Issue of Equity
Yoomedia PLC
18 November 2003
YOOMEDIA PLC ('YooMedia' or the 'Company')
Loan Stock Conversion
YooMedia is pleased to announce the conversion of its £2,000,000 variable rate
secured convertible loan stock 2008 ('Loan Stock') in to 20,000,000 new ordinary
shares of 1 pence each at a conversion rate of 1 ordinary share per 10 pence of
Loan Stock (the 'Conversion').
In the period since the 29th May 2003 the Company has placed £2,000,000 of Loan
Stock pursuant to the deed poll. Under the terms of the deed poll, the Company
can call for conversion of the Loan Stock at a conversion rate of 1 ordinary
share per 10 pence of Loan Stock should the market bid price, as derived from
the AIM appendix to the London Stock Exchange Daily Official List, be equal to
or exceed 30 pence over 30 consecutive trading days.
The Company's nominated adviser and broker, Durlacher Limited ('Durlacher'),
confirmed that this condition was met on 23rd October 2003. As a consequence,
the independent directors of the Company, being Messrs. Richard Blake and Paul
Stacey, (the 'Independent Directors') at a meeting held on 13th November 2003,
after consultation with Durlacher, decided that immediate conversion of the Loan
Stock was in the best interests of YooMedia and its shareholders as a whole.
The Independent Directors, considered, amongst other things, the considerable
advantage of reducing the Company's gearing and cash commitments via the
Conversion and concluded that such an action would strengthen the Company's
equity base. Furthermore, the immediate conversion of the Loan Stock means that
holders of Loan Stock are converted at the maximum conversion price of 10 pence
per ordinary share.
Commenting on the Conversion, Dr Michael Sinclair, Executive Chairman, said, '
The excellent performance of our share price has given us an early opportunity
to strengthen our balance sheet and remove the loan stock interest burden. This
gives YooMedia a firmer equity base from which to expand and I look forward to
providing shareholders with further good news in the near future.'
Following the decision to convert the Loan Stock, the Company has today
despatched the requisite notices to holders of the Loan Stock The Loan Stock
will convert into 20,000,000 new ordinary shares of 1 pence each, and post
conversion the Company will have 112,678,072 issued ordinary shares.
Application has been made for the 20,000,000 new ordinary shares, which will
rank pari passu with existing ordinary shares, to be admitted to trading on the
AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange. Admission will become effective and
dealings are expected to commence at 8.00am on 21 November 2003.
Following conversion, the following investors have notifiable interests in the
Company:
Dr Michael Sinclair, YooMedia's Chairman and CEO, has a beneficial holding of
25,950,660 ordinary shares, representing 22.6 per cent. of the Company's
enlarged issued share capital.
Foresight Technology VCT plc has a beneficial holding of 18,410,000 ordinary
shares, representing 16.3 per cent. of the Company's enlarged issued share
capital.
Leo Noe, a non-executive director of the Company, has a beneficial holding of
5,000,000 ordinary shares, representing 4.4 per cent. of the Company's enlarged
issued share capital.
Lord Evans of Watford, a non-executive director of the Company, has a beneficial
holding of 4,000,000 ordinary shares, representing 3.5 per cent. of the
Company's enlarged issued share capital.
Andrew Fearon, YooMedia's Chief Operating Officer, has a beneficial holding of
1,316,000 ordinary shares, representing 1.2 per cent. of the Company's enlarged
issued share capital.
David Docherty, an executive director of the Company, has a beneficial holding
of 750,000 ordinary shares, representing 0.7 per cent. of the Company's enlarged
issued share capital.
Edmund Abrams, YooMedia's development director, has a beneficial holding of
625,000 ordinary shares, representing 0.6 per cent. of the Company's enlarged
issued share capital.
Further enquiries please contact:
John Murray 020 7553 6559
Public Relations
David Rae 020 7459 3600
Durlacher Ltd
About YooMedia
YooMedia plc is a digital TV and mobile entertainment company that provide
services including chat, games and dating products. YooMedia's suite of iTV and
eTV services and products allow digital network operators and broadcasters to
build communities of loyal viewers and establish new revenue streams.
YooMedia works with licensees and publishers to create classic parlour games,
multi-player games and real-time arcade action games for interactive TV.
YooMedia has the exclusive license for Tetris across UK digital cable.
YooMedia is an established provider of interactive TV chat, with a variety of
messaging applications. This service is also available to other broadcasters and
operators. yoome2 is the interactive channel on Telewest digital cable. The
Channel includes the UK's only cable chat service, yoome chat, along with a
suite of games (including the first cable launch of Tetris). Yoome2 also
includes competitions, prizes and mobile phone ringtones and logo downloads. The
technology developed for the Channel and chat services can also be used as a
core framework for similar interactive services by broadcasters and branded
accordingly.
YooMedia has signed an exclusive partnership with Dateline to develop and launch
all of its interactive dating services on digital and cable television.
In April 2003, YooMedia acquired 33% of MIETV and has the option to acquire the
remainder of the company. We have invested in and launched the first ever games
channel on Freeview called Free2Play and have secured the right to run pay to
play games on the platform. The channel launched on 23rd May 2003.
YooMedia is to pioneer the use of mobile phones to interact in real time with a
TV programme. The Trigger TV technology, which is exclusive to YooMedia and
protected by a worldwide patent, broadens the reach of interactive TV because it
allows viewers to interact synchronously with TV programmes by mobile phone,
without needing a digital set-top box.
YooMedia also has an agreement with ntl: Home to distribute all its products on
its digital interactive cable platform. ntl: Home customers will soon have
access to a Cartoon Network branded games channel and the UK's leading dating
agency, Dateline, both built and run by YooMedia. Also they will have access to
YooMedia's extensive games library as well as a unique 24/7 Chat solution.
YooMedia plc is quoted on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.
www.yoomedia.com
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange