 2006. Mr. Maffei served as President and CFO of Oracle Corporation from June 2005 until November 2005. Mr. Maffei served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of 360networks from January 2000 until June 2005. Previously he served as CFO of Microsoft and Chairman of Expedia. Mr. Maffei is also a director of DirecTV Group, Inc. and Electronics Arts, Inc.

 

John C. Malone, age 68, has been a director since April 2009. Mr. Malone has been Chairman of the Board and a director of Liberty Media Corporation since March 2006. Prior to that, Mr. Malone was Chairman of the Board and a director of Liberty Media LLC, the predecessor of Liberty Media Corporation, from 1994 to May 2006. He was Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Media LLC from August 2005 to February 2006. Mr. Malone served as Chairman of the Board of Telecommunications, Inc., or TCI, from November 1996 to March 1999; and Chief Executive Officer of TCI from January 1994 to March 1997. Mr. Malone is Chairman of the Board of Liberty Global, Inc., Chairman of the Board of DirecTV Group, Inc. and a director of Discovery Communications, Inc., IAC/InterActiveCorp, and Expedia, Inc.

 

David J.A. Flowers, age 54, has been a director since April 2009. Mr. Flowers has been a Senior Vice President and the Treasurer of Liberty Media Corporation since March 2006. Prior to that, he was a Senior Vice President of Liberty Media LLC, the predecessor of Liberty Media Corporation, since October 2000 and

Treasurer of Liberty Media LLC since April 1997. Mr. Flowers served as a Vice President of Liberty Media LLC from June 1995 to October 2000. Mr. Flowers also serves as a director of Internal Leisure Group, Inc.

 

 

Our board of directors has approved, and is hereby soliciting stockholder approval of, an amendment to our certificate of incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of our common stock from 8,000,000,000 shares to 9,000,000,000 shares in the form set forth in Appendix A to this proxy statement (the “Share Increase Amendment”).

 

We currently have 8,000,000,000 shares of our common stock authorized for issuance. On the record date, we had outstanding approximately 3.856 billion shares of our common stock, approximately 2.6 billion shares of our common stock were issuable upon conversion of our preferred stock, and approximately 650 million shares of our common stock were issuable based on convertible debt instruments, warrants, options and other stock-based awards. Our board of directors believes that the availability of additional authorized shares will provide us with the flexibility in the future to issue shares of our common stock for general corporate purposes, such as raising additional capital and settling outstanding obligations, acquisitions of companies or assets and sales of stock or securities convertible into or exercisable for common stock. We believe that this will provide us with additional flexibility to meet business and financing needs as they arise.

 

Our board of directors will determine whether, when and on what terms the issuance of shares of our common stock may be warranted in connection with any future actions. No further action or authorization by our stockholders will be necessary before issuance of the additional shares of our common stock authorized under our certificate of incorporation, except as may be required for a particular transaction by applicable law or regulatory agencies or by the rules of the Nasdaq or any other stock market or exchange on which our common stock may then be listed.

 

The additional shares of common stock, if issued, would have the same rights and privileges as the shares of common stock now issued. Any issuance of additional shares of common stock would increase the number of outstanding shares of common stock and (unless such issuance was pro-rata among existing stockholders) the percentage ownership of existing stockholders would be diluted accordingly.

 

To the extent we are unable to refinance our debt at maturity on attractive terms, we may choose to issue shares of common stock in satisfaction thereof. From June 2009 through December 2010, approximately $512.3 million of our debt and our subsidiaries’ debt is due to mature.

 

Although an increase in the authorized shares of our common stock could, under certain circumstances, also be construed as having an anti-takeover effect (for example, by permitting easier dilution of the stock ownership of a person seeking to effect a change in the composition of the board of directors or contemplating a tender offer or other transaction resulting in our acquisition by another company), the proposed increase in shares authorized is not in response to any effort by any person or group to accumulate our common stock or to obtain control of us by any means. In addition, the proposal is not part of any plan by our board of directors to recommend or implement a series of anti-takeover measures.

 

The proposed increase in the authorized shares of our common stock would become effective immediately upon the filing of the Share Increase Amendment with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. We expect to file the Share Increase Amendment in this Item 2 with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware promptly upon approval by our stockholders and in any event prior to effecting any reverse stock split and share decrease authorized by Item 3.

 

The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of voting power of our common stock, our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and our Series B-1 Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class, and of holders of a majority of the voting power of our common stock, voting as a separate class, will be required to approve the Share Increase Amendment. Approval by stockholders of this Item 2 is not conditioned upon approval of Item 3; conversely, approval by stockholders of Item 3 is not conditioned upon approval of this Item 2.

The board of directors unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” the proposal to amend our certificate of incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of our common stock from 8,000,000,000 to 9,000,000,000 shares.

 

 

General

 

Our board of directors has approved, and is hereby soliciting stockholder approval of, an amendment to our certificate of incorporation to effect a reverse stock split at a ratio of not less than one-for-ten and not more than one-for-fifty in the form set forth in Appendix B, to this proxy statement (the “Reverse Stock Split Amendment”).

 

Our stockholders approved an amendment to our certificate of incorporation at our 2008 annual meeting of stockholders held on December 18, 2008 to authorize an amendment to our certificate of incorporation to effect a reverse stock split, increase the number of authorized shares under our certificate of incorporation following a reverse stock split, and provide for certain other actions described herein. Approval of this amendment to our certificate of incorporation would extend previous authority to effect a reverse stock split to June 30, 2010 from December 31, 2009. If stockholders approve this Item 3, this approval will supersede the approval we received to amend our certificate of incorporation to effect a reverse stock split at our 2008 annual meeting of stockholders on December 18, 2008.