def14a
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )
|
|
|
Filed by the Registrant þ |
|
|
|
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant o |
|
|
|
Check
|
|
the appropriate box: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
o
|
|
Preliminary Proxy Statement |
|
|
|
o
|
|
Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
|
|
|
þ
|
|
Definitive Proxy Statement |
|
|
|
o
|
|
Definitive Additional Materials |
|
|
|
o
|
|
Soliciting Material Pursuant to § 240.14a-12 |
COMCAST CORPORATION
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
þ |
|
No fee required. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
o |
|
Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
|
Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2) |
|
|
Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(3) |
|
|
Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange
Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it
was determined): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(4) |
|
|
Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(5) |
|
|
Total fee paid: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
o |
|
Fee paid previously with preliminary materials: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
o |
|
Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange
Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous
filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1 |
) |
|
Amount Previously Paid: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2 |
) |
|
Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(3 |
) |
|
Filing Party: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(4 |
) |
|
Date Filed: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notice of 2005 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Comcast
Corporation
|
|
|
|
|
Date:
|
|
June 1, 2005 |
|
Time:
|
|
Doors open: |
|
8:00 a.m. Eastern Time |
|
|
Meeting begins: |
|
9:00 a.m. Eastern Time |
|
Place:
|
|
Wachovia Complex
3601 South Broad Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19148 |
|
Purposes:
|
|
Elect directors |
|
|
Ratify the appointment of our independent
auditors |
|
|
Approve our 2002 Restricted Stock Plan, as
amended and restated |
|
|
Vote on four shareholder proposals |
|
|
Conduct other business if properly raised |
|
|
|
|
|
|
All shareholders are cordially invited to attend the meeting.
Travel directions can be found on page 50 of the attached
proxy statement. At the meeting you will hear a report on our
business and have a chance to meet our directors and executive
officers. Our 2004 Annual Report is enclosed. |
|
|
|
Only shareholders of record on March 24, 2005 may vote at
the meeting. Attendance at the meeting is limited to
shareholders and one guest. If the meeting is adjourned for one
or more periods aggregating at least 15 days due to the
absence of a quorum, shareholders who are entitled to vote and
who attend the adjourned meeting, even though they do not
constitute a quorum, will constitute a quorum for the purpose of
acting on any matter described in this proxy statement. |
|
|
|
Your vote is important. Please vote your shares promptly. To
vote your shares, you can use the Internet or call the toll-free
telephone number as described in the instructions on your proxy
card, or complete, sign, date and return your proxy card. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ARTHUR R. BLOCK |
|
Secretary |
April 8, 2005
TABLE OF CONTENTS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page | |
|
|
| |
General Information
|
|
|
1 |
|
Voting Securities and Principal Holders
|
|
|
3 |
|
Proposal 1: Election of Directors
|
|
|
8 |
|
Proposal 2: Ratification of the Appointment of our
Independent Auditors
|
|
|
14 |
|
Proposal 3: Approval of our 2002 Restricted Stock Plan, as
Amended and Restated
|
|
|
16 |
|
Proposals 4 - 7: Shareholder Proposals
|
|
|
19 |
|
Executive Compensation
|
|
|
28 |
|
Shareholder Proposals for Next Year
|
|
|
47 |
|
Solicitation of Proxies
|
|
|
48 |
|
Important Notice Regarding Delivery of Shareholder Documents
|
|
|
48 |
|
Audit Committee Charter (Appendix A)
|
|
|
A-1 |
|
Comcast Corporation 2002 Restricted Stock Plan, as Amended and
Restated (Appendix B)
|
|
|
B-1 |
|
i
PROXY STATEMENT
GENERAL INFORMATION
Holders of our Class A and Class B common stock, as
reflected in our records on March 24, 2005, may vote at the
meeting. Holders of our Class A Special common stock are
not entitled to vote at the meeting. This proxy statement is
being sent to holders of Class A Special common stock for
informational purposes only. This proxy statement and the
enclosed proxy card are being mailed to our shareholders
beginning on or about April 13, 2005.
You may vote in person at the meeting or by proxy. We recommend
that you vote by proxy even if you plan to attend the meeting.
You can always change your vote at the meeting.
Comcasts Board of Directors is asking for your proxy.
Giving us your proxy means you authorize us to vote your shares
at the meeting in the manner you direct. You may vote for all,
some or none of our director candidates. You may also vote for
or against the other proposals, or abstain from voting.
If you are a registered shareholder (meaning your name is
included on the securityholder file maintained by our transfer
agent, EquiServe Trust Company, N.A., whether you hold your
shares in book-entry through EquiServe or in certificated form),
you can vote by proxy in any of the following ways:
|
|
|
|
|
Via the Internet: Go to www.eproxyvote.com/cmcsa and
follow the instructions. You will need to enter the number in
the shaded box printed on your proxy card. |
|
|
|
By telephone: Call toll-free 1-877-779-8683 and follow
the instructions. You will need to enter the number in the
shaded box printed on your proxy card. |
|
|
|
In writing: Complete, sign, date and return your proxy
card in the enclosed envelope. |
If you vote via the Internet or by telephone, your vote must be
received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 31, 2005.
If you give us your signed proxy but do not specify how to vote,
we will vote your shares in favor of the director candidates,
the ratification of the appointment of our independent auditors,
and the approval of our 2002 Restricted Stock Plan, as amended
and restated, and against the four shareholder proposals.
If your shares are held in the name of your bank, brokerage firm
or other nominee, you will receive instructions from them that
you must follow in order to have your shares voted.
If your shares are held in the Comcast Corporation
Retirement-Investment Plan, your shares will be voted as you
specify on your proxy card. If you hold shares in the Comcast
Corporation Retirement-Investment Plan and do not return your
proxy card or do not specify how to vote your shares on your
proxy card, the plan trustee will vote your shares in the same
proportion on each matter as it votes shares held in this plan
for which voting directions were received.
We are not aware of any matters to be presented other than those
described in this proxy statement. If any matters not described
in this proxy statement are properly presented at the meeting,
the proxies will use their own judgment to determine how to vote
your shares. If the meeting is postponed or adjourned, the
proxies will vote your shares on the new meeting date in
accordance with your previous instructions, unless you have
revoked your proxy.
If you are a registered shareholder, you may revoke your proxy
before it is voted by:
|
|
|
|
|
Submitting a new proxy with a later date, including a proxy
given via the Internet or by telephone; |
|
|
|
Notifying our Secretary in writing before the meeting at the
address given on page 3 of this proxy statement; or |
|
|
|
Voting in person at the meeting. |
If your shares are held in the name of your bank, brokerage firm
or other nominee, you should follow the instructions received
from them, or contact your broker, in order to change your vote.
Attendance at the meeting is limited to shareholders and one
guest. For safety and security reasons, video and audio
recording devices and other electronic devices will not be
allowed in the meeting. All meeting attendees may be asked to
present a valid, government-issued photo identification, such as
a drivers license or passport, before entering the
meeting, and attendees may be subject to security inspections.
For registered shareholders, an admission ticket is attached to
your proxy card. Please bring the admission ticket with you to
the meeting. Shareholders who do not present an admission ticket
at the meeting will be admitted only upon verification of
ownership.
If your shares are held in the name of your bank, brokerage firm
or other nominee, you must bring to the meeting an account
statement or letter from the nominee indicating that you
beneficially owned the shares on March 24, 2005, the record
date for voting. You may receive an admission ticket in
advance by sending a written request with proof of ownership,
such as a recent bank or brokerage statement, to Comcast
Corporation, in care of EquiServe, Client Administration, 250
Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021.
We are pleased to offer an audio webcast of the annual meeting.
If you choose to listen to the audio webcast, you may do so at
the time of the meeting via the link on our website at
www.cmcsa.com or www.cmcsk.com.
The Chairman of the Board has broad authority to conduct the
annual meeting in an orderly manner. This authority includes
establishing rules for shareholders who wish to address the
meeting. Copies of these rules will be available at the meeting.
The Chairman may also exercise broad discretion in recognizing
shareholders who wish to speak and in determining the extent of
discussion on each item of business. The Chairman may also rely
on applicable law regarding disruptions or disorderly conduct to
ensure that the meeting is conducted in a manner that is fair to
all shareholders.
2
|
|
|
Contacting Comcast or its Directors |
If you have questions or would like more information about the
annual meeting, you can contact us in any of the following ways:
|
|
|
|
|
Via the Internet: Go to our website, www.cmcsa.com or
www.cmcsk.com, and click on 2005 Annual Meeting of
Shareholders to find meeting logistics, vote your proxy or
access additional shareholder information. |
|
|
|
By telephone: Call toll-free 1-866-281-2100. |
|
|
|
By writing to the following address:
Arthur R. Block
Secretary
Comcast Corporation
1500 Market Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102-2148 |
The Board has provided a process for shareholders to communicate
with its members. Shareholders and other interested parties who
wish to communicate with our directors may address their
correspondence to the Board, to a particular director, to the
non-employee directors or to any other group of directors or
committee of the Board, in care of Arthur R. Block, Secretary,
Comcast Corporation, at the address given above. You may also
send an e-mail in care of the Chair of the Audit Committee of
the Board by using the following e-mail address:
audit committee chairman@comcast.com.
The Board has adopted corporate governance guidelines. These
guidelines address items such as the standards, qualifications
and responsibilities of our directors and director candidates,
and corporate governance policies and standards applicable to us
in general. In addition, we have a code of ethics and business
conduct which applies to all our employees, including our
executive officers and directors. Both the code and the
guidelines are posted under the Governance section
of our website at www.cmcsa.com or www.cmcsk.com. The charters
of each of the Boards Governance and Directors Nominating,
Audit, and Compensation Committees are also posted on our
website. More information on our Board and its committees can be
found beginning on page 10 of this proxy statement.
VOTING SECURITIES AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS
|
|
|
Outstanding Shares and Voting Rights |
At the close of business on March 24, 2005, the record
date, we had outstanding 1,361,030,230 shares of
Class A common stock, 9,444,375 shares of Class B
common stock and 837,756,461 shares of Class A Special
common stock.
On each matter to be voted upon, the Class A common stock
and Class B common stock will vote together. As of the
record date, each holder of Class A common stock is
entitled to 0.2082 votes per share and each holder of
Class B common stock is entitled to 15 votes per share.
Holders of Class A Special common stock are not entitled to
vote at the meeting.
In order to carry on the business of the annual meeting, we must
have a quorum. This means that for each matter presented,
shareholders entitled to cast a majority of the votes that
shareholders are entitled to cast on that matter must be
represented at the meeting, either in person or by proxy. If the
meeting is adjourned for one or more periods aggregating at
least 15 days due to the absence of a quorum, shareholders
who are entitled to vote and who attend the adjourned meeting,
even though they do not constitute a quorum as described above,
will constitute a quorum for the purpose of acting on any matter
described in this proxy statement.
3
The director candidates who receive the most votes will be
elected to fill the available seats on the Board. Approval of
the other proposals requires the favorable vote of a majority of
the votes cast. Only votes for or against a proposal count.
Abstentions and broker non-votes count for quorum purposes but
not for voting purposes. Broker non-votes occur on a matter when
a bank, brokerage firm or other nominee is not permitted to vote
on that matter without instruction from the owner of the shares
and no instruction is given.
Mr. Brian L. Roberts, our Chairman and CEO, beneficially
owns all of the outstanding Class B common stock and has
indicated that he will vote all of these shares in favor of the
director candidates, the ratification of the appointment of our
independent auditors, and the approval of our 2002 Restricted
Stock Plan, as amended and restated, and against the four
shareholder proposals.
This table sets forth information as of February 28, 2005
about persons we know to beneficially own more than five percent
of any class of our voting common stock.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amount Beneficially |
|
Percent of |
Title of Voting Class |
|
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner |
|
Owned |
|
Class |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class A common stock |
|
|
|
Microsoft Corporation |
|
|
|
100,623,717 |
(1) |
|
|
7.4% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
One Microsoft Way |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Redmond, WA 98053 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dodge & Cox |
|
|
|
80,204,638 |
(2) |
|
|
5.9% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
555 California Street, 40th Floor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
San Francisco, CA 94104 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Barclays plc |
|
|
|
79,660,405 |
(3) |
|
|
5.85% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
54 Lombard Street |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
London, England EC3P 3AH |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class B common stock |
|
|
|
Brian L. Roberts |
|
|
|
9,444,375 |
(4) |
|
|
100% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1500 Market Street |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Philadelphia, PA 19102-2148 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
This information is based upon a filing with the Securities and
Exchange Commission dated November 25, 2002 made by
Microsoft setting forth information as of November 18, 2002. |
|
(2) |
This information is based upon a filing with the Securities and
Exchange Commission dated February 10, 2005 made by
Dodge & Cox setting forth information as of
December 31, 2004. |
|
(3) |
This information is based upon a filing with the Securities and
Exchange Commission dated February 14, 2005 made by
Barclays setting forth information as of December 31, 2004.
Shares listed as beneficially owned by Barclays are owned by the
following entities: Barclays Global Investors, NA, Barclays
Global Fund Advisors, Barclays Global Investors, Ltd.,
Barclays Global Investors Japan Trust and Banking Company
Limited, Barclays Life Assurance Company Limited, Barclays
Capital Securities Limited and Barclays Capital Inc. |
|
(4) |
Includes 9,039,663 shares of Class B common stock
owned by a limited liability company of which Mr. Brian L.
Roberts is the managing member and 404,712 shares of
Class B common stock owned by certain family trusts. The
shares of Class B common stock beneficially owned by
Mr. Brian L. Roberts represent
331/3%
of the combined voting power of the two classes of our voting
common stock, which percentage is generally non-dilutable
pursuant to the terms of our Restated Articles of Incorporation.
Under our Restated Articles of Incorporation, each share of
Class B common stock is convertible, at the
shareholders option, into one share of Class A common
stock or Class A Special common stock. For information
regarding Mr. Brian L. Roberts beneficial ownership
of Class A |
4
|
|
|
common stock, see footnote (14) under Security
Ownership of Directors and Executive Officers below. |
|
|
|
Security Ownership of Directors and Executive
Officers |
This table sets forth information as of February 28, 2005
about the amount of common stock beneficially owned by our
current directors, our director nominee, Mr. Breen, the
executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table
below, and the directors, director nominee and executive
officers as a group.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amount Beneficially Owned(1) | |
|
Percent of Class | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Class A | |
|
|
|
|
|
Class A | |
|
|
Name of Beneficial Owner |
|
Class A(2) | |
|
Special(3) | |
|
Class B | |
|
Class A(2) | |
|
Special(3) | |
|
Class B | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
John R. Alchin
|
|
|
130,795 |
|
|
|
1,935,709 |
(4) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
55,332 |
(5) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
S. Decker Anstrom
|
|
|
16,933 |
|
|
|
16,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,118 |
(6) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Michael Armstrong
(7)
|
|
|
3,722,259 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kenneth J. Bacon
|
|
|
22,800 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sheldon M. Bonovitz
|
|
|
28,425 |
(8) |
|
|
179,854 |
(9) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
38,968 |
(5) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
Edward D. Breen
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Julian A. Brodsky
|
|
|
157,057 |
|
|
|
2,627,977 |
(10) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,553,785 |
(5) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
Stephen B. Burke
|
|
|
213,454 |
(11) |
|
|
3,519,591 |
(12) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
Joseph L. Castle, II
|
|
|
13,500 |
|
|
|
16,169 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
David L. Cohen
|
|
|
138,483 |
|
|
|
199,138 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
Joseph J. Collins
|
|
|
69,875 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
185 |
(6) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Michael Cook
|
|
|
23,908 |
(13) |
|
|
2,300 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,118 |
(6) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brian L. Roberts
|
|
|
307,953 |
(14) |
|
|
15,201,535 |
(15) |
|
|
9,444,375 |
(16) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
1.8% |
|
|
|
100% (16) |
|
Ralph J. Roberts
|
|
|
197,600 |
|
|
|
6,126,601 |
(17) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
141,116 |
(5) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Judith Rodin
|
|
|
16,933 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,118 |
(6) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lawrence S. Smith
|
|
|
147,277 |
(18) |
|
|
2,193,810 |
(19) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
53,440 |
(5) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
Michael I. Sovern
|
|
|
26,189 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All directors, our director nominee and executive officers as a
group (19 persons)
|
|
|
5,450,340 |
|
|
|
35,101,843 |
|
|
|
9,444,375 |
(16) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
4.0% |
|
|
|
100% (16) |
|
|
|
|
(8)(11)(13)(14) |
|
|
|
(4)(9)(10)(12) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(18)(20)(21) |
|
|
|
(15)(17)(19) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(20)(22) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
Less than one percent of the applicable class. |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
Beneficial ownership as reported in the above table has been
determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 of the Securities
and Exchange Act of 1934. |
|
|
(2) |
Includes beneficial ownership of shares of Class A common
stock for which the following persons hold options exercisable
on or within 60 days of February 28, 2005:
Mr. Alchin, 122,600 shares; Mr. Anstrom,
15,000 shares; Mr. Armstrong, 3,290,004 shares;
Mr. Bacon, 15,000 shares; |
5
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Bonovitz, 15,000 shares; Mr. Brodsky,
32,600 shares; Mr. Burke, 152,600 shares;
