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INTEGRITY MEDIA INC - 10-K - 20040414 - PART_I
PART I.
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Introduction
Integrity Media, Inc. and Subsidiaries is a media/communications company
that produces, publishes and distributes Christian music, books and related
products. Integritys music product formats include cassettes, compact discs,
videos, DVDs and printed music. The Company produces Praise and Worship music
in different musical styles for specific audiences such as childrens music,
gospel music for the African-American audience, youth music and live worship
music for adult audiences. In July 2002, Integrity announced the purchase of
INO Records, LLC (formerly M2 Communications, L.L.C.), an artist-based
independent Christian music company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The
purchase of INO Records, LLC allowed the Company to enter the Adult
Contemporary/Rock segment of Christian music. The Companys Integrity
Publishers division, created in 2001, produces and publishes Christian books.
The first product offerings were released in the third quarter of 2002. The
Company first recorded sales from the INO Records and Integrity Publishers
divisions in the third quarter of 2002.
Integritys recorded music products fall into two broad categories (i)
concept products which are centered on a specific theme, such as Praise and
Worship music and (ii) artist products, in which the artist is the focal point.
In addition to recorded music, Integrity produces Christian music video
products for certain Praise and Worship artists. Integritys products also
include software and printed music, such as songbooks and sheet music, designed
primarily for distribution to churches and choral groups. Integritys book
products are categorized in one of four categories: Inspirational, Christian
Living, Youth or Fiction.
Integritys products are sold primarily through retail stores and
direct-to-consumer channels throughout the United States and in 168 other
countries worldwide. The Company has determined that its business is operated
in segments based on distribution channels. For specific information regarding
the financial performance of each segment, see Note 10 of the Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements.
Integrity was organized as an Alabama corporation on May 1, 1987, and was
reincorporated in Delaware on October 1, 1993.
Products
Concept Products
Praise and Worship concept products are centered around a specific theme
or event rather than being focused on a specific artist. The Companys
original concept product series,
Hosanna! Music®,
consists of live recordings
of Praise and Worship music sung by an audience and worship leader rather than
a performing artist. The Companys
Hosanna! Music®
series has proven to be a
successful product line having just released its 121st recording in March 2004.
The Companys concept product line now includes:
Hosanna! Music®, FairHope
Records®
,
Songs4Worship®, iWorship®, Worlds Best Praise and Worship®;
and
Integrity Notes®,
a series of greeting cards for general occasions and
specialty cards related to seasonal events, featuring verses from our Praise
and Worship songs.
Artist Products
In addition to concept products, the Company also produces artist
recordings in which the artist is the main focal point. These products have
recently included Satisfy with Kathryn Scott, Bigger Than My Imagination
with Michael Gungor and Worship With Natalie Grant and Friends by Natalie
Grant. Some of the recent artist products released by the INO Records, LLC are
Kiss of Heaven with Darlene Zschech, The Throne Room with CeCe Winans and
A Beautiful Glow with Rock & Roll Worship Circus.
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Other Products
The Company has also produced a variety of other types of products, such
as musical video products featuring recordings of live performances by the
Companys artists, such as the Gold certified
Shalom Jerusalem
with Paul
Wilbur, and the childrens music series,
Just-For-Kids®,
featuring
the Donut
Man®,
which includes multiple Gold and Platinum certified videos. Other videos
include the Gold certified
Praise! Aerobics®,
Praise and Worship music recorded
specifically for aerobic exercises. Other products include
Integrity Music
Worship Software®,
designed to assist music ministers in the selection of songs
(over 5,000 featured), planning rehearsals and services, and reviewing song
usage tracking. The Company, in partnership with two other Praise and Worship
music companies, has also produced the Double-Platinum certified
WoW Worship
(Blue),
the Platinum certified
WoW Worship (Orange)
and the Gold certified
WoW Worship (Green).
The Company has also developed the
Songs4Worship
series
in conjunction with Time Life Music, which includes the Double-Platinum
certified
Songs4Worship Shout To The Lord
and the Gold certified
Songs4Worship Holy Ground.
In late 2002, the Company released the iWorship
series, featuring popular contemporary and emerging modern worship songs on CD,
along with DVDs that provide breathtaking visuals, sing-along lyrics and
click-tracks for musicians and worship leaders. The first release in the
series was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) in January 2003 and certified Platinum in October 2003.
Integritys Christian music products also include printed music such as
songbooks and sheet music designed primarily for distribution to churches and
choral groups. The Company produced God With Us, winner of the 1994 Gospel
Music Association Dove Award for best musical, which has remained on the best
sellers list on the non-seasonal musical charts for eight years running. Other
musicals include God For Us, Let Your Glory Fall, God In Us, We Believe
and Redeemer, Savior, Friend. Other printed music products include
orchestrations, octavos and The Celebration Hymnal, a joint venture with Word
Entertainment (Word), featuring over 700 songs and hymns. Sales of this
hymnal had exceeded one million units by year-end 2003.
