Our bylaws provide that our board of directors shall consist of
no less than seven and no more than nine directors. There are
presently seven directors serving on our board of directors.
There are no family relationships among our executive officers
and directors.
The following table sets forth certain information regarding our
directors and executive officers.
Name
Age
Position
Gene Simmons
56
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Kourosh Taj
34
Co-President and Director, Vice President of Programming
Jay Vir
50
Co-President, Secretary and Director
Richard J. David
47
Chief Financial Officer
Richard Abramson
58
Director, Strategic Advisor Entertainment
Al Cafaro
56
Director, Strategic Advisor Music(1)
Patrick Dovigi
26
Director
Andrew A. De Francesco
36
Director
John Burns
62
Director
(1)
We have extended an offer to Mr. Cafaro to become our Chief
Operating Officer. Mr. Cafaro has accepted the offer
contingent on reaching a mutually acceptable form of employment
agreement. We anticipate that such agreement and
Mr. Cafaros service as our Chief Operating Officer
will be effective prior to the completion of the unit offering.
Election of Directors
At each annual meeting of shareholders, directors will be
elected by the holders of common stock to succeed those
directors whose terms are expiring. Directors will be elected
annually and will serve until successors are elected and
qualified or until a directors earlier death, resignation
or removal. Our bylaws provide that the authorized number of
directors may be changed only by a vote of the shareholders of
our company. Vacancies in our board of directors may be filled
by a majority vote of the board of directors with such newly
appointed director to serve until the next annual meeting of
shareholders, unless sooner removed or replaced.
Committees of the Board of Directors
In connection with the listing of the units, common stock and
public warrants on the American Stock Exchange, our board of
directors will establish three committees, an audit committee, a
compensation committee and a nominating committee, as well as
adopt new corporate governance policies and procedures that
comply with the requirements of the American Stock Exchange.
Audit Committee
In connection with the listing of our units, common stock and
public warrants on the American Stock Exchange, we will be
required to establish an audit committee, which will be
comprised of one independent director after the closing of this
offering. Our board of directors does not currently include a
financial expert as that term is defined in rules
promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission,
or SEC, to serve on the audit committee. Within 90 days
from the date of this prospectus, we will expand our audit
committee to two members and within one year, to three members,
and we will recruit a financial expert to our board of directors
and add such financial expert as the chair of the audit
committee. The audit committee will assist the board in
overseeing and reviewing: (a) the integrity of our
financial reports and financial information provided to the
public and to governmental and regulatory agencies; (b) the
adequacy of our internal accounting systems and financial
controls; and (c) the annual independent audit of our
financial statements, including the independent auditors
qualifications and independence. The audit committee:
will have sole authority to select, evaluate, terminate and
replace our independent auditors;
will have sole authority to approve in advance all audit and
non-audit engagement fees and terms with our independent
auditors;
will review the activities, plan, scope of authority,
organizational structure and qualifications of any persons
overseeing our accounting and financial reporting processes and
the audits of our financial statements; and
will review our audited financial statements, public filings and
each press release prior to issuance, filing or publication.
The specific functions and responsibilities of the audit
committee will be as set forth in an audit committee charter to
be adopted by our board of directors. Our board of directors
expects that, following the date of this prospectus, at least
one member of our audit committee will qualify as an audit
committee financial expert as defined under SEC and American
Stock Exchange rules and regulations and the other members of
our audit committee will satisfy the financial literacy
requirements for audit committee members under current such
rules and regulations.
Compensation Committee
Our board of directors intends to establish a compensation
committee, which will be comprised of three independent
directors, within one year after the date of this prospectus.
The principal functions of the committee will be to:
evaluate the performance of our named executive officers and
approve their compensation;
prepare an annual report on executive compensation for inclusion
in our proxy statement;
review and approve compensation plans, policies and programs,
considering their design and competitiveness;
administer and review changes to our equity incentive plans
pursuant to the terms of the plans; and
review our non-employee independent director compensation levels
and practices and recommend changes as appropriate.
The compensation committee will review and approve corporate
goals and objectives relevant to Chief Executive Officers
compensation, evaluate the Chief Executive Officers
performance in light of those goals and objectives, and
recommend to the board the Chief Executive Officers
compensation levels based on its evaluation.
The compensation committee will administer our 2000 Equity
Incentive Plan. The specific functions and responsibilities of
the compensation committee will be set forth in a compensation
committee charter to be adopted by the board of directors.
Nominating Committee and Corporate Governance
Our board of directors will establish a nominating and corporate
governance committee, which will be comprised of all of the
independent directors then serving on the board. This committee
is responsible for seeking, considering and recommending to the
board qualified candidates for election as directors and
recommending a slate of nominees for election as directors at
our annual meeting, as well as overseeing compliance with
various governance matters. The specific functions and
responsibilities of the nominating and corporate governance
committee will be set forth in the nominating and corporate
governance committee charter.
Corporate Governance
In connection with the listing of our securities on the American
Stock Exchange, we will be required to adopt many new corporate
governance practices, in addition to establishing our new board
committees. Such practices include maintaining a majority of
independent directors on our board, providing that all
compensation payable to our chief executive officer be approved
by a compensation committee composed of independent directors,
and requiring that any newly adopted stock option and stock
compensation plans be approved by our shareholders. We have
already adopted a code of ethics.
Mr. Gene Simmons.
Mr. Simmons was elected to
our board of directors in February 2004 and became Chairman of
the board in February 2004. Mr. Simmons assists the company
with its marketing and public relations, and acts as a
spokesperson for the company. Mr. Simmons currently has
numerous other projects and businesses for which he serves as
director and manager, as well as investor during the past five
years. Three decades ago, Mr. Simmons co-founded one of the
most famous and most successful rock groups in the
world KISS. Mr. Simmons is President of his own
record label, Simmons Records, as well as a film and television
producer, having produced Detroit Rock City for New
Line Cinema. He has a book imprint, Simmons Books, and he also
publishes his own magazine Tongue, available at all newsstands.
Mr. Kourosh Taj.
Mr. Taj became our
Co-President and was elected to our board of directors at the
inception of the company in 2000. Mr. Taj has been in the
music and entertainment industry for over 12 years holding
various positions in television production, development,
licensing, talent booking and operations. Prior to co-founding
NGTV, Mr. Taj held the position of Executive Vice President
of MusiTopia and spearheaded the creative components and
development of a landmark music theme park project for the
re-use of the old Atlantic City Convention Center. For more than
the last five years, Mr. Taj has led NGTV programming,
talent acquisition, production, business development, content
licensing from artists and labels, as well acting as the
creative director and development director of the NGTV premium
channel.
Mr. Jay Vir.
Mr. Vir became our Co-President
and was elected to our board of directors at the inception of
the company in 2000. Mr. Vir has been a media executive
since 1996, and has an extensive background and network of
relationships in the cable television, music and entertainment
industries. Prior to NGTV he consulted and spearheaded the
strategic development, operations, finance and content licensing
for MusiTopia, a landmark music and entertainment project, which
included media, television, record label and live venue
components. He was also a co-founder and CEO of NetInfo, a
Microsoft network content partner, and was instrumental in
developing a revenue sharing partnership with Microsoft. Prior
to 1996 he was a business entrepreneur and a consultant in the
media, finance, publishing, technology and automobile
industries. For more than the last five years, Mr. Vir had
lead NGTV operations, including distribution, marketing, content
licensing, corporate and business affairs, programming and
broadcast operations. Mr. Vir has also consulted for major
US corporations, which include Daily Journal, RJR Nabisco,
Nissan and Lockheed. Mr. Vir received his Bachelors
degree in Electrical Engineering, in 1977, from the Indian
Institute of Technology in Bombay and an MBA, in 1979, from the
Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta.
Mr. Richard J. David.
Mr. David became our
Chief Financial Officer in October 2005. Mr. David joined
NGTV as its Vice President of Finance in March 2004. From April,
2002 through March 2004, Mr. David was a consultant with
Sunbelt Business Brokers of Beverly Hills, where he consulted
with senior management of private companies. Through April 2002,
Mr. David was Vice President, Finance and Administration
with Simon Marketing, Inc. (SMI), a public entity
trading on Nasdaq National Market. At SMI, Mr. David was
responsible for financial controls, budgets and SEC Filings, as
well as operational issues. In addition, Mr. David has
performed extensive work consulting with management of mid-level
firms on finance, enterprise valuations, mergers and
acquisitions. He earned his MBA in Finance and Organizational
Development, from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles,
California, in 1998.
Mr. Richard Abramson.
Mr. Abramson joined NGTV
in February 2004, as its Co-Chief Executive Officer and as a
director. In July 2004, Mr. Abramson stepped down from this
position, but continues to serve as a director and consultant.
Mr. Abramsons successful career spans more than
25 years and several industries. In the film industry,
Mr. Abramson has served as Co-Creator, Producer and
Executive Producer on numerous films for studios such as
Paramount, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. and Columbia.