Mr. Castle, 13,125 shares; Mr. Cohen,
122,600 shares; Mr. Collins, 1,875 shares;
Mr. Cook, 19,388 shares; Mr. Brian L. Roberts,
287,600 shares; Mr. Ralph J. Roberts,
197,600 shares; Dr. Rodin, 15,000 shares;
Mr. Smith, 137,600 shares; Mr. Sovern,
19,389 shares; and all directors, our director nominee and
executive officers as a group, 4,522,181 shares. Also
includes beneficial ownership of shares of Class A common
stock underlying restricted stock units held by the following
persons that vest on or within 60 days of February 28,
2005: Mr. Alchin, 6,750 shares; Mr. Cohen,
15,000 shares; Mr. Brian L. Roberts,
16,500 shares; Mr. Smith, 7,500 shares; and all
directors, our director nominee and executive officers as a
group, 48,750 shares. |
|
|
(3) |
Includes beneficial ownership of shares of Class A Special
common stock for which the following persons hold options
exercisable on or within 60 days of February 28, 2005:
Mr. Alchin, 1,724,515 shares; Mr. Anstrom,
14,400 shares; Mr. Bonovitz, 10,800 shares;
Mr. Brodsky, 1,548,204 shares; Mr. Burke,
3,362,455 shares; Mr. Castle, 10,800 shares;
Mr. Cohen, 185,500 shares; Mr. Brian L. Roberts,
12,194,082 shares; Mr. Ralph J. Roberts,
3,409,408 shares; Mr. Smith, 2,056,477 shares;
and all directors, our director nominee and executive officers
as a group, 25,851,301 shares. |
|
|
(4) |
Includes 29 shares of Class A Special common stock
owned in our Retirement-Investment Plan. |
|
|
(5) |
Represents share equivalents which will be paid at a future date
in cash and/or in stock at the individuals election
pursuant to an election made under our deferred compensation
plans. |
|
|
(6) |
Represents share equivalents which will be paid at a future date
in stock under our deferred compensation plans. |
|
|
(7) |
Mr. Armstrong has informed the Board that he will not stand
for re-election as a director at the annual meeting. |
|
|
(8) |
Includes 6,425 shares of Class A common stock owned by
his wife, 104 shares held by him as trustee for a
testamentary trust, as to all of which shares he disclaims
beneficial ownership, and 3,877 shares owned by family
partnerships. |
|
|
(9) |
Includes 3,050 shares of Class A Special common stock
owned by his wife, 40,000 shares held by him as a trustee
of grantor retained annuity trusts, 10,476 shares owned by
a charitable foundation of which his wife is a trustee, as to
all of which shares he disclaims beneficial ownership, and
112,528 shares owned by family partnerships. |
|
|
(10) |
Includes 290,042 shares of Class A Special common
stock owned in two separate grantor retained annuity trusts and
345,303 shares owned in an irrevocable trust, as to which
shares he disclaims beneficial ownership. |
|
(11) |
Includes 1,812 shares of Class A common stock owned in
our Retirement-Investment Plan. |
|
(12) |
Includes 23,072 shares of Class A Special common stock
owned in our Retirement-Investment Plan. |
|
(13) |
Includes 1,617 shares of Class A common stock owned by
his wife, as to which shares he disclaims beneficial ownership. |
|
(14) |
Includes 2,497 shares of Class A common stock owned in
our Retirement-Investment Plan. Also includes 1,356 shares
owned by his wife, as to which shares he disclaims beneficial
ownership. Does not include shares of Class A common stock
issuable upon conversion of Class B common stock
beneficially owned by Mr. Brian L. Roberts. If
Mr. Brian L. Roberts were to convert the Class B
common stock that he beneficially owns into Class A common
stock, Mr. Brian L. Roberts would beneficially own
9,752,328 shares of Class A common stock, representing
less than 1% of the Class A common stock. |
|
(15) |
Includes 41,132 shares of Class A Special common stock
owned in our Retirement-Investment Plan. Also includes
2,712 shares owned by his wife, 160 shares owned by
his daughter and 61,630 shares owned by a family charitable
foundation, as to all of which shares he disclaims beneficial
ownership. Also includes 2,408,638 shares owned by a
limited liability company of which Mr. Brian L. Roberts is
the managing member, and 122,163 shares owned by certain
non-grantor family trusts, but does |
6
|
|
|
not include shares of Class A Special common stock issuable
upon conversion of Class B common stock beneficially owned
by Mr. Brian L. Roberts. If Mr. Brian L. Roberts were
to convert the Class B common stock that he beneficially
owns into Class A Special common stock, Mr. Brian L.
Roberts would beneficially own 24,645,910 shares of
Class A Special common stock, representing approximately
2.9% of the Class A Special common stock. |
|
(16) |
See note (4) under Principal Shareholders. |
|
(17) |
Includes 371,351 shares of Class A Special common
stock owned by family partnerships, the general partners of
which are controlled by Mr. Ralph J. Roberts, and
324,723 shares owned by a family charitable foundation, as
to which shares he disclaims beneficial ownership. |
|
(18) |
Includes 1,294 shares of Class A common stock owned in
an individual retirement account. |
|
(19) |
Includes 12,000 shares of Class A Special common stock
owned by a family charitable foundation, as to which shares he
disclaims beneficial ownership. |
|
(20) |
Includes share equivalents which will be paid at a future date
in cash and/or in stock at the individuals election
pursuant to an election made under our deferred compensation
plans. |
|
(21) |
Includes share equivalents which will be paid at a future date
in stock under our deferred compensation plans. |
|
(22) |
Includes 1,420 shares of Class A Special common stock
owned by the children of an executive officer, other than those
named above, as to which shares beneficial ownership is
disclaimed. |
|
|
|
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting
Compliance |
Our directors and executive officers file reports with the
Securities and Exchange Commission indicating the number of
shares of any class of our equity securities they owned when
they became a director or executive officer and, after that, any
changes in their ownership of our equity securities. They must
also provide us with copies of these reports. These reports are
required by Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934. We have reviewed copies of the reports we received and
written representations from the individuals required to file
the reports. Based on our review of the copies of the reports,
and written representations received from the reporting persons,
we believe that all filings required to be made by the reporting
persons of Comcast for the period January 1, 2004 through
December 31, 2004 were made on a timely basis, except for
the following: restricted shares of Class A common stock
granted to Mr. Stephen B. Burke on January 12, 2004
and options to purchase shares of Class A common stock
granted to Mr. C. Michael Armstrong on May 26, 2004
and to Mr. Joseph J. Collins on October 19, 2004, each
of which was inadvertently not reported in a timely manner. All
grants have subsequently been reported on a Form 4.
7
PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
The Boards Governance and Directors Nominating Committee
has recommended and nominated the director candidates named
below, including Joseph J. Collins, who has served as a director
since October 2004, and Edward D. Breen. All of these nominees
other than Mr. Breen currently serve as our directors. All
of our directors are elected for one-year terms.
If a director nominee becomes unavailable before the annual
meeting, your proxy authorizes the people named as proxies to
vote for a replacement nominee if the Governance and Directors
Nominating Committee names one.
C. Michael Armstrong has informed the Board that, because
of other commitments, he will not stand for re-election to the
Board at the annual meeting. In light of
Mr. Armstrongs past contributions to the Board, the
Board has requested and Mr. Armstrong has agreed to serve
as Director Emeritus until our next annual meeting of
shareholders.
The Board has created the Director Emeritus program to avail
itself of the counsel of retiring directors who have made and
can continue to make a unique contribution to the deliberations
of the Board. The Board may, at its discretion, designate a
retiring director as Director Emeritus. Each designation shall
be for a period of one year which may be renewed in the
Boards discretion. A Director Emeritus may provide
advisory services as requested from time to time and may be
invited to attend meetings of the Board, but shall not vote or
be counted for quorum purposes or have any of the duties or
obligations imposed on a director or officer of Comcast under
applicable law or otherwise be considered a director. A Director
Emeritus shall be entitled to benefits and protections in
accordance with Article 7 of our by-laws (Limitation of
Directors Liability and Indemnification of Directors,
Officers and Other Persons), but shall receive no compensation
other than reimbursement for expenses incurred in the capacity
of Director Emeritus.
The Board has determined that each of our non-employee
directors, other than Mr. Bonovitz, is independent in
accordance with the director independence definition specified
in our corporate governance guidelines, which are posted under
the Governance section of our website, www.cmcsa.com
or www.cmcsk.com, and in accordance with applicable Nasdaq
rules. Following the annual meeting, if all director nominees
are elected to serve as our directors, independent directors
will constitute two-thirds of the Board. In making its
independence determinations, the Board considered the following
relationships.
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Anstrom is an executive officer of Landmark
Communications, Inc., subsidiaries of which provide us with
cable programming services. Under applicable Nasdaq rules,
Mr. Anstrom qualifies as independent since the amount of
programming fees we pay for such services falls within Nasdaq
prescribed limits. In each of 2002, 2003 and 2004 the amounts we
paid to Landmark and its subsidiaries did not exceed the greater
of five percent of Landmarks consolidated gross revenues
for that year or $200,000. In considering
Mr. Anstroms independence under our corporate
governance guidelines, the Board also determined that the
Landmark business relationship is on customary arms-length terms
and is not material to Comcast, and that Mr. Anstrom has no
significant personal or other business relationships with
Comcast or any of our executive officers or other employees.