Integrity Publishers, Inc., the Companys book publishing division,
released its first Christian books into the market in the third quarter of
2002.
Product Creation
The Companys music product development process is based upon the creation
of new concept or artist products that are designed, scripted and marketed to
respond to a specific demand. Integrity Music and INO Records, LLC each
conduct planning processes for each new product in order to determine whether
the final product is likely to be successful in the market for which it is
designed.
New product concepts for Integrity Music are based on responses to surveys
of the Companys current customer base as well as other market and product
research conducted by the Company and by independent consultants. Once a new
product concept has been identified, the concept is reviewed and discussed by
representatives of Integritys creative, marketing and finance divisions. If
the product concept is approved by that group, then Integrity assembles a
creative team, which includes one or more artists and producers, generally
employed on a freelance or contract basis, and members of Integritys creative
division.
Following the development of the Integrity Music product concept, the
product is recorded in live settings at churches or civic auditoriums, in
independent studios in cities such as Los Angeles, California or Nashville,
Tennessee, or at Integritys studio in Mobile, Alabama. A significant amount
of recording is done in independent studios. The studios in Mobile, Alabama
are mainly used as a post-production facility where the recordings are edited
and mixed. The manufacturers receive the master recordings from Integrity in
digital format and then produce a master to be used in the manufacturing
process. The Company reviews the final manufacturing master prior to
production to ensure that the quality of the recording has been maintained.
The Companys book product development process begins with the signing of
a contract with the author. The author and the Company negotiate on the
concept for the book. Once
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agreement has been reached on a concept, the author will create a
manuscript for submission to the Company for editorial changes. Design for the
interior and exterior of the book and marketing plans are formulated
accordingly. The Companys own editorial staff provides final approval before
the book is manufactured.
Distribution
The Company distributes its products domestically through two primary
channels: direct-to-consumer and retail markets. In addition, the Company has
an international distribution network that reaches markets in 168 countries.
Direct-To-Consumer
The Companys direct-to-consumer activities are based on a variety of
methods designed to reach the consumer directly. Among the methods are
continuity clubs, through which the member receives a new selection every six
to eight weeks and is billed for each product. Shipments continue until the
Company is instructed to cancel the membership. This differs from certain
other music clubs in which members have a negative option allowing them to
decline monthly selections before they are mailed and in which their only
obligation is to purchase a certain number of products over a stated period of
time.
The Company rents mailing lists that include subscribers to Christian
magazines, purchasers of Christian mail order products and donors to Christian
ministries. When available, the Company obtains new mailing lists to conduct a
one-time solicitation in an approved direct mailing. Once a response is
received by Integrity, the customers name is added to the Companys own
mailing list. Integrity also builds its direct-to-consumer database through
space advertisements in Christian magazines, television advertising and
Internet marketing.
The Companys first continuity club,
Hosanna! Music®,
released its 121st
recording in March 2004. Currently the Company operates several continuity
clubs, including the
Songs4Worship
and
Integrity Notes®
series. The clubs are
launched with a mailing of a new product announcement and solicitation to as
many as 500,000 people. After the initial mailing, the Company postpones
further direct mail solicitation campaigns for up to six months, utilizing the
time to study the response and evaluate the sustainability of the initial
members. If the initial membership proves to be sustainable based on product
shipments, the Company will roll out the club in an extensive direct mail
effort to an average of 900,000 people.
In addition to continuity clubs, the Companys direct-to-consumer program
includes mail order catalog sales, telemarketing, one-time offers to active
customers, television offers and sales through the Internet. The mail order
catalog and telemarketing programs are designed to increase sales to the
Companys current customers by increasing their awareness of Integritys full
line of products, as well as to develop new customers for Integrity products.
The Company operates its Internet activity through integritymusic.com and
songs4worship.com. We have also expanded our marketing through direct response
television including the
Songs4Worship
series advertising with Time Life Music.
The Direct-to-Consumer segment also includes direct sales to churches of
printed products, including The Celebration Hymnal, which features over 700
songs and hymns and was introduced in 1997 in a joint venture with Word
Entertainment.
Retail Markets
Integritys music retail sales activities target two markets: the
Christian retail market (CBA), which includes sales of choral music products,
and the general retail market.