Mr. Abramson was the personal manager of the character
known as Pee-wee Herman. Mr. Abramson was co-creator and
producer of Pee-Wees Playhouse and Pee-Wees Big
Adventure for Warner Brothers and Executive Producer of BIG-TOP
PEE-WEE for Paramount. In 2001, Mr. Abramson became
Chairman of EastWest Resort Development Corporation, a real
estate development company. Since 2004, Mr. Abramson has
been managing member of SAB 1, LLC, an entertainment
services company. SAB 1, LLC is co-owned with Mr. Gene
Simmons, Chairman of our board.
Mr. Al Cafaro.
Mr. Cafaro was elected to our
board of directors in October 2000. Mr. Cafaro also acts as
our strategic advisor in the area of music. He is a
well-respected music industry veteran, now in his third decade
in the music business. He held the position of Chairman and CEO
of A&M Records form 1996 to 1999. Mr. Cafaro
joined A&M Records in 1976 as the regional promotion
representative in North and South Carolina. In 1987, he was
named Vice President of Promotion and relocated to
A&Ms home base in Los Angeles. Thereafter, he was
promoted to Senior Vice President and eventually to General
Manager of the label. In 1990, Mr. Cafaro was appointed
President & CEO of the company and, in 1996 he was
promoted to the position of Chairman and CEO of A&M Records.
Mr. Cafaro also served on the board of Radio Industry
Association of America from 1990-1999. From 1999 through 2002
Mr. Cafaro worked as an individual consultant in the music
industry for various clients. In 2002, Mr. Cafaro formed
Metropolitan/ Hybrid Recordings, a small record company with 6
contemporary artists and a concert promotion company promoting
music shows in the northeastern region of the United States,
which he continues to manage.
Mr. Patrick Dovigi.
Mr. Dovigi was elected to
our board of directors in February 2004. Mr. Dovigi
graduated from Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada in 2000
with a degree in Business Management. Prior to that he was
employed by both the Edmonton Oilers and the Detroit Red Wings
Organization of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a
Professional Hockey player. From 2002 through 2004
Mr. Dovigi was Vice President of Brovi Investments. Since
September 2004, he has also been President of Waste Excellence
Corporation, a company involved in Municipal Waste and Recycling
Transfer Stations. From 1999 through January 2002,
Mr. Dovigi was Vice President of Right Lease, a
construction equipment and automotive leasing company.
Mr. Andrew A. De Francesco.
Mr. De Francesco was appointed to our board of
directors on May 2, 2006. From September 2005 to the
present he has been the President of Apollo Limited Partnership,
a private Canadian hedge fund. Prior to that, since September
2001, he was the Managing Partner of Standard Securities Capital
Corp., a Canadian investment boutique. From February 2001 to
September 2001, he served as Vice President of Canaccord
Capital, a Canadian brokerage firm. Over the last ten years, he
has been involved in capital raising activities for small cap
companies in the United States and Canada. He is a graduate of
Western Ontario University and he has successfully completed the
Canadian Securities Course and the Partners, Directors and
Officers exams under Canadian securities laws.
Mr. John Burns.
John Burns has over 20 years
experience in the cable and satellite industries and for more
than the past 5 years he has served as the CEO of The Burns
Group, a consulting firm specializing in cable network and
interactive services, whose clients have included Sony
Television, the Game Show Network, Columbia Tri-Star
International Television, Wisdom Networks, The Parenthood
Channel and Gemstar International. Previously, Mr. Burns
held the position of President, Distribution for the ABC Family
Channel where he oversaw the Affiliate Sales and Marketing
efforts, as well as Local Ad Sales. From 1981 to 1992,
Mr. Burns worked with Viacoms Showtime Networks,
where he held numerous marketing and sales positions, last
serving as Senior Vice President, Affiliate Sales and Marketing.
Thereafter, John was Executive Vice President, Sales and
Marketing, and subsequently named President of StarSight
Telecast, Inc., where he formulated the business plan and all
marketing, sales, distribution, engineering, product planning
and development strategies for the worlds first
interactive on-screen television navigation system. He holds a
Bachelors Degree from Guilford College and earned a JD
from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Mr. Burns served as our Chief Executive Office for the
period April 10, 2006 through May 16, 2006.