Additional information regarding Mr. Anstroms
relationship with Comcast can be found under Certain
Transactions on page 13 of this proxy statement. |
|
|
|
Mr. Bonovitz is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
Duane Morris LLP, a law firm that we had retained for legal
services prior to 2003. Under applicable Nasdaq rules,
Mr. Bonovitz qualifies as independent notwithstanding this
past business relationship since the amount of fees we paid for
such services fell within Nasdaq prescribed limits. However, the
Board has determined that Mr. Bonovitz does not meet the
independence definition in our corporate governance guidelines
because of his personal relationships with the Roberts family. |
|
|
|
Mr. Breen is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive
Officer of Tyco International Ltd., a company with which Comcast
engages in ordinary course commercial transactions. Under |
8
|
|
|
|
|
applicable Nasdaq rules, Mr. Breen qualifies as independent
since the amount of fees we paid to Tyco and the amount of fees
Tyco paid to us in respect of such commercial arrangements fall
within Nasdaq prescribed limits. In each of 2002, 2003 and 2004
the amounts we paid to Tyco and the amounts Tyco paid to us did
not exceed the greater of five percent of the recipient
companys consolidated gross revenues for that year or
$200,000. In considering Mr. Breens independence
under our corporate governance guidelines, the Board also
determined that the Tyco business relationship is on customary
arms-length terms and is not material to Comcast. |
THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE
FOR THE ELECTION OF EACH OF THE NOMINEES FOR
DIRECTOR.
Set forth below is information about each of the nominees for
director.
Brian L. Roberts, 45, has served as a director and as our
President and Chief Executive Officer since November 2002 and
Chairman of the Board since May 2004. Prior to November 2002,
Mr. Roberts served as a director and President of our
predecessor for more than five years. He is a son of
Mr. Ralph J. Roberts. Mr. Roberts is also a director
of Comcast Holdings Corporation, one of our wholly-owned
subsidiaries, and The Bank of New York Company, Inc.
Ralph J. Roberts, 85, has served as a director and Chair of the
Executive and Finance Committee of the Board since November
2002. Prior to November 2002, Mr. Roberts served as a
director and Chairman of the Board of our predecessor for more
than five years. He is the father of Mr. Brian L. Roberts.
S. Decker Anstrom, 54, has served as a director since
November 2002. Prior to November 2002, Mr. Anstrom served
as a director of our predecessor since 2001. Mr. Anstrom
was President and Chief Executive Officer of The Weather Channel
from 1999 to 2001. In 2002, Mr. Anstrom became a director
and President and Chief Operating Officer of Landmark
Communications, Inc., a privately-held multimedia company, the
assets of which include The Weather Channel. He is currently a
director of the National Cable Television Association.
Kenneth J. Bacon, 50, has served as a director since November
2002. Mr. Bacon has served as interim Executive Vice
President of Housing and Community Development at Fannie Mae
since January 2005. Prior to this, he was Senior Vice President
of Multifamily Investment at Fannie Mae since 2000. From 1998 to
2000, Mr. Bacon served as Senior Vice President, American
Communities Fund at Fannie Mae. Mr. Bacon is currently a
director of the Fannie Mae Foundation and the National Equity
Fund, and a member of the Board of Trustees of Stanford
University. Mr. Bacon is a member of the Executive
Leadership Council, Real Estate Roundtable and the Urban Land
Institute.
Sheldon M. Bonovitz, 67, has served as a director since November
2002. Prior to November 2002, he served as a director of our
predecessor for more than five years. Mr. Bonovitz has been
a partner with the law firm of Duane Morris LLP for more than
five years and is currently Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
of that firm. Mr. Bonovitz is also a director of eResearch
Technology, Inc. In addition, he is a trustee of the
Dolfinger-McMahon Charitable Trust and the Christian R. and Mary
F. Lindbach Foundation, and he serves on the Board of Trustees
of The Curtis Institute of Music and the Philadelphia Museum of
Art.
Edward D. Breen, 49, has been nominated to serve as one of our
directors. Mr. Breen has been Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of Tyco International, Ltd. since July 2002. From
January 2002 to July 2002 Mr. Breen was President and Chief
Operating Officer of Motorola, Inc., from January 2001 to
January 2002 he was Executive Vice President and President of
Motorolas Networks Sector, and from January 2000 to
January 2001 he was Executive Vice President and President of
Motorolas Broadband Communications Sector. Prior to this,
he had been Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of
General Instrument Corporation from December 1997 to January
2000. Mr. Breen is a director of Tyco International Ltd. He
is also a director of McLeodUSA Incorporated, and has indicated
that he will not stand for re-election as a director at
McLeods 2005 annual meeting.
9
Julian A. Brodsky, 71, has served as a director since November
2002. From November 2002 to April 2004 he served as our Vice
Chairman and since May 2004 he has served as our non-executive
Vice Chairman. Prior to November 2002, he served as a director
and Vice Chairman of our predecessor for more than five years.
In addition, he is a director of Amdocs Ltd, Grey Global Group
Inc. and RBB Fund, Inc.
Joseph L. Castle, II, 72, has served as a director since
February 2003. Mr. Castle had been a director of our
predecessor for more than five years until November 2002.
Mr. Castle is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and a
director of Castle Energy Corporation, an independent oil and
gas exploration and production company. Mr. Castle is also
a director of Charming Shoppes, Inc. and Delta Petroleum
Corporation. Since 2001, Mr. Castle has served as Chairman
of the Board of Trustees of the Diet Drug Products Liability
Settlement Trust. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of
Trustees of each of Arcadia University, Chestnut Hill Academy
and The Franklin Institute.
Joseph J. Collins, 66, has served as a director since October
2004. Mr. Collins currently serves as the Chairman of
Aegis, LLC. He had been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
AOL Time Warner Interactive Video from August 2001 until
December 2003. From 1989 to August 2001, Mr. Collins served
as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Time Warner Cable.
J. Michael Cook, 62, has served as a director since
November 2002. From 2001 until 2002, Mr. Cook served as a
director of AT&T Corp. Mr. Cook is a director of Eli
Lilly and Company, International Flavors & Fragrances,
Inc., The Dow Chemical Company and Northrop Grumman Corporation.
Mr. Cook is also a member of the Advisory Board of the
Securities Regulation Institute, Chairman Emeritus of the Board
of Catalyst, Chairman of the Accountability Advisory Panel to
the Comptroller General of the United States, a member of the
Advisory Council of the Public Company Accounting Oversight
Board (PCAOB) and a member of the Advisory Board of the
Graduate School of the University of Florida.
Dr. Judith Rodin, 60, has served as a director since
November 2002. She is President of the Rockefeller Foundation.
Dr. Rodin had previously been President of the University
of Pennsylvania, as well as a professor of psychology and of
medicine and psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, from
1994 until 2004. She is currently a director of Aetna, Inc., AMR
Corporation, Citigroup and Electronic Data Systems Corporation,
and also serves as a trustee of 43 of the mutual funds managed
by The BlackRock Funds.
Michael I. Sovern, 73, has served as a director since November
2002. Prior to November 2002, he served as a director of
AT&T Corp. for more than five years. Mr. Sovern is
Chairman of Sothebys Holdings, Inc. He is President
Emeritus and Chancellor Kent Professor of Law at Columbia
University where he served as President for more than five
years. He is President and a director of The Shubert Foundation
and a director of The Shubert Organization. He is currently a
director of Sequa Corp. and Sothebys Holdings, Inc.
Mr. Sovern is also Chairman of the Japan Society and
Chairman of the American Academy in Rome.
About the Board and its Committees
|
|
|
The Board |
|
We are governed by a Board of Directors and various committees
of the Board that meet throughout the year. During 2004, there
were 12 meetings of the Board and a total of 20 committee
meetings. With the exception of Mr. Armstrong and
Mr. Bacon, each director attended more than 75% of the
aggregate of all Board and committee meetings on which he or she
served. Our independent directors have the opportunity to meet
in an executive session following each regularly scheduled Board
meeting. Following the annual meeting, if all director nominees
are elected to serve as our directors, we will have eight
independent directors. As described in greater detail below, we
also have a Presiding Director, |
10
|
|
|
|
|
currently Dr. Rodin, who presides at the executive
sessions. During 2004, our independent directors held four
executive sessions in which only the independent directors
participated. We encourage our directors to attend the annual
meeting of shareholders. Each of our directors attended the 2004
annual meeting. |
|
Presiding Director |
|
In accordance with our corporate governance guidelines, our
Board has a Presiding Director position, which is currently
filled by Dr. Rodin. The Presiding Director presides over
private executive sessions of the independent directors and
discusses with the independent directors prior to each regularly
scheduled Board meeting the need and agenda for any such private
session. The independent directors meet in these private
executive sessions at least twice a year and at least once a
year use the session to evaluate the performance of our Chief
Executive Officer and other senior management. The role of
Presiding Director rotates annually (between annual meetings of
shareholders) among the Chairs of the Compensation, Governance
and Directors Nominating and Audit Committees. |
|
Committees of the Board |
|
The Board has four principal committees. The following describes
for each committee its current membership, the number of
meetings held during 2004 and its mission. |
|
Executive and Finance
Committee |
|
C. Michael Armstrong, Sheldon M. Bonovitz, Julian A. Brodsky and
Ralph J. Roberts (Chair).
