Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Companys financial statements are
presented on a going-concern basis. This contemplates the realization of assets
and liquidation of liabilities in the normal course of business. At June 30,
2003, the Company had a working capital deficit of approximately $9,667,000. In
their opinion,
14
the
Companys independent auditors, Hein & Associates, LLP, have expressed
substantial concern regarding the Companys ability to continue as a going
concern. The Companys ability to continue as a going concern depends on its
ability to increase revenues, raise the capital necessary to successfully
implement its business plan and ultimately achieve profitable operations.
Asset Sales
During its fiscal
year ended June 30, 2003, the Company focused on cutting its costs and selling
certain of its non-core assets. To increase operational efficiency, focus on
geographic concentration of its operations to Mexico and California, and
dispose of assets that are not consistent with its business plan, the Company
used the proceeds of asset sales to repay debt and other obligations, and to
reinvest the remaining net proceeds, if any, in existing or new assets. During
the fiscal year the Company disposed of the following assets:
DSI Sale
On December 23, 2002 Cable Concepts entered
into a contract for the sale of certain Rights of Entry Agreements to Digital
Service, Inc. (DSI). The transaction was effective as of December 1, 2002, and
covered 55 cable properties in several states with approximately 1,900
subscribers.
The aggregate purchase price for the right
of entry agreements was $1,995,000 which is comprised primarily of debt
assumption by DSI. DSI assumed its note payable to Pacifica Bank in the amount
of $1,592,000, and assumed a credit card debt in the amount of $15,000. They
also assumed other liabilities and assets relating to the operations of the
properties which netted to approximately $116,000. Due to a decrease in the
number of subscribers under the Right of Entry Agreements, the Company issued a
promissory note to DSI in the amount of $376,000 in April, 2003.In addition,
Cable Concepts Inc. (CCI) transferred a property in Washington to DSI in
exchange for the assumption of a debt to a third party in the amount of
$121,000. The carrying amount of the assets relating to this sale was
$2,435,000.
Dakotas
In
January 2003, Cable Concepts sold several Right of Entry Agreements for cable
properties located in North Dakota, which had a total of 129 basic subscribers.
The sale was for a total of $129,000 and the net proceeds were used to pay down
bank debt. The carrying value of the assets sold was $266,000, resulting in a
net loss of $179,000.
Belmont
The
Cable Concepts sold Right of Entry Agreements for a small bulk property located
in Memphis, TN for $32,000 and the proceeds were used as working capital. The
carrying value of the assets sold was $46,000.
Memphis Properties
On
April 7, 2003 Cable Concepts completed a sale of assets consisting of three
Right of Entry Agreements, serving 352 private cable subscribers in Memphis,
Tennessee to Time Warner Cable for $432,000 in cash, or $1,207 per subscriber.
Adjusted carrying value of this property was $499,000.
La Salle Acquires Direct Digital
Midwest
On September 29, 2000, two of our indirect
subsidiaries, Direct Digital Midwest, Inc. (DDM) and CP Dakotas MDU, LLC (CPD)
borrowed an aggregate of $2 million from LaSalle Bank National
Association. The loan
15
was
evidenced by a promissory note and secured by the assets of each of DDM and
CPD. Additionally, as additional
collateral for the loan, Cable Concepts pledged all of the stock of DDM to
LaSalle Bank. Neither the Company nor Cable Concepts guaranteed the loan to
LaSalle Bank. After DDM and CPD defaulted on the loan, LaSalle foreclosed on
all of the assets of DDM and CPD and the stock of DDM to satisfy the loan. On
May 9, 2003, LaSalle Bank auctioned all of the shares of DDM to satisfy the
loan. LaSalle Bank was the highest bidder at auction. The value of the
collateral securing the loan was insufficient to cover the entire amount then
due under the loan. To date, LaSalle Bank has not pursued any action or made
any claim against the Company or Cable Concepts for the amount of any
shortfall.
Sale of Notes Receivable
In April 2003, USAB completed a sale of a $500,000 note receivable from
Las Americas collateralized by all of the assets of Las Americas, Inc. A firm
purchased the note for $500,000. The note assigns the security interest of all
of the assets of Las Americas Broadband that were held by the Company. Interest
on the note is for one year at 15%. Additionally the Company is liable for up
to $250,000 if Las Americas defaults on the note and there are not sufficient
assets to cover the note. The Company
issued 300,000 shares of common stock as additional consideration for this note
and paid $50,000 and issued 1,500 shares of common stock as a commission.
Financing Operations
The Company has had limited access to
investment capital to support working capital deficits or to expand existing
operations. Consequently, the Companys financial condition has deteriorated.
As a result the Company has focused on negotiations with prospective lenders and
investors as the Company seeks to refinance all outstanding loans and
liabilities and to seek new investments in order to provide working capital.
Between October 2002 and July 2003, the
Company issued bridge notes having a total principal amount of $2,050,000 to
sophisticated investors. In connection
with the bridge loans evidenced by these notes, the Company issued to the
bridge note investors, warrants to purchase a total of 1,025,000 shares of the
Companys common stock. Each warrant expires five years from its date of
issuance. Each bridge note bears interest at 18% per annum and matures on the
earlier of: (i) the last day of the sixth month following the signing of the
promissory note or (ii) on the date the Company receives permanent financing in
the amount of at least $3,000,000. If the Company obtains permanent financing,
each note holder has the right to convert all, but not part, of the outstanding
principal and accrued interest on the note into shares of the Companys common
stock or preferred stock issued in connection with the permanent financing at a
discount of 10% to the offering price. Additionally, for every month that any
principal payment is overdue, each note holder will receive an additional
warrant to purchase 10,000 shares of the Companys common stock per $100,000 in
principal amount outstanding under the note, or pro-rata portion thereof,
having an exercise price of the lesser of $1.00 or the average bid price of the
Companys common stock for the preceding 20 trading days. The indebtedness evidenced by the bridge
notes is secured by certain of the Companys assets and the assets of the
Companys subsidiaries. See
Managements Discussion and Analysis Or Plan Of Operation Subsequent Events.