The Company currently utilizes Word Entertainment, a division of Warner
Music Group, to serve the CBA market. All CBA orders are fulfilled through
Word, which is responsible for warehousing Integrity Music and INO Records, LLC
products. Products are shipped and invoiced based on orders received directly
from Words sales force through a computerized order entry system. Word
services the Companys customers from one warehouse located in Tennessee. Word
is the number two distributor in the CBA market according to SoundScans Top
2003 CBA Distribution Group Share chart.
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Distribution of our products to the general retail market (i.e., Walmart,
Target, etc.) is done through the Companys global marketing and distribution
agreement with Sony Music Entertainment and its subsidiary Epic Records.
Products released by INO Records, LLC prior to its acquisition by Integrity are
distributed by Warner Music Group for distribution to the general retail
market.
The Companys Integrity Publishers subsidiary utilizes G. L. Services for
distribution of its products to CBA stores, the general market, and ABA stores
(i.e. Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, etc.). G.L. Services warehouses the
Companys book products in one warehouse located in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Retail sales efforts are overseen by an in-house sales staff and supported
by Integritys own in-house staff for marketing, covering such things as
point-of-purchase advertising, radio promotion, and product publicity. The
Company also utilizes the marketing expertise of several outside marketing
firms.
International
The Companys international sales are made through a subsidiary located in
the United Kingdom (responsible for Europe), a subsidiary located in Australia
(responsible for Australia, New Zealand and the Solomon Islands), a subsidiary
located in Singapore (responsible for Singapore and Myanmar), a subsidiary
located in South Africa (responsible for South Africa) and an office located at
the Companys headquarters in Mobile, Alabama (responsible for Latin America).
Products are sold to more than 60 independent distributors who are licensed to
manufacture Integritys music products from master recordings and distribute
them in a country or region and to approximately 18 importers to whom the
Company provides products. The Companys international distribution network
reaches markets in 168 countries. The Company continually evaluates ways to
expand into various markets through importers or through distributors licensed
to produce Integrity products from a master recording. For specific financial
information regarding the geographic areas that the Companys international
distribution network reaches, see Note 10 to Notes to Consolidated Financial
Statements.
The Company also develops music products specifically for certain markets.
This effort includes recording songs in indigenous languages as well as
utilizing local artists and local songs to produce the recordings. Integrity
currently produces music products in the Russian, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese,
French, German, Hindi, Portuguese and Indonesian languages. Some of
Integritys artists are also involved in live performance tours to various
countries.
Song Publishing
The Companys song catalog has accumulated ownership rights for over 2,800
songs and has generated a significant amount of royalty income from use by
third parties. A majority of the songs appearing on Integrity recordings are
published from the Companys song catalog.
Integrity emphasizes the development and maintenance of its song catalog.
Songs are selectively added to the song catalog based on the concept or theme
of a specific product design, or because the Company believes that the songs
have the potential to be a part of a future Integrity product. The Company
believes that its efforts have produced a distinctive Christian song catalog
whose titles are used not only on recorded media and radio and television
programming, but also in church services.
The Company licenses the use of its songs to churches through Christian
Copyright Licensing, Inc. (CCLI). Through CCLI, churches in the United
States are able to pay one licensing fee for the use of numerous Christian song
copyrights. The Company is paid a percentage of the licensing fees collected
by CCLI based on CCLIs estimates of the percentage of Integrity songs utilized
by the churches.
Warehousing and Fulfillment
The Company currently contracts with Word Entertainment, a division of
Warner Music Group, for its CBA retail market warehousing, physical inventory
and distribution functions of its
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music products. Word is one of several companies that provide this
service in the CBA market. All of the Companys music products are sold in the
CBA retail market by Words sales force. Direct-to-consumer fulfillment
services, including order receipt and processing, data fulfillment services,
database management and payment processing, are handled by Integritys own
staff in Mobile. Integritys own distribution center located in Mobile is
responsible for its direct-to-consumer and international warehousing, physical
inventory and distribution functions. The Companys Integrity Publishers
subsidiary utilizes G.L. Services for warehousing and fulfillment of its
products for the CBA, ABA and general markets. Most of our products are sold
on a returnable basis, which is standard music and book publishing industry
practice.
Copyrights and Royalty Agreements
The Companys music and book products are protected under applicable
domestic and international copyright laws. In addition, Integrity currently
has ownership rights to approximately 2,800 songs, which are also protected
under copyright law.
In general, works that are protected under copyright laws are proprietary,
which means that for a fixed period of time the copyright owner has the
exclusive right to control the publication (or other reproduction) of the
copyrighted work. Subject to the compulsory licensing provisions of the United
States Copyright Act covering audio recordings, a copyright owner may license
others to publish, reproduce, or otherwise use its copyrighted work, on an
exclusive or nonexclusive basis, subject to limitations (such as duration and
territory) and upon such other terms and conditions, including royalty
payments, as the copyright owner may require. Despite these protections, the
Companys revenues may be adversely affected by the unauthorized reproduction
of recordings for commercial sale, commonly referred to as piracy, and by
home taping for personal use. See Managements Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations Risk Factors.