This committee met two times in 2004. The Executive and Finance
Committee acts for the directors in the intervals between Board
meetings with respect to any matters delegated to it by the
Board. |
|
Audit Committee |
|
Kenneth J. Bacon, Joseph L. Castle, II, Joseph J. Collins,
J. Michael Cook (Chair) and Dr. Judith Rodin. Each member
of the committee is independent as defined under Nasdaq rules. A
copy of this committees charter is attached to this proxy
statement as Appendix A and is also posted under the
Governance section of our website at www.cmcsa.com
or www.cmcsk.com. |
|
|
|
This committee met eight times in 2004. The Audit Committee is
responsible for the oversight and evaluation of: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
the qualifications, independence and performance of our
independent auditors; |
|
|
|
|
the performance of our internal audit function; and |
|
|
|
|
the quality and integrity of our financial statements and the
effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Audit Committee is also responsible for preparing the Audit
Committee report required by the rules of the Securities and
Exchange Commission, and the report is included in this proxy
statement on page 14. |
|
|
|
The Board has concluded that three members of the Audit
Committee qualify as audit committee financial experts. They are
Kenneth J. Bacon, Joseph L. Castle, II and J. Michael Cook. |
11
|
|
|
Compensation Committee |
|
S. Decker Anstrom, Joseph L. Castle, II, Joseph J. Collins,
Dr. Judith Rodin (Chair) and Michael I. Sovern. Each member
of the committee is independent as defined under Nasdaq rules. A
copy of this committees charter is posted under the
Governance section of our website at www.cmcsa.com
or www.cmcsk.com. |
|
|
|
This committee met six times in 2004. The Compensation Committee
reviews and approves our compensation and benefit programs,
ensures the competitiveness of these programs and oversees and
sets compensation for our senior executives. The Compensation
Committee is also responsible for preparing the Compensation
Committee report required by the rules of the Securities and
Exchange Commission, and the report is included in this proxy
statement on page 44. |
|
Governance and Directors
Nominating Committee |
|
S. Decker Anstrom (Chair), Kenneth J. Bacon, Joseph L.
Castle, II, J. Michael Cook and Michael I. Sovern. Each
member of the committee is independent as defined under Nasdaq
rules. A copy of this committees charter is posted under
the Governance section of our website at
www.cmcsa.com or www.cmcsk.com. |
|
|
|
This committee met four times in 2004. The Governance and
Directors Nominating Committee exercises general oversight with
respect to the governance of the Board, as well as corporate
governance matters involving us and our directors and executive
officers. It also is responsible for periodically leading
reviews and evaluations of the performance, size and
responsibilities of the Board and its committees, and oversees
succession planning for our senior management (including our
Chief Executive Officer). |
|
|
|
The Governance and Directors Nominating Committee also
identifies and recommends director nominees. In assessing
candidates, whether recommended by the committee or by
shareholders, the committee considers an individuals
professional knowledge, business, financial and management
expertise, industry knowledge and entrepreneurial background and
experience. The committee also considers diversity, applicable
independence requirements and the current composition of the
Board. |
|
|
|
During the 2004 fiscal year, the Governance and Directors
Nominating Committee retained Howard Fischer Associates
International as a search firm to assist in locating,
interviewing and evaluating potential Board candidates. |
|
|
|
The Governance and Directors Nominating Committee will consider
director candidates nominated by shareholders. In order for a
shareholder to make a nomination, the shareholder must provide a
notice along with the additional information required by our
by-laws in the following time periods. For election of directors
at an annual meeting called for a date between May 2, 2006
and July 3, 2006, we must receive written notice on or
after February 1, 2006 and on or before March 3, 2006.
For election of directors at any other meeting, we must receive
written notice by the close of business on the tenth day
following the day we mailed notice of, or announced publicly,
the date of the meeting, whichever occurs first. You can |
12
|
|
|
|
|
obtain a copy of the full text of the relevant by-law provision
by writing to Arthur R. Block, Secretary, Comcast Corporation,
at the address given on page 3 of this proxy statement. A
copy of our by-laws has also been filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission as an exhibit to our Annual Report on
Form 10-K filed on February 23, 2005. |
Director Compensation
Directors who are Comcast employees do not receive any fees for
their services as directors. Each non-employee director receives
an annual retainer of $50,000 and $2,500 for each Board meeting
or other meeting attended in his or her capacity as director or
for any other business conducted on our behalf, $2,500 for each
Audit, Compensation or Governance and Directors Nominating
Committee meeting attended and $1,000 for each Executive and
Finance Committee meeting attended. The Chair of the Audit
Committee receives an additional annual retainer of $20,000 and
the Chairs of the Compensation and Governance and Directors
Nominating Committees receive an additional annual retainer of
$10,000. Other members of the Audit Committee receive an
additional annual retainer of $10,000 and other members of the
Compensation and Governance and Directors Nominating Committees
receive an additional annual retainer of $5,000. Members of the
Executive and Finance Committee receive an additional annual
retainer of $2,500. The Chair of this committee is entitled to
receive an additional annual retainer of $5,000. The current
Chair of this committee, Mr. Ralph J. Roberts, however,
receives no compensation with respect to this position since he
is one of our employees. Fees received by a director may be
deferred in whole or in part under our 2002 and 2005 Deferred
Compensation Plans. Up to one-half of the Board annual retainer
may be received, at the election of the non-employee director,
in shares of Class A common stock.
Non-employee directors are reimbursed for travel expenses for
meetings attended. Non-employee directors, like all active
Comcast employees, are provided with Comcast cable and high
speed data services at no cost (if available in the area in
which they live).
If proposal 3 of this proxy statement is approved at the
meeting, each non-employee director will be granted on or about
November 20, 2005, and each year thereafter for so long as
this program remains in effect, restricted shares of
Class A common stock having a fair market value on the date
of grant of $100,000. Such shares will be fully vested on the
grant date. If proposal 3 of this proxy statement is not
approved, Comcast will retain its current practice of granting
to each non-employee director on or about November 20 of
each year an option to purchase 7,500 shares of
Class A common stock. These options become exercisable six
months after the grant date and remain exercisable for
ten years. It is the practice of the Board to review
non-employee director compensation on an annual basis.
A description of our agreements with Mr. Armstrong and
Mr. Brodsky can be found under Agreements with
Executive Officers and Directors.
Certain Transactions
Mr. Anstrom, one of our directors, is President and Chief
Operating Officer of Landmark Communications, Inc., the parent
company of The Weather Channel. In 2004, we paid $19,819,831 in
programming fees for carriage of The Weather Channel and
Weatherscan Local under customary arms-length affiliation
agreements. Bill Burke, a brother of Stephen B. Burke, one of
our executive officers, served as the President of The Weather
Channel until June 2004. Neither Mr. Anstrom nor
Messrs. Burke were directly involved in the negotiation of
these agreements.
Debra G. Brodsky, a daughter of Mr. Brodsky, our
non-executive Vice Chairman and one of our directors, is one of
our employees. In 2004, she received $145,823 in annual salary
and bonus. She also participates in our employee benefit and
equity incentive plans on the same basis as other similarly
situated employees.
13
PROPOSAL 2: RATIFICATION OF
THE APPOINTMENT
OF OUR INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
The Audit Committee has appointed Deloitte & Touche LLP
to serve as our independent auditors for the fiscal year ending
December 31, 2005. We are asking you to ratify this
appointment, although your ratification is not required. A
representative of Deloitte & Touche LLP will be present
at the meeting, will have the opportunity to make a statement
and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.
THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE
FOR RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP AS OUR INDEPENDENT AUDITORS.
Set forth below are the fees paid or accrued for the services of
Deloitte & Touche LLP, the member firms of Deloitte
Touche Tohmatsu and their respective affiliates in 2004 and 2003.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2004 | |
|
2003 | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(in millions) | |
Audit fees
|
|
$ |
5.3 |
|
|
$ |
3.8 |
|
Audit-related fees
|
|
$ |
0.5 |
|
|
$ |
0.7 |
|
Tax fees
|
|
$ |
0.7 |
|
|
$ |
1.4 |
|
All other fees
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
6.5 |
|
|
$ |
5.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Audit fees consist of services rendered to us and our
subsidiaries for the audits of our annual financial statements,
audit of our annual management assessment of the effectiveness
of internal control over financial reporting in 2004 (as
required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002),
reviews of our quarterly financial statements, and audit
services provided in connection with other statutory or
regulatory filings. The increase in audit fees in 2004 is
primarily due to the audit of internal controls over financial
reporting.
Audit-related fees consist almost entirely of employee benefit
plan audits and attestation services related to contractual and
regulatory compliance.
Tax fees consist of domestic and foreign tax compliance
services, including tax examination assistance, expatriate
administration and tax preparation; and international, state and
local tax planning and advice. In 2004 and 2003, tax fees
included $10,000 and $264,000, respectively, for international,
state and local tax planning and advice.
All other fees consist of permissible non-audit services, if any.
Pre-Approval Policy of Audit Committee of Services Performed
by Independent Auditors
The Audit Committees policy requires that the committee
pre-approve audit and non-audit services performed by the
independent auditors to assure that the services do not impair
the auditors independence. Unless a type of service has
received general pre-approval, it requires separate pre-approval
by the Audit Committee. Even if a service has received general
pre-approval, if the fee associated with the service exceeds
$250,000 in a single engagement or series of related
engagements, or relates to tax planning and advice, it requires
separate pre-approval. The Audit Committee has delegated its
pre-approval authority to its Chair acting with one additional
member.
Report of the Audit Committee
The Audit Committee is comprised solely of independent directors
meeting the requirements of applicable Securities and Exchange
Commission and Nasdaq rules. The key responsibilities of our
committee are set forth in our charter, which was adopted by us
and approved by the Board and is attached to this proxy
statement as Appendix A.
14
We serve in an oversight capacity and are not intended to be
part of Comcasts operational or managerial decision-making
process. Comcasts management is responsible for the
preparation, integrity and fair presentation of information in
the consolidated financial statements, the financial reporting
process and internal control over financial reporting. The
independent auditors are responsible for auditing the
consolidated financial statements and internal control over
financial reporting. Our principal purpose is to monitor these
processes.
In this context, we met and held discussions with management and
the independent auditors. Management represented to us that
Comcasts consolidated financial statements were prepared
in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles
applied on a consistent basis, and we have reviewed and
discussed the quarterly and annual earnings press releases and
consolidated financial statements with management and the
independent auditors. We also discussed with the independent
auditors matters required to be discussed by Statement on
Auditing Standards No. 61 (Communication With Audit
Committees), as amended, and Rule 2-07 (Communication with
Audit Committees) of Regulation S-X.
We discussed with the independent auditors the auditors
independence from Comcast and its management, including the
matters, if any, in the written disclosures required by
Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1 (Independence
Discussions With Audit Committees). We also considered whether
the independent auditors provision of audit and non-audit
services to Comcast is compatible with maintaining the
auditors independence.
We discussed with Comcasts internal and independent
auditors the overall scope and plans for their respective
audits. We met with the internal and independent auditors, with
and without management present, to discuss the results of their
examinations, the evaluations of Comcasts internal
controls, and the overall quality and integrity of
Comcasts financial reporting.
Based on the reviews and discussions referred to above, we have
recommended to the Board, and the Board has approved, that the
audited financial statements be included in Comcasts
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2004, for filing with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.
We have appointed Deloitte & Touche LLP as
Comcasts independent auditors for 2005, subject to
shareholder ratification of that appointment.
Members of the Audit Committee
J. Michael Cook (Chair)
Kenneth J. Bacon
Joseph L. Castle, II
Joseph J. Collins
Dr. Judith Rodin
15
PROPOSAL 3: APPROVAL OF OUR
2002 RESTRICTED STOCK PLAN,
AS AMENDED AND RESTATED
Our 2002 Restricted Stock Plan was ratified by the Board on
November 20, 2002 and approved by shareholders on each of
May 7, 2003 and May 26, 2004. On January 11,
2005, the Board approved, subject to shareholder approval, an
amendment to the plan to permit non-employee directors to
receive awards of restricted stock and restricted stock units
under the plan. Non-employee directors are those members of our
Board who are not our employees. On February 16, 2005, the
Compensation Committee approved a further amendment to the plan
to address recently enacted deferred compensation tax
legislation.
As described in this proxy statement, our non-employee directors
receive both cash and equity compensation for their services to
us. Presently, the equity compensation component is provided in
the form of stock options. At this time, the Board believes that
compensating our non-employee directors with restricted stock is
a more appropriate and effective form of providing equity-based
compensation to them. The use of restricted stock or restricted
stock units is intended to foster a long-term focus on our
performance and to provide the non-employee directors with a
means to have an equity stake in Comcast which will, in turn,
align their interests with those of our shareholders. Any awards
of restricted stock granted to non-employee directors under the
plan will have such terms and conditions as are set forth in the
Comcast 2002 Non-Employee Director Compensation Plan, as
described below.
In accordance with applicable Nasdaq rules, the Board is asking
shareholders to approve the plan as so amended and restated. If
the plan, as amended and restated, is not approved, non-employee
directors will not be eligible to receive awards of restricted
stock but the plan will otherwise remain in effect. In this
case, non-employee directors will continue to receive grants of
stock options under our stock option plans and the terms of our
2002 Non-Employee Director Compensation Plan.
Description of Our 2002 Restricted Stock Plan
The following is a summary of the material features of this
plan, as they relate to non-employee directors. The following
summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its
entirety by reference to the terms of our 2002 Restricted Stock
Plan, which is attached to this proxy statement as
Appendix B.
Types of Awards; Eligibility. Awards of restricted stock
and restricted stock units may be granted under the plan. Awards
of restricted stock are shares of common stock which are awarded
subject to such restrictions on transfer as the Compensation
Committee or Board may establish. Awards of restricted stock
units are units valued by reference to shares of common stock
that entitle a participant to receive, upon the settlement of
the unit, one share for each unit. Our employees and employees
of our participating subsidiaries currently may receive awards
under the plan. If the plan, as amended and restated, is
approved, non-employee directors will also be eligible to
receive awards under the plan. There are nine non-employee
directors.
Shares Subject to the Plan. The aggregate maximum number
of shares that may be issued pursuant to awards under the plan
is 15,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, or, with
respect to awards granted before our acquisition of the AT&T
Broadband business as to which restrictions upon shares have not
lapsed, Class A Special common stock. As of
December 31, 2004, of this aggregate amount,
2,587,577 shares of Class A common stock and
6,721,779 shares of Class A Special common stock had
been issued or reserved for issuance upon vesting of outstanding
awards. Shares issued under the plan may be either treasury
shares or shares originally issued for this purpose. Rights to
receive shares forfeited pursuant to the terms of an award will
be available again for grant under the plan. No individual may
be awarded more than 1,000,000 restricted shares or restricted
stock units in any calendar year. As of March 15, 2005, the
fair market value of a share of Class A common stock and
Class A Special common stock was $33.91 and $33.50,
respectively.
Term of the Plan. No awards may be granted under the plan
after February 26, 2013.
16
Administration. The plan is administered by the
Compensation Committee. The Board is responsible for
administering any awards granted to non-employee directors.
Terms of Awards. The terms and conditions of each award
of restricted stock granted to a non-employee director will be
determined under our 2002 Non-Employee Director Compensation
Plan, which is administered by the Board and which previously
was filed as an exhibit to one of our periodic reports. Our 2002
Non-Employee Director Compensation Plan currently provides that
as of November 20, 2005 and each November thereafter, the
Board will grant an award of restricted stock to each
non-employee director having a fair market value on the date of
grant of $100,000. Non-employee directors who commence service
after November 20 will also be eligible to receive awards of
restricted stock upon commencement of service with us. These
awards will have a fair market value on the date of grant
ranging from $25,000 to $100,000, depending on the date the
non-employee director commences service with us. Each award of
restricted stock will be fully vested on the grant date. Awards
of restricted stock will also contain other terms and conditions
as determined by the Board.
Deferral. Each recipient of an award has the right to
defer the receipt, subject to re-deferral, of any or all of the
shares subject to an award under the terms and conditions as
determined by the committee and the plan. Upon making an
appropriate election, a portion of the deferred awards may be
paid out in cash.
Withholding. Tax liabilities incurred in connection with
the grant of an award or its vesting or lapse of restrictions or
settlement will be satisfied by our withholding a portion of the
shares subject to the award that have a fair market value
approximately equal to the minimum amount of taxes required to
be withheld by us under applicable law. Subject to certain
conditions specified in the plan, a recipient of an award may
elect to have taxes withheld in excess of the minimum amount
required to be withheld or may satisfy his or her tax
withholding in cash.
Adjustments. The aggregate number of shares under the
plan, the class of shares as to which awards may be granted and
the number of shares covered by each outstanding award are
subject to adjustment in the event of a stock dividend,
recapitalization or certain other corporate transactions.
Terminating Events. In the event of our liquidation or a
transaction or series of transactions in which an unaffiliated
third party acquires share ownership such that this person has
the ability to direct the management of the company, as
determined by the Board in its sole discretion, the committee
may provide that upon consummation of such an event, any
outstanding awards will vest in full or in part or that all
restricted stock or restricted stock units which have been
previously deferred be transferred to the recipient.
Amendment or Termination. The plan may be amended by the
Board or the committee and may be terminated by the Board at any
time. No award will be affected by any amendment or termination
without the written consent of the recipient of the award.