Below
is a summary of the bridge note transactions as of June 30, 2003:
16
|
Date of
Loan
|
|
Principal
Amount
|
|
Warrant Issued
|
|
|
October
30, 2002 (1)
|
|
$
|
500,000
|
|
Warrant
to purchase 250,000 shares of common stock at $1.00 per share.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
November
4, 2002
|
|
$
|
25,000
|
|
Warrant
to purchase 12,500 shares of common stock at $1.00 per share.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
January
22, 2003
|
|
$
|
200,000
|
|
Warrant
to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock at $1.00 per share.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
February
25, 2003 (1)
|
|
$
|
100,000
|
|
Warrant
to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock at $1.00 per share.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
March
6, 2003
|
|
$
|
400,000
|
|
Warrant
to purchase 200,000 shares of common stock at $0.80 per share.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
March
13, 2003
|
|
$
|
100,000
|
|
Warrant
to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock at $0.80 per share.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
April
2, 2003 (2)
|
|
$
|
50,000
|
|
Warrant
to purchase 25,000 shares of common stock at $0.80 per share.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
May
2, 2003
|
|
$
|
100,000
|
|
Warrant
to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock at $0.80 per share.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
May
2, 2003
|
|
$
|
25,000
|
|
Warrant
to purchase 12,500 shares of common stock at $0.80 per share.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
May
14, 2003 (2)
|
|
$
|
50,000
|
|
Warrant
to purchase 25,000 shares of common stock at $0.80 per share.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
May
21, 2003
|
|
$
|
100,000
|
|
Warrant
to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock at $0.90 per share.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
June
2, 2003
|
|
$
|
200,000
|
|
Warrant
to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock at $0.90 per share.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
June
9, 2003
|
|
$
|
100,000
|
|
Warrant
to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock at $0.90 per share.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
June
12, 2003
|
|
$
|
75,000
|
|
Warrant
to purchase 37,500 shares of common stock at $0.90 per share.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
June
12, 2003
|
|
$
|
25,000
|
|
Warrant
to purchase 12,500 shares of common stock at $0.90 per share.
|
|
(1) This bridge loan was made by Mr.
Theodore Swindells, one of the Companys significant stockholders. See Stock
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder
Matters.
(2) In August 2003, the holders of these
notes elected to convert outstanding principal and accrued interest into shares
of common stock. See Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities. Therefore,
these notes are no longer outstanding.
On
September 8, 2003, the Company obtained secured debt financing in an amount of
$4 million. The financing is evidenced by a promissory note and
17
secured by substantially all
of the Companys assets. A portion of the proceeds of the financing were used
to repay a portion of the outstanding principal and accrued interest owed on
the above-described bridge notes. See
Subsequent Events included in this Section for a more detailed description of
this financing and partial repayment of the bridge notes
In
addition to the bridge loans, the Company is subject to the following
obligations:
As of June 30, 2003 the Company had an
unsecured note payable outstanding in the amount of $130,000. The holder of
this note, Theodore Swindells, beneficially owns over 5% of the Companys
common stock. The note was issued on March 4, 2002 and bore interest at a rate
of 10% per year with a due date of October 31, 2002. On October 18, 2002, the
Company entered into a new loan agreement with Mr. Swindells, which extended
the due date to April 30, 2003, under the same terms and conditions as the
original note. In September 2003, the
Company and Mr. Swindells agreed to extend the due date of this loan agreement
to April 30, 2004 under the same terms and conditions as the original note.
As of June 30, 2003 the Company owed a
total of approximately $1,376,000 to Geneva Associates Merchant Banking
Partners, an entity in which Russell Myers, one of the Companys directors, has
an interest. The $1,376,000 owed to Geneva Associates Merchant Banking Partners
is due under a reimbursement agreement under which Geneva Associates Merchant
Banking Partners, through a financial institution, issued a letter of credit to
a bank to be used as security for a line of credit the Company had with the
bank. Of this $1,376,000, $1,050,000 represents principal on the two lines of
credit, and $326,000 represents accrued and unpaid interest and fees. The
outstanding balance under the reimbursement agreement bears interest at a rate
of 16% per year. The Company is
currently in default under the reimbursement agreement. In July 2003, Geneva
Merchant Bank committed to convert $1,247,310 of the debt into shares of common
stock. The Company is negotiating an agreement to convert Series B Preferred
and Series C Preferred shares into Series A Preferred shares.
As of June 30, 2003 the Company had a note
payable and accounts payable to its outside counsel in connection with unpaid
legal fees in the aggregate amount of approximately $630,000. The note was
issued in September 2002 and bears interest at a rate of 10% per year. The note
is secured by all of the assets of USAB Video Corp. II, Inc., one of the
Companys subsidiaries. Subsequent to year end the Companys counsel agreed to
convert the outstanding debt to shares of common stock, subject to the outside
counsels ability to sell such shares without disrupting the market place as
determined by an independent advisor to the Company. (See Subsequent Events.)