Legal Matters Concerning Certain Members of our Management
On August 19, 2005, Mr. Al Cafaro, one of our
directors, filed a petition for bankruptcy protection under
Chapter 7 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. The
petition was filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the
Southern District of New York, as case number 05-16684. The case
is pending and no order of discharge has been entered. The case
relates solely to Mr. Cafaros personal financial
affairs and assets.
The following table sets forth information concerning the total
compensation that we have paid or accrued on behalf of our Chief
Executive Officer and other officers with annual compensation
exceeding $100,000 (collectively, the named executive
officers) during the fiscal years ending December 31,
2003, 2004 and 2005.
SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
Annual Compensation
Restricted
Securities
Other Annual
Stock
Underlying
All Other
Name and Principal Position
Year
Salary
Bonus
Compensation
Awards($)
Options(#)
Compensation
Allan Brown*(a)
2005
240,000
Former Chief Executive Officer
2004
212,000
881,929
98,175
2003
Jay Vir*(b)
2005
302,580
President
2004
295,200
2003
288,000
149,999
Kourosh Taj*(c)
2005
252,150
President
2004
246,000
2003
240,000
79,999
Richard David*(d)
2005
185,962
10,804
43,048
Chief Financial Officer
2004
133,846
2003
Paul Allen
2005
186,923
Vice President, Post Production
2004
143,308
2003
Al Cafaro(e)
2005
50,000
25,829
Director
2004
2003
*
These executives are covered by employment agreements which are
discussed elsewhere in this prospectus.
(a)
Mr. Browns employment with the company as Chief
Executive Officer was terminated effective February 12,
2006 and he resigned from our board of directors effective
February 27, 2006. There are no severance or other
payments, or stock options or issuances, presently due
Mr. Brown in connection with his departure from the
company. In February 2004, an entity controlled by
Mr. Brown was provided with a consulting arrangement and
paid $310,000 for marketing services. The contract was
subsequently canceled on October 28, 2004. In February
2004, Mr. Brown converted $50,000 of debt that we owed to
him into 242,100 shares of common stock; the net benefit to
Mr. Brown, based on fair market value of the stock and
related options at the time, was $881,929. In addition, in
February 2004, Mr. Brown was awarded 98,175 sub-penny
options to purchase common stock, all of which were exercised as
of December 31, 2005. As of December 31, 2005, all of
Mr. Browns outstanding options have been exercised
and he maintains a total of 320,088 shares of common stock,
after the assignment of certain shares to a non-related party.
(b)
In 2005, Mr. Vir was provided with sub-penny warrants to
purchase common stock, in connection with outstanding debt that
we owed to him. During that year, 280,173 warrants were
issued to him, which, based on the Black-Scholes option pricing
model at the time that the warrants were issued, were estimated
to be valued at $170,759. In 2003, Mr. Vir was awarded
322,859 shares of common stock, worth $149,999, based on
fair market value at the time of the award. As of
December 31, 2005, Mr. Vir holds a total of
857,230 shares of common stock.
(c)
In 2005, Mr. Taj was provided with sub-penny warrants to
purchase common stock, in connection with outstanding debt that
we owed to him. During that year, 126,061 warrants were issued
to him, which, based on the Black-Scholes option pricing model
(minimum pricing method) at the time that the warrants were
issued, were estimated to be valued at $76,831. In 2003,
Mr. Taj was awarded 172,191 shares of common stock,
worth $79,999, based on fair market value at the time of the
award. As of December 31, 2005, Mr. Taj holds a total
of 461,835 shares of common stock.
(d)
In 2005, Mr. David was awarded 17,084 shares of common
stock worth $10,804 based on fair market value of the stock at
the time of the award. Additionally, Mr. David was provided
with 43,048 options under our Equity Incentive Plan, at a strike
price of $2.59 per share. Approximately 44% of these
options are vested at December 31, 2005.
(e)
In 2000, the company entered into a consulting agreement with
Mr. Cafaro, a director, whereby he earned a maximum of
$10,000 per month, in connection with his services to the
company, including, but not limited to those services required
of him as a director. Compensation accrued under this agreement
has been negotiated to a lesser
amount, in conjunction with the agreement being modified to
include a monthly fee of $4,000, plus expenses, due to
Mr. Cafaro in exchange for his services as a director. In
December 2005, we agreed to pay Mr. Cafaro $50,000 for past
services, with an additional $50,000 to be paid to him upon the
achievement of certain financing thresholds. Additionally,
Mr. Cafaro was awarded a ten-year option to
purchase 25,829 shares of the companys common
stock, at $2.59 per share. Mr. Cafaro will continue to
earn $4,000 per month as a director.