New Plan Benefits. If the plan, as amended and restated,
is approved and non-employee directors are eligible to
participate in the plan, each non-employee director will receive
an award of restricted stock on or about November 20, 2005
with a fair market value of $100,000 on the date of grant. If
the plan were in existence last year and awards were granted to
each non-employee director on November 5, 2004, each
non-employee director would have received the following
restricted stock award:
|
|
|
Name |
|
Shares Subject to Each Award |
|
|
|
Non-Employee Director (9)
|
|
3,372 |
Federal Income Taxation
The following discussion is a summary of the material
U.S. federal income tax consequences of restricted stock
and restricted stock units granted under the plan.
17
Restricted Stock. Generally, the grant of an award of
restricted stock that is subject to restrictions on transfer and
a substantial risk of forfeiture is not a taxable event. The
recipient of the award will recognize ordinary compensation
income in each year in which restrictions on the award lapse and
the award vests, in an amount equal to the fair market value of
the shares of common stock received. An award of restricted
stock that is fully vested on the grant date generally will be
taxable to the recipient on such date. A recipients basis
for determining gain or loss on a subsequent disposition of
these shares of common stock will be the amount the recipient
must include in income when the restrictions lapse or when the
award was granted, if not subject to restrictions. Any gain or
loss recognized on a disposition of the shares of common stock
generally will be short-term or long-term capital gain or loss
depending on the length of time the recipient holds the shares.
Restricted Stock Units. Generally, the grant of an award
of restricted stock units is not a taxable event. The recipient
of the award will recognize ordinary compensation income in each
year in which the units are settled, in an amount equal to the
fair market value of the shares of common stock received. A
recipients basis for determining gain or loss on a
subsequent disposition of these shares of common stock will be
the amount the recipient must include in income when the units
vest and are settled. Any gain or loss recognized on a
disposition of the shares of common stock generally will be
short-term or long-term capital gain or loss depending on the
length of time the recipient holds the shares.
A recipient who makes a proper election to defer the receipt of
shares received in settlement of an award of restricted stock or
to defer the settlement of restricted stock units will not
recognize income with respect to the shares or units until the
end of the deferral period. At the end of the deferral period,
the recipient will recognize ordinary compensation income equal
to the fair market value of the shares of common stock issued at
that time.
Section 83(b) Election. If a recipient of an award
of restricted stock properly makes an election pursuant to
Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, he or
she will recognize ordinary compensation income equal to the
fair market value of the shares of common stock at the time the
shares are awarded, without taking into account the effect of
the restrictions on the award. The recipients basis for
determining gain or loss on a subsequent disposition of shares
will be the amount the recipient so included in income. Any gain
or loss recognized on a disposition of shares of common stock
which were subject to the Section 83(b) election will be
short-term or long-term capital gain or loss, depending on the
length of time since the date of the award. If, however, the
recipient forfeits an award upon a termination of employment
prior to the time the restrictions lapse, he or she will
generally not be entitled to deduct any loss upon such
forfeiture even though the recipient may have been required to
include an amount in income by virtue of the Section 83(b)
election.
THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE
FOR APPROVAL OF OUR 2002 RESTRICTED STOCK PLAN, AS
AMENDED AND RESTATED.
18
SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS
We received the following shareholder proposals. The proponent
of each proposal has represented to us that the proponent has
continuously held at least $2,000 in market value of
Class A common stock for at least one year and will
continue to hold these securities through the date of the annual
meeting.
For each of the shareholder proposals, other than adding a brief
title for the proposal, we have included the proposal and
shareholders supporting statement exactly as we received
it. Following each proposal, we explain why our Board recommends
a vote AGAINST the proposal. Mr. Brian L. Roberts,
as beneficial owner of all the outstanding shares of
Class B common stock, has indicated that he intends to vote
all of these shares against each of the four shareholder
proposals.
19
PROPOSAL 4: TO DISCLOSE
POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS
The following proposal and supporting statement were submitted
by Mrs. Evelyn Y. Davis, Watergate Office Building, 2600
Virginia Avenue, N.W., Suite 215, Washington, D.C.
20037, who has advised us that she holds 160 shares of our
common stock.
RESOLVED: That the stockholders recommend that the Board
direct management that within five days after approval by the
shareholders of this proposal, the management shall publish in
newspapers of general circulation in the cities of New York,
Washington, D.C., Detroit, Chicago, San Francisco, Los
Angeles, Dallas, Houston and Miami, and in the Wall Street
Journal and U.S.A. Today, a detailed statement of each
contribution made by the Company, either directly or indirectly,
within the immediately preceding fiscal year, in respect of a
political campaign, political party, referendum or
citizens initiative, or attempts to influence legislation,
specifying the date and amount of each such contribution, and
the person or organization to whom the contribution was made.
Subsequent to this initial disclosure, the management shall
cause like data to be included in each succeeding report to
shareholders. And if no such disbursements were
made, to have that fact publicized in the same manner.
REASONS: This proposal, if adopted, would require the
management to advise the shareholders how many corporate dollars
are being spent for political purposes and to specify what
political causes the management seeks to promote with those
funds. It is therefore no more than a requirement that the
shareholders be given a more detailed accounting of these
special purpose expenditures that [sic] they now receive. These
political contributions are made with dollars that belong to the
shareholders as a group and they are entitled to know how they
are being spent.
Last year the owners of 14,881,932 shares,
representing approximately 5% of shares voting, voted FOR this
proposal.
If you AGREE, please mark your proxy FOR this
resolution.
20
Our Comments Regarding the Proposal
to Disclose Political Contributions
Proponents stated reason for presenting proposal 4 is to
provide disclosure of corporate dollars being spent
for political purposes out of concern that political
contributions may be made with dollars that belong to the
shareholders as a group. In fact, federal law prohibits
all corporations from making direct or indirect contributions to
candidates or political parties at the federal level, and many
states laws regulate and limit such activities at the
state level. Although we sponsor political action committees, as
permitted by law, that make contributions to political
candidates, parties and public officials whose views are
consistent with our long-term legislative and regulatory goals
relating to our industry or the communities we serve, these
committees are funded solely from voluntary contributions made
by our employees and others. Accordingly, corporate dollars
spent for this purpose are, at both the federal and state level,
generally limited to the costs associated with administering
these committees. In addition, although in a limited number of
states we may from time to time make direct political
contributions to candidates for state or local office, the
aggregate amount of our direct corporate contributions is
insignificant.
The proponent seeks information concerning dollars being spent
for political purposes for the purpose of accounting for
corporate political expenditures. Specifically, the proposal
calls for a detailed accounting of each contribution, including
the date of the contribution, the amount of the contribution and
the recipient of the contribution. As described above, we
sponsor political action committees and may make direct
contributions in a limited number of states to state or local
office candidates. All contributions made by our committees are
disclosed periodically in reports with the Federal Election
Commission and applicable state authorities. In addition, with
respect to any direct contributions to state or local
candidates, most states that permit contributions by
corporations require such contributions to be reported once a
threshold amount is reached and require similar reporting on the
part of the candidates who received such contributions. Reports
filed with the Federal Election Commission and state authorities
generally contain all the information called for by
proposal 4, including the date of the contribution, the
amount of the contribution and the recipient of the
contribution. These reports are typically available to the
public, and many of these reports are available free of charge
over the Internet. For example, all reports filed with the
Federal Election Commission are available at www.fec.gov, and
resources such as www.fecinfo.com and www.opensecrets.org
compile federal and state political contribution data in a
searchable format. Accordingly, those shareholders who are
interested in reviewing online our corporate political
expenditures and the expenditures of our political action
committees already have access to certain of this information.
The Board believes that proposal 4 is unnecessary because
the amount of corporate dollars spent on political contributions
is insignificant and shareholders already have access to
information of the sort called for by proposal 4.
FOR THESE REASONS, THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT
SHAREHOLDERS VOTE AGAINST THIS PROPOSAL.
21
PROPOSAL 5: TO REQUIRE THAT
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
NOT HAVE MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
The following proposal and supporting statement were submitted
by Mr. Richard A. Dee, 115 East 89th Street, New York, NY
10128, who has advised us that he holds 88 shares of our
common stock.
Stockholders hereby request that the Comcast Board of
Directors adopt promptly a resolution requiring that the
Chairman of the Board serve in that capacity only and have no
management duties, titles, or responsibilities.
When a person acts, for example, both as a
corporations Chairman and its CEO, a vital separation of
power and responsibility is eliminatedand the owners of
the corporation, its stockholders, are deprived not only of a
crucial protection against conflicts of interest, they are
deprived of a clear and direct channel of communication with the
corporation.
What stockholder-damaging conflicts of interest can be
more serious than those that so often occur when overseers are
allowed to oversee and supervise themselves? When a
corporations Chairman is also its CEO, such conflicts can
and do happen.
It is well to remember that at Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, and
other legends of mismanagement and/or corruption, the Chairmen
also served as CEOs. And their dual roles helped those
individuals to achive virtually total control of the companies.