The Companys
contractual obligations as of June 30, 2003 and the periods in which payments
are due are set forth below:
|
|
|
Less than One
Year
|
|
1-3 Years
|
|
4-5
Years
|
|
After
5
Years
|
|
Total
|
|
|
Current Portion Long Term Debt and
Notes Payable
|
|
4,191,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,191,000
|
|
|
Capital Lease Obligations
|
|
420,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
420,000
|
|
|
Operating Lease Obligations
|
|
156,500
|
|
360,200
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
516,700
|
|
|
Total Contractual Cash Obligations
|
|
$
|
4,767,500
|
(1)
|
$
|
360,200
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
$
|
5,127,700
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18
This table does not include the $4
million secured debt funding obtained by the Company in September 2003. (See
Subsequent Events)
Obligations
In March 2002,
USAB Video Corp. II, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, entered
into an asset purchase agreement with Verizon Media Ventures, Inc. and GTE
Southwest Incorporated. After purchasing a portion of the assets pursuant to
the agreement, in June 2002, USAB Video Corp. did not complete the purchase of
the remaining assets. In connection therewith, the Company accrued a $250,000
liability on its financial statements for the fiscal year ending June 30,
2003.
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
The Companys most liquid asset is cash and cash
equivalents which consist of cash and short-term investments. Cash and cash
equivalents at June 30, 2003 and June 30, 2002, were $79,000 and $88,000,
respectively. Income generated from the
Companys provision of cable services is its primary source of cash. Other
sources of cash include amounts raised from the sale of its assets, sales of
its common or preferred stock and other debt or equity financings.
The
Companys operations utilized net cash of approximately $1,547,000 for the year
ended June 30, 2003. The use of cash was related primarily to funding the net
losses from its operations and changes in deferred assets offset by adjustments
for non-cash expenses of depreciation, stock based compensation, impairment of
long lived assets and losses on disposal of assets.
The Companys
operations utilized net cash of approximately $1,589,000 for the nine-month
period ended June 30, 2002. The use of
cash was related primarily to funding the net losses from its operations,
reduction of accounts receivable and other liabilities and reduction of
deferred revenues, offset by adjustments for non-cash expenses such as
impairment of long-lived assets, loss on disposal of fixed assets, stock-based
compensation, depreciation, amortization and allowance for bad debt and an
increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
During the year
ended June 30, 2003, investing activities resulted in a reduction of cash of
approximately $249,000. Cash was utilized in the purchase of the investment in
Cable California and in funding of operating expenses evidenced by a note
receivable from Las Americas
Broadband. These investment outflows were offset by the sale of the note
receivable to a third party.
During the
nine-month period ended June 30, 2002, investing activities resulted in a
reduction of cash of approximately $477,000. This was the result of the
Companys purchases of property and equipment and
19
payment of a note receivable during the period, offset
by net proceeds of asset sales.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
During the year
ended June 30, 2003, financing activities generated cash of approximately
$1,787,000. This resulted from net proceeds from the issuance of common stock,
the issuance of options and warrants, and advance on bridge notes. This was
offset by payments made on long term debt and notes payable.
During the
nine-month period ended June 30, 2002, financing activities generated cash of
approximately $1,973,000. This resulted
from proceeds from the sale of stock and from net borrowings on long-term capital,
offset by reductions in a line of credit and reductions in principal on
long-term debt and capital lease obligations. On September 8, 2003, the Company
obtained secured debt financing in an amount of $4 million. The financing is evidenced by a promissory
note and secured by substantially all of its assets. See Subsequent Events included in this Section for a more
detailed description of this financing.
Impact of Recently Issued Accounting Principles
In July 2002, the
FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 146, Accounting for
Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities (SFAS 146). SFAS 146
requires a company to recognize costs associated with exit or disposal
activities when they are incurred rather than when the company makes a
commitment to an exit or disposal plan. Examples of costs covered by SFAS 146
include lease termination costs and certain employee severance costs that are
associated with a restructuring, discontinued operation, plant closing, or
other exit or disposal activity. SFAS 146 is to be applied prospectively to
exit or disposal activities initiated after December 31, 2002. The Company does
not expect the adoption of SFAS 146 to have a material effect on the financial
position or results of operations.
In August 2002,
the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 147,
Acquisitions of Certain Financial Institutions (SFAS 147). SFAS 147 requires
financial institutions to follow the guidance in SFAS 141 and SFAS 142 for
business combinations and goodwill and intangible assets, as opposed to the
previously applied accounting literature. This statement also amends SFAS 144
to include in its scope long-term customer relationship intangible assets of
financial institutions. The provisions of SFAS 147 do not apply to the Company.
In December 2002,
the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 148,
Accounting for Stock-Based compensation-Transition and Disclosure-an amendment
of FASB Statement 123 (SFAS 123). For entities that change their accounting
for stock-based compensation from the intrinsic method to the fair value method
under SFAS 123, the fair value method is to be applied prospectively to those
awards granted after the beginning of the period of adoption. This is known as
the prospective method. The amendment permits two additional transition
methods for adoption of the fair value method. In addition to the prospective
method, the entity can choose to either restate all periods presented, which is
known as the retroactive restatement method or recognize compensation cost
from the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption as if the fair value method
had been used to account for awards, which is known as the modified
prospective method. For fiscal years beginning December 15, 2003, the
prospective method will no longer be allowed.
the Company currently account for its stock-based compensation using the
intrinsic value method as prescribed by Accounting Principles Board Opinion No.
25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees and plan on
20
continuing using this method to account for stock
options. Therefore, the Company does not intend to adopt the transition
requirements as specified in SFAS 148.
The Company adopted the new disclosure requirements in these financial
statements.
SFAS No. 149, Amendment of Statement 133 on Derivative Instruments and
Hedging Activities, was issued in April 2003 and amends and clarifies
accounting for derivative instruments, including certain derivative instruments
embedded in other contracts, and for hedging activities under SFAS No. 133.
SFAS No. 149 is effective for contracts entered into or modified after June 30,
2003, and for hedging relationships designated after June 30, 2003. The Company
does not believe that the adoption of SFAS No. 149 will have a material
impact on the Companys financial position or results of operations.
SFAS No. 150, Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with
Characteristics of Both Liabilities and Equity, was issued in May 2003 and
requires issuers to classify as liabilities (or assets in some circumstances)
three classes of freestanding financial instruments that embody obligations for
the issuer. SFAS No. 150 is effective for financial instruments entered into or
modified after May 31, 2003 and is otherwise effective at the beginning of the
first interim period beginning after June 15, 2003. The Company believes the
adoption of SFAS No. 150 will have no immediate impact on the Companys
financial position or results of operations.
The FASB issued Interpretation (FIN) No. 45, Guarantors Accounting and
Disclosure Requirements for Guarantees, Including Indirect Guarantees of
Indebtedness of Others, in November 2002 and FIN No. 46, Consolidation of
variable Interest Entities, in January 2003. FIN No. 45 is applicable on a
prospective basis for initial recognition and measurement provisions to
guarantees issued after December 2002; however, disclosure requirements are
effective immediately. FIN No. 45 requires a guarantor to recognize, at the
inception of a guarantee, a liability for the fair value of the obligations
undertaken in issuing the guarantee and expands the required disclosures to be
made by the guarantor about its obligation under certain guarantees that it has
issued. The adoption of FIN No. 45 did not have a material impact on the
Companys financial position or results of operations. FIN No. 46 requires that
a company that controls another entity through interest other than voting
interest should consolidate such controlled entity in all cases for interim
periods beginning after June 15, 2003.
The Company does not believe the adoption of FIN No. 46 will have a
material impact on the Companys financial position or results of operations.
Subsequent Events
The Board of
Directors elected Arturo Alemany, President of MIR International, to the Board
of Directors and as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer,
effective September 16, 2003. MIR has been contracted by the Company to provide
management consulting support to the Company to assist with legal and
operational matters in Mexico. Consulting fees accrue at the rate of $25,000 a
month with $12,500 due and payable monthly, and the remaining balance due the
earlier of six months or upon significant financing. In connection with this
agreement the Company granted Mr. Alemany 300,000 options to purchase common
stock at $1.10 per share, 75,000 of these shares vest immediately and the
remainder vest in three equal traunches over the next three quarters.
On July 1,
2003 the Board of Directors granted options under the Directors Compensation
Plan to the following Directors
21
|
Last Name
|
|
First Name
|
|
No. of
shares
|
|
Exercise
Price
|
|
Date of
Grant
|
|
Term
|
|
|
Cole
|
|
Douglas
|
|
100,000
|
|
$
|
1.10
|
|
1-Jul-03
|
|
5 years
|
|
|
Landry
|
|
Jon
Eric
|
|
100,000
|
|
$
|
1.10
|
|
1-Jul-03
|
|
5 years
|
|
|
Mooney
|
|
Edward
|
|
100,000
|
|
$
|
1.10
|
|
1-Jul-03
|
|
5 years
|
|
|
Myers
|
|
Russell
|
|
100,000
|
|
$
|
1.10
|
|
1-Jul-03
|
|
5 years
|
|
|
Spears
|
|
Ronald
|
|
100,000
|
|
$
|
1.10
|
|
1-Jul-03
|
|
5 years
|
|
|
Spears
|
|
Ronald
|
|
50,000
|
|
$
|
1.10
|
|
1-Jul-03
|
|
5 years
|
|
On September 8, 2003, the Company obtained
secured debt financing in the amount of $4,000,000 from a private investor. The
financing is evidenced by a convertible promissory note and secured by a first
priority lien in all or substantially all of its assets. As additional
consideration for the $4,000,000 financing, the Company issued to the lender a
warrant to purchase 525,000 shares of common stock at $.01 per share and a
warrant to purchase up to 1,250,000 shares of common stock at $1.10 per
share. The promissory note bears
interest at a rate equal to the prime rate plus 2% and matures on March 4,
2004, subject to the Companys ability to extend the maturity for up to 60
days, provided, however, that if the Company extend the maturity date, the
interest rate increases 1% each month the loan is outstanding after March 4,
2004, up to a maximum of 12%. The outstanding principal and accrued interest
under the note is convertible, in whole or in part, at the election of the
lender, into that number of shares of common stock equal to the outstanding
principal and accrued interest divided by $1.00. The documents executed in
connection with the financing generally contain customary covenants including,
among others, provisions:
relating
to the maintenance of the Companys assets and the assets of its subsidiaries
securing the indebtedness;
restricting
the Companys ability to sell or transfer its assets or create other liens on
its assets securing the debt (other than in the ordinary course of business);
restricting
the Company from authorizing or paying any dividends;
restricting
the Company from paying any bonus or making extraordinary payments to any of
the Companys employees, officers or directors or otherwise increasing
compensation or benefits paid to any of the Companys employees, officers or
directors (other than increases resulting from a cost of living adjustment or
changes of benefits applicable to all of the Companys employees);
restricting
the Company and the Companys subsidiaries from granting any lien, security
interest, pledge or other encumbrance on the Companys interests in Cable
California, or the assets of Cable California; and
restricting
the Companys use of any proceeds received from any additional funding,
regardless of whether any additional funding is structured as debt or equity,
received from the exercise of options or warrants or arising from the sale of
its assets outside the ordinary course of business.