Integrity pays music royalties in two different categories. The Integrity
songwriters are paid by Integritys song publishing division when their songs
are used on an Integrity product, when used in public performances such as CCLI
use in churches and when used on third-party products. Artists, producers and
other song publishers are paid based on Integritys sales of products
containing their works. Integrity owns the majority of the songs it produces,
and does not have to pay publisher royalties to third parties for those songs.
Integritys book publishing division pays royalties to authors and literary
agents based on the number of units sold.
Seasonality
Retail sales for music and books are typically higher in the third and
fourth quarters because of holiday promotions. Direct-to-Consumer sales are
typically higher in the first quarter as a result of significant marketing
promotions in late December. Direct-to-Consumer promotions require a build up
in inventory in the fourth quarter and as a result, sales and accounts
receivable increase in the first quarter. It is important to note that sales
from quarter to quarter depend heavily on marketing promotions and new product
releases. Accordingly, results of operations in any one quarter may not be
indicative of results of operations for the entire year. See Managements
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations Risk
Factors.
Competition
The Company faces intense competition for discretionary consumer spending
from numerous other music companies, book publishers and entertainment
companies that utilize various formats, including audio recordings, film, video
and other media. Integrity competes directly with the products of other record
companies, book publishers and music publishers that distribute Christian music
and books to Christian bookstores, as well as with a number of secular
companies. Many of the Companys competitors have substantially greater
financial resources than Integrity. The Company competes on the basis of its
ability to produce new products that are attractive to consumers, sign
established and new artists, songwriters and authors and gain access to
distribution channels.
Many of the Companys competitors have significantly longer operating
histories and greater revenues from their music and book product lines. The
Companys ability to continue to
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compete successfully will be largely dependent upon its ability to build
and maintain its reputation for quality Christian music and books, as well as
other communication products. See Managements Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations Risk Factors.
Employees
As of December 31, 2003, the Company employed 218 individuals, 146 of whom
were located at the Companys Mobile, Alabama, headquarters and 21 were located
at the Tennessee offices of Integrity Publishers, Inc. and INO Records, LLC.
The Company has no collective bargaining agreements covering any of its
employees, has never experienced any material labor disruption and is unaware
of any efforts or plans to organize its employees. The Company considers
relations with its employees to be good.
Government Regulation
The Companys direct-to-consumer program is subject to federal regulations
governing unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts and
practices in or affecting commerce. These regulations generally prohibit the
solicitation of any order for sale of merchandise through the mail unless at
the time of solicitation the seller has a reasonable basis to expect that he
will be able to ship the merchandise within the time period indicated or within
thirty days if no time period is indicated. If there is any delay in the
applicable time period, the regulations require the seller to give the buyer
the option to cancel the order and receive a prompt refund or consent to a
delay in shipment. Management believes that the Company is in full compliance
with the applicable federal regulations governing its direct-to-consumer
programs.
Privatization
On March 2, 2004, the Company issued a press release announcing the
execution of a merger agreement with Kona Acquisition Corp. that would have the
effect of taking the Company private. Kona Acquisition Corp. is wholly owned
by P. Michael Coleman, Integritys principal stockholder, President and Chief
Executive Officer. The closing of this merger is contingent upon Konas
financing and approval by a majority of Integritys stockholders who are
unaffiliated with management.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES.
The Company owns a 65,000 square-foot headquarters and studio facility in
Mobile, Alabama, which houses its executive offices, management and sales
staff. Part of this facility (approximately 25,000 square feet) was
constructed in 1983. The main building in the campus, a 40,000 square foot
facility, was completed in mid-2003. These facilities are pledged as security
for the Companys indebtedness. The Company leases a 30,000 square foot
building located in Mobile, Alabama, which houses its distribution and
warehousing center. The Company leases approximately 10,700 square feet of
office space in Brentwood, Tennessee, to house its book publishing subsidiary,
Integrity Publishers, Inc., its INO Records, LLC subsidiary, and offices to
house a Christian film division. The Company leases office space for
International operations in Eastbourne, UK, Singapore, Singapore, Toowoomba,
Australia, and Durban, South Africa.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
The Company is not a party to any legal proceedings that management
believes will have a material effect on Integritys business, financial
condition or results of operations.
ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY-HOLDERS.
No matters were submitted to a vote of the Companys stockholders during
the fourth quarter of the year ended December 31, 2003.
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