Clearly, when a Chairman runs a company, the information
received by directors and others may or may not be accurate. If
a CEO wants to cover up corporate improprieties, how difficult
is it to convince subordinates to go along? If they disagree,
with whom do they lodge complaints? The Chairman?
As banker, investment banker, and a concerned and
outspoken investor, my experience with corporate Chairmen,
Presidents, CEOs, CFOs, counsels, and directors has
been very considerable. And I do not come lately to Corporate
Governance. The term was new in 1979 when I originated and
sponsored the first such proposal ever voted uponat 3M
Company, calling upon it to reconstitute its board so that a
majority would be non-management Outside Directors.
Few individual stockholders know enough about companies to
question their activities, and institutional investors, many of
whom know just as little, are too busy currying favor with
managements to have the guts to question themand thereby
risk loss of access to the very profitable Inside
Information Superhighway. That combination of stockholders
has proven a recipe for disaster.
Stockholders must continue to expect the unexpected unless
and until they help cause company boards to be composed of
substantial majorities of independent and objective outside
directors who are particularly well-qualified to serve their
interestsand until those directors select as
chairmen those who are similarly independent of managements.
While individual stockholders are responsible only to
themselves, institutional stockholders are responsible to
millions of investors. All too often they have betrayed not only
their moral obligations, but their duties as fiduciaries.
Efforts to improve Corporate Governance have been embodied
increasingly in stockholder proposals such as thiswhich
have been opposed almost universally by institutional
stockholders. It is time for those whose financial futures are
in the hands of money managers to inform those fiduciaries that
they expect them to recognize their duties and to fulfil their
legal obligations. There is no other priority. Voting in favor
of this proposal will help.
Please vote FOR this proposal.
22
Our Comments Regarding the Proposal to
Require that the Chairman of the Board not Have Managerial
Responsibilities
The Board of Directors believes that Comcast and its
shareholders are best served by having Brian L. Roberts serve as
Chairman and CEO because he is the most qualified and
appropriate individual to lead the Board as Chairman. The Board
also believes that Board independence and oversight of
management are effectively maintained through the Boards
current composition, committee system and composition and policy
of having regular executive sessions of only independent,
non-employee directors that are led by our Presiding Director
(the identity of whom rotates annually among the Chairs of the
Compensation, Governance and Directors Nominating and Audit
Committees). Furthermore, having one individual perform the role
of Chairman and CEO is both consistent with the practice of many
major companies and not restricted or prohibited by current laws
(including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and recently
promulgated SEC regulations). For all of these reasons, the
Board does not believe that splitting the roles of Chairman of
the Board and Chief Executive Officer would enhance the
Boards independence or performance.
Only three of the twelve members of Comcasts Board of
Directors are currently employees of Comcast, and all of
Comcasts Board Committees, other than the Executive and
Finance Committee, are composed of all non-employee independent
directors. Following the annual meeting, if all director
nominees are elected to serve as our directors, the Comcast
Board will be two-thirds independent. Therefore, there are ample
outside directors to offer critical review of management plans.
Furthermore, in accordance with Comcasts corporate
governance guidelines, Mr. Roberts has his performance
evaluated annually by the independent directors in an executive
session.
Our directors, including the Chairman of the Board, are also
bound by fiduciary obligations under law to act in a manner that
they believe to be in the best interests of Comcast and its
shareholders. Separating the offices of Chairman of the Board
and Chief Executive Officer would not serve to augment or
diminish the fiduciary duties of any officer of Comcast.
Rather, the Board believes that Mr. Roberts, in his
capacities as Chairman and CEO, serves as a bridge between the
Board and management and provides critical leadership for
carrying out Comcasts strategic initiatives and
confronting its challenges. In short, the Board currently
believes that a Chairman of the Board who is a member of
Comcasts management team is better situated to execute
Comcasts strategy and business plans to maximize
shareholder value.
For these reasons, the Board believes that the adoption of a
rigid policy requiring the election of a non-management Chairman
of the Board is not in the best interests of Comcasts
shareholders.
FOR THESE REASONS, THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT
SHAREHOLDERS VOTE AGAINST THIS PROPOSAL.
23
PROPOSAL 6: TO ELIMINATE SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN
UNLESS
SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL IS RECEIVED
The following proposal and supporting statement were submitted
by the Board of Trustees of the International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers Pension Benefit Fund, 1125 Fifteenth
Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, which has advised us
that it holds shares of our common stock valued at more than
$2,000.
RESOLVED, Shareholders of the Comcast Corporation (the
Company) request that the Board of Directors redeem
the Rights Agreement dated as of November 18, 2002 unless
such plan is approved by a majority vote of shareholders to be
held as soon as may be practicable.
Supporting Statement
On November 18, 2002 the Board adopted a shareholder rights
plan of the type commonly know as a poison pill.
This plan is an anti-takeover device that can adversely affect
shareholder value by discouraging takeovers that could be
beneficial to shareholders. Shareholders were not given the
opportunity to approve this plan in a separate vote. Unless
redeemed, this plan will remain in existence until 2012.
We believe poison pills, unless approved by shareholders, may
serve to entrench management at the expense of shareholders.
While management and the Board should have appropriate tools to
ensure that all shareholders benefit from any proposal to buy
the Company, we do not believe that the possibility of an
unsolicited bid justifies the unilateral implementation of such
a device. For this reason, we urge the Board not to renew the
rights plan or adopt a new plan without first seeking
shareholder approval.
According to the 1991 book Power and Accountability by
Nell Minow and Robert Monks: All poison pills raise
questions of shareholder democracy and the robustness of the
corporate governance process. They amount to major de facto
shifts of voting rights away from shareholders to management, on
matters pertaining to the sale of the corporation. They give
target boards of directors absolute veto power over any proposed
business combination, no matter how beneficial it might be for
the shareholders...
A study by researchers at Harvard Business School and the
University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School titled
Corporate Governance and Equity Prices (Quarterly
Journal of Economics, February 2003) looked at the relationship
between corporate governance practices (including poison pills)
and firm performance. The study found a significant positive
link between governance practices favoring shareholders and firm
value, though the study did not break out the impact of
individual governance practices.
We believe investors increasingly favor requiring shareholder
approval of poison pills. The Council of Institutional
Investors, an organization of over 130 pension funds whose
assets exceed $3 trillion, has called for shareholder
approval of poison pills. According to the Investor
Responsibility Research Center, in 2004 a majority of
shareholders voted in favor of redeeming or requiring
shareholder approval of poison pills at over three-dozen
companies, including AT&T, Bank of New York, Whole Foods
Market, and Home Depot.
We urge stockholders to vote FOR this resolution.
24
Our Comments Regarding the Proposal to
Eliminate Shareholder Rights Plan Unless Shareholder Approval
is Received
The foregoing proposal asks the Board to redeem Comcasts
shareholder rights plan unless the plan is approved by a
majority of Comcasts shareholders. The Board, however,
currently believes the rights plan to be in the best interests
of Comcast and its shareholders. As a result, while the Board
will reevaluate the rights plan periodically, the Board does not
believe that it would be appropriate, in the absence of a
specific and acceptable acquisition proposal, to redeem the
rights plan now or to present the rights plan to shareholders
for approval.
Comcasts shareholder rights plan was adopted by our Board
of Directors in accordance with Pennsylvania law, which does not
require a shareholder vote for a corporation to adopt such a
plan. The rights plan protects Comcasts shareholders by
requiring a potential acquirer to negotiate in good faith with
the Board, as opposed to employing coercive takeover tactics.
This enables the Board to negotiate a more favorable transaction
that is fair to shareholders.
Comcasts rights plan is not intended to prevent a takeover
of Comcast, nor does it change or diminish the fiduciary
obligations of the Board in considering a sale of the company.
Rather, the rights plan strengthens the ability of the Board to
fulfill its fiduciary duties under Pennsylvania law and to
obtain higher value for Comcasts shareholders.
Comcasts Board is not alone in its determination of the
value of shareholder rights plans. The Board observes that
approximately 2,000 other U.S. corporations have adopted a
rights plan, virtually all without shareholder approval, and
over 50% of the S&P 500 companies also have such plans.
The benefits to shareholders of a rights plan have also been
validated by empirical data, which suggests that premiums paid
to acquire target companies with rights plans are higher than
premiums paid for target companies that do not have rights
plans. For example, a 1997 Georgeson & Company study of
takeover premiums during the period from 1992 to 1996 estimated
that premiums paid to acquire target companies with rights plans
were, on average, 8% higher than premiums paid for target
companies that did not have rights plans. The
Georgeson & Company study concluded that the presence
of a rights plan did not increase the likelihood of the defeat
of a hostile takeover bid or the withdrawal of a friendly bid,
nor did rights plans reduce the likelihood that a company would
become a takeover target; the takeover rate was similar for
companies with and without rights plans. The same study also
concluded that companies with rights plans received higher
premiums regardless of whether the takeover was friendly or
hostile.
In short, the core issue posed by the proponents proposal
is whether Comcasts shareholders can rely on the Board to
perform its fiduciary duties and use the rights plan