In connection with this financing, the
Companys existing bridge note holders subordinated their security interests in
certain of its assets and the assets of its subsidiaries. As consideration for the
subordination, the Company issued to the holders of bridge notes warrants to
purchase up to 390,000 shares of common stock at a price of $1.10 per share.
The Company used $1,046,000 of the proceeds of
the financing to repay
22
a portion of the outstanding principal and accrued
interest owed to the Companys existing bridge note holders, and paid $155,000
to a note holder in exchange for its agreement to subordinate its security
interest in assets of its subsidiary.
The Company intends to use the remaining proceeds of the financing as
working capital to fund its cable build in Mexico. See Factors Affecting
Future Performance.
The Company had a note payable and accounts
payable to its outside counsel in connection with unpaid legal fees in the
aggregate amount of approximately $630,000.
In October 2003, the outside counsel agreed to convert the note payable
and account payable due to the outside counsel into approximately 686,000
shares of common stock, subject to the outside counsels ability to sell such
shares without disrupting the market place as determined by an independent
advisor to the Company.
On
September 24, 2003, Verizon Media Ventures, Inc. and GTE Southwest Incorporated
filed a complaint against the Company and USAB Video Corp. in the Supreme Court
of the Sate of New York, County of New York. In the complaint, Verizon and GTE
allege that USAB Video Corp. breached the purchase agreement and that the
Company, by guaranteeing USAB Video Corp.s performance under the agreement,
was also liable for USAB Video Corp.s breach. The complaint further alleges
that Verizon and GTE suffered losses and damages in excess of $1.023 million
dollars. Neither the Company nor USAB Video Corp. has yet to file an answer to
the complaint, but the Company intends to vigorously defend against the
lawsuit.
Factors Affecting Future Performance
The Companys financial condition raises substantial doubt
about its ability to continue as a going concern. The Company may not have sufficient resources to operate its
business in the future.
As of June 30,
2003, the Company had a net working capital (current assets minus current
liabilities) deficit of $9,467,000. As
the Companys capital needs are greater than the current working capital, the
Company must raise additional capital in order to implement its business
plan. In September 2003, the Company
obtained a secured debt financing in the amount of $4 million from a private investor,
the proceeds of which the Company used to repay certain indebtedness and as
working capital to implement its business plan in Mexico through Cable
California. The $4 million investment
in the Company will not be sufficient to complete its business plan in Mexico.
The Company will need additional financing in the future to meet its operating
needs. No assurance can be given that the Company will be able to organize debt
or equity financing, or that, if available, it will be available on terms and
conditions satisfactory to the Company and might dilute current shareholders.
The Companys
financial statements are prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a
going concern. There is substantial
doubt that the Company may continue to operate as a going concern.
The Companys
consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company
will continue as a going concern.
However, The Companys independent auditors, in their most recent
report, stated that the Company has suffered recurring losses from operations
and has a working capital deficiency which raises substantial doubt about its
ability to continue as a going concern.
The Companys consolidated financial statements do not include any
adjustments that might result from the outcome of that uncertainty. If the
Company are not sufficiently successful in generating cash from its operating
activities, the Company may need to sell additional common stock or other
securities, or the Company may need to sell assets outside the ordinary course
of business, or obtain additional financing. If the Company needs to dispose of
assets outside of the ordinary course of business to generate cash, the Company
may not be able to realize the carrying values of those assets upon
liquidation. If the Company is unable to generate the necessary cash, the
Company could be unable to continue its operations.
23
As a result of the
Companys incurring indebtedness, the Company is obligated to comply with
financial and other covenants that could restrict its future operating
activities.
On September 8,
2003, the Company received a loan from a private investor of $4 million (the
Financing). The Financing is evidenced by a promissory note and secured by
substantially all of its assets including the assets of its subsidiaries. The promissory note bears interest at a rate
equal to the prime rate plus 2% and matures on March 4, 2004, subject to the
Companys ability to extend the maturity for up to 60 days, provided, however,
that if the Company extend the maturity date, the interest rate increases 1%
each month the loan is outstanding after March 4, 2004, up to a maximum of
12%. The Financing documents generally
contain customary covenants including, among others, provisions:
relating to the maintenance of the
Companys assets and the assets of its subsidiaries securing the indebtedness;
restricting the Companys ability
to sell or transfer its assets or create other liens on its assets securing the
debt (other than in the ordinary course of business);
restricting the Company from
authorizing or paying any dividends;
restricting the Company from
paying any bonus or making extraordinary payments to any of the Companys
employees, officers or directors or otherwise increasing compensation or
benefits paid to any of its employees, officers or directors (other than
increases resulting from a cost of living adjustment or changes of benefits
applicable to all of its employees);
restricting the Company and the
Companys subsidiaries from granting any lien, security interest, pledge or
other encumbrance on its interests in Cable California, or the assets of Cable
California; and
restricting the Companys use of
any proceeds received from any additional funding, regardless of whether any additional
funding is structured as debt or equity, received from the exercise of options
or warrants or arising from the sale of its assets outside the ordinary course
of business.
In addition to the
Financing, from October 2002 to June 2003, the Company obtained bridge loans
totaling approximately $2,000,000 from other investors. See Management
Discussion and Analysis on Plan of Operation.
The covenants
contained in the Financing documents, as well as those covenants contained in
the bridge loans and other loan documents to which the Company are a party, may
restrict its operations and ability to pursue potentially advantageous business
opportunities. The Companys failure to comply with these covenants could also
result in an event of default that, if not cured or waived, could result in the
acceleration of all or a substantial portion of its indebtedness.
The Companys ability to repay indebtedness when due, will
depend upon its ability to generate sufficient revenues or to renegotiate or
replace any such
indebtedness on terms and conditions favorable to the
Company.
If the Company are
unable to repay or replace the indebtedness when due, its creditors will be
permitted to exercise their rights under security agreements securing the
indebtedness and take possession of all or substantially all of its assets and
dispose of such assts to satisfy the indebtedness.
24
The Company has continued to incur substantial losses and if
the Company fails to reduce its costs or increase its revenues, the Company
will be unable to achieve and maintain profitability and may be unable to
continue its operations.
The Company has
incurred significant losses since its inception and expects to incur losses in
the future. As of June 30, 2003, the Company had an accumulated deficit of
$35.84 million. The Companys revenues
have decreased to $1.055 million in the twelve months ended June 30, 2003 from
$2.082 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2003. The Company cannot be certain that the
Company will be successful in reducing its costs, that the Company will be able
to increase its revenues or that the Company will achieve sufficient revenues
to become profitable. The Company expects to continue to incur expenses in order
to, among other things, fund Cable Californias construction of the cable build
in Mexico, and maintains its equipment and infrastructure in California and
Mexico and to attract and retain customers. As a result, the Company will need
to generate significantly higher revenues to achieve and maintain
profitability. If the Company fails to significantly reduce its costs or to
generate higher revenues, the Company may continue to incur operating losses
and net losses and may be unable to continue its operations.
Implementation of
the Companys business plan depends upon the ability of Cable California to
complete the cable build in Mexico and to provide multi-channel cable
television to residents and businesses in the greater Tijuana, Mexico area.
On March 7, 2003,
the Company acquired all of the class B stock of Cable California. The class B stock represents 49.0% of the
voting and economic interests in Cable California. Cable California possesses a 30-year advanced telecommunications
broadband concession (the Concession) from the Mexican government to
construct and operate a 750 MHz fiber optic network providing multi-channel
cable television (the Cable Services) to residents and businesses in the
greater Tijuana, Mexico metropolitan area.
In connection with the Companys acquisition of an ownership interest in
Cable California, the Company has changed its business plan to focus on
providing Cable Services solely within its core market California and
Mexico. The success of its business
plan is dependent upon Cable Californias ability to complete the cable build
in Mexico, comply with the terms and conditions of the Concession, and
successfully market and provide Cable Services to residents and businesses in
Mexico. If Cable California is unable to successfully complete these items, the
Company may not be able to implement its business plan which will have a
material adverse effect on its business, business prospects, financial
condition and results of operations.
The Company has a minority ownership interest in Cable
California and, therefore, the Company does not control Cable California.
The Companys
business plan is dependent upon the success of Cable California. The Company owns a 49.0% economic and voting
interest in Cable California. The remaining
economic and voting interest in Cable California is owned by Mr. Carlos
Bustamante. Accordingly, currently the Company is unable to exercise control
over Cable California. While the Company is currently involved in negotiations
with Mr. Bustamante to purchase from Mr. Bustamante his interests in Cable
California, there can be no assurance that the Company will reach an agreement
with Mr. Bustamante or, if the Company reach an agreement, that the Company
will have sufficient funds or be able to acquire funds sufficient to purchase
such interests. As a minority owner of Cable California, the Company may be
unable to appoint management, determine or implement policies, implement
business strategies, acquire or liquidate assets, select or terminate business
relationships or liquidate, dissolve, sell or re-capitalize Cable California on
such terms and conditions favorable to the Company, if at all.
25
Cable Californias Mexican concession is regulated by the
Mexican government.
While the Company
is unaware of any similar concessions granted to other parties for the Tijuana,
Mexico area, the Mexican government could grant similar concessions to the
Companys competitors, or take other actions to affect the value of the
Concession. In addition, the Mexican government also has (1) the authority to
temporarily seize all assets related to the Concession in the event of a
natural disaster, war, significant public disturbance and/or threats to
internal peace and for other reasons of economic or public order in Mexico, and
(2) the statutory right to expropriate any concession and claim all related
assets for public interest reasons. Although Mexican law provides for
compensation in connection with losses and damages related to temporary seizure
or expropriation, there can be no assurance that the compensation will be
adequate or timely. There can be no assurance that:
Cable
California will be able to obtain sufficient financing to complete the Mexican
cable build;
If Cable
California obtains financing, it will be in a timely manner or on favorable
terms; or
Cable
California will be able to comply with the terms and conditions of the Mexican
Concession.
If Cable
California cannot obtain funds sufficient to complete the Mexican cable build,
it will have a material adverse effect on its business, business prospects,
financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, if Cable
California fails to comply with the terms of the Concession, the Mexican government
may terminate the Concession without compensation to Cable California. A
termination of the Concession would prevent the Company from completing its
business plan and engaging in its proposed business.
Regulators in Mexico may challenge Cable Californias
compliance with laws and regulations causing considerable expense and possibly
leading to a temporary or permanent shut down of Cable Californias operations
Government
enforcement and interpretation of the telecommunications laws and licenses is
unpredictable and is often based on informal views of government officials and
ministries in Mexico. This means that Cable Californias compliance with
Mexican laws may be challenged. It could be very expensive to defend this type
of challenge and the Company might not be successful in such challenges. If
Cable California was found to have violated the laws that govern Cable
Californias business, Cable California could be fined or denied the right to
offer Cable Services.
Cable Californias operations may be affected by political
changes in Mexico.
The Companys
business plan focuses on its ability to provide, through Cable California,
Cable Services in Mexico. The political and economic climate in Mexico is more
uncertain than in the United States and unfavorable changes could have a direct
impact on the Companys operations in Mexico. The Mexican government exercises
significant influence over many aspects of the Mexican economy. For example, a
newly elected set of government officials could decide to quickly reverse the
deregulation of the Mexican cable and telecommunications industry economy and
take steps such as seizing the Companys property, revoking its licenses, or
modifying its contracts. Furthermore, a period of poor economic performance
could reduce the demand for Cable Services in Mexico. The Mexican government might decide to restrict the conversion of
pesos into dollars or restrict the transfer of dollars out of Mexico into U.S.
entities. These types of changes, whether they occur or are only threatened,
could have a material adverse effect on the Companys business, financial
condition, results of
26
operations and would also make it more difficult for
the Company to obtain financing in the United States.
If Cable California begins providing cable services in
Mexico, fees for such services will be collected in Mexican Pesos.
If the value of
the Mexican peso declines relative to the dollar, the Company will have
decreased revenues as stated in dollars. Under the Companys current business
plan, it expects a significant amount of its revenues to be derived from
residents and businesses in Mexico. Revenue collected in Mexico will be in
Mexican pesos. If the value of the peso relative to the dollar declines, that
is, if pesos are convertible into fewer dollars, then its revenues, which are
stated in dollars, will decline. The Company does not expect to engage in any
type of hedging transactions to minimize this risk and do not intend to do so.
The market for the Companys common stock is limited and
price changes may be volatile.
The shares of the
Companys common stock are not traded on an exchange or through the Nasdaq
National Market or the Nasdaq SmallCap Market. Instead, the Companys shares
are traded over-the-counter and the market for these shares is not as developed
as it would be if the Companys shares were listed on an exchange or included
in the NASDAQ National or SmallCap markets.
The market price
of the Companys common stock is expected to be volatile for the foreseeable
future. Factors such as quarterly fluctuations in results of operations, the
announcement of new contracts or changes in either earnings estimates or
investment recommendations by stock market analysts, among others, may cause
the market price of the Companys common stock to fluctuate, perhaps
substantially. In addition, in recent years the stock market in general, and
the shares of companies in the technology sector in particular, have
experienced extreme price fluctuations which may continue for the foreseeable
future. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the
market price of the Companys common stock. Further, a share of the Companys
common stock currently falls within the SECs definition of a penny stock.
The SEC has special disclosure requirements which broker-dealers must follow
for most transactions in penny stocks. In addition, many broker-dealers will
not deal in penny stocks. These factors may further limit the market for the
Companys common stock.
The Companys substantial indebtedness could adversely affect
any investment in securities outstanding from time to time
The Company has
incurred significant indebtedness and may incur significant additional amounts
of indebtedness in acquiring other assets or companies. The Companys
operations do not provide enough cash to service its indebtedness. The
Companys indebtedness could have important consequences. For example, it
could:
make it more difficult for the Company to pay
its obligations;
increase The Companys vulnerability to
general adverse economic and industry conditions;
require the Company to dedicate a substantial
portion of The Companys cash flow from operations to payments on its
indebtedness, thereby reducing the availability of its cash flow to fund
working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other activities;
limit the Companys flexibility in planning
for, or reacting to,
27
changes
in its business and the industries in which the Company operate; and
place the Company at a competitive
disadvantage compared to its competitors that have less debt.
The Companys
ability to make payments on and to refinance its indebtedness or preferred
stock and to fund capital expenditures and other activities depends on its
ability to generate cash either from operations or from investing or other
financing activities. To date, the Company has generated the bulk of its cash
flow from the sale of securities or by borrowing money. There is no assurance
that the Company will be able to continue generating cash in this fashion,
particularly if its operating subsidiaries do not begin generating cash. The
Companys ability to generate cash is subject to general economic, financial,
competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond its
control. The Company may need to
refinance all or a portion of its indebtedness on or before maturity. The Company cannot assure you that the
Company will be able to refinance any of its indebtedness, including its credit
facilities, on commercially reasonable terms, if at all.
A change of control may be difficult
The Companys
certificate of incorporation contains, among other things, provisions authorizing
the issuance of blank check preferred stock.
The Company is also subject to provisions of Delaware law which affect
merger and other change of control transactions. These provisions could delay,
deter or prevent a merger, consolidation, tender offer, or other business
combination or change of control involving the Company that its stockholders
may consider to be in their best interests.
The sale of a substantial number of shares of The Companys
common stock in the public market could adversely affect the market price of
its common stock
As of October 10,
2003, a total of approximately 14 million shares of the Companys common stock
were issuable on exercise of options or warrants previously issued by the
Company or on conversion of outstanding preferred stock or reserved for
issuance under the Companys Stock Grant Plan approved by its board of
directors in June 2002. See the information under the heading Long-Term
Incentive, Director Option, and Stock Grant Plans in Item 10 of this Form
10-KSB. Sales or the expectation of sales of a substantial number of shares of
the Companys common stock, including shares issuable upon exercise or
conversion of outstanding options, warrants or preferred stock, likely would
have an adverse effect on the prevailing trading price of the Companys common
stock.
Satellite and direct broadcast satellite technology could
fail or be impaired
Direct broadcast
satellite technology is highly complex and is still evolving. As with any
similar product or system, this technology might not function as expected or
may not last for its expected life. If any of the DIRECTV satellites are
damaged or stop working partially or completely for any of a number of reasons,
DIRECTV customers would lose programming. In turn, the Company likely would
lose customers, which could materially and adversely affect the Companys
operations, financial performance and the trading price of its common stock.
The Company does not control DIRECTV
The Company is an
intermediary for DIRECTV and does not control DIRECTV or have any input on its
programming. DIRECTV generally purchases its programming from third parties.
DIRECTVs success, and therefore the
28
Companys, depends in large part on
DIRECTVs making good judgments about programming sources and ability to obtain
programming on favorable terms. The
Company has no control or influence over DIRECTV.
Increases in programming costs could adversely affect the
Companys direct broadcast satellite business
Programmers could
increase the rates that DIRECTV pays for programming. As a result, the
Companys costs would increase. The
Company would be faced with either increasing its rates and potentially losing
customers or suffering a reduction in its margins. Further, the rules
implementing the law requiring programming suppliers that are affiliated with
cable companies to provide programming to all multi-channel distributors,
including DIRECTV, on nondiscriminatory terms are scheduled to expire in 2002.
If these rules are not extended, these programmers could increase DIRECTVs
costs, and therefore the Companys costs. If the Companys costs increase and
the Company therefore increase its rates, the Company may lose customers. If
the Company does not increase its rates, its costs, revenues and financial
performance could be adversely affected.
Replacement of the current DIRECTV satellites could adversely
affect the Companys business
The Company may or
may not be able to continue in the direct broadcast satellite business after
the current DIRECTV satellites are replaced. If the Company can continue, the
Company cannot predict what it will cost the Company to do so. The Companys
revenues and financial performance would be adversely affected if the Company
is not able to continue in the direct broadcast business or if the Company
cannot locate suitable replacement programming for its customers.
The Company could lose money because of signal theft.
Each year, the
unauthorized receipt of direct broadcast or cable signals, or signal theft,
costs the industry significant revenues. To date, signal theft has been
contained. If, however, signal theft becomes widespread, the Companys revenues
likely would suffer. DIRECTV uses encryption technology in an effort to prevent
people from receiving programming without paying for it. However, the
technology is not foolproof, and there is no assurance that the Company will be
protected from signal theft.
Direct broadcast satellite equipment shortages could adversely
affect the Companys direct broadcast business
There have been
periodic shortages of direct broadcast satellite equipment. These shortages may
occur in the future. During periods of shortage, the Company may be unable to
accept new subscribers and, as a result, potential revenue could be lost. If
the Company is unable to obtain direct broadcast satellite equipment in the
future, or if the Company cannot obtain this equipment on favorable terms, the
Companys business and results of operations could be adversely affected.
The Company faces significant competition; the competitive
landscape changes constantly
The Company
competes with other multichannel programming distributors, including other
direct broadcast satellite operators, direct-to-home distributors, cable
operators, wireless cable operators, Internet providers and local and
long-distance telephone companies. These competitors
29
may be better capitalized than the
Company are and may be able to offer more competitive packages or pricing than
the Company or DIRECTV can offer. Many of the Companys competitors have
substantially greater financial, technical and marketing resources, larger
customer bases, longer operating histories, greater name recognition and more
established relationships in the industry. In addition, a number of these
competitors may combine or form strategic partnerships. As a result, the
Companys competitors may be able to offer, or bring to market earlier,
products and services that are superior to the Companys own in terms of
features, quality, pricing or other factors. The Companys failure to compete
successfully with any of these companies would have a material adverse effect
on its business and the trading price of its common stock.
Increased
competition also may result in reduced commissions and loss of market share.
Further, as a strategic response to changes in the competitive environment, the
Company may from time to time make certain pricing, service or marketing decisions
or acquisitions that could have a material adverse effect on the Companys
business and the trading price of its common stock.
The Company has
recently changed its strategy to focus on a limited number of markets, which
increases the its regulatory risk and will cause any downturn in these markets
to have a greater adverse effect on its operations than is currently the case.
The Company has
changed its strategy to focus on providing video, data and Internet service in
the State of California and in the Northern Baja region of Mexico. As part of
this strategy, the Company has sold assets located in the Pacific Northwest,
Midwest and Southeastern United States. As a result, the Companys success will
be tied more closely to the economic prospects of a relatively small number of
regions. If the economies of these regions experience difficulties, this will
have a greater adverse effect on its operations and financial condition than
would be the case if the Company continued to serve more markets. In addition,
the Company has not previously operated in Mexico, and operating there involves
regulatory hurdles not present in the United States and with which the Company
are not familiar. If the Company is unable to overcome these hurdles, the
Company will not be able to achieve its anticipated revenues from its
operations in Mexico, which will have a material adverse effect on its
financial condition and results of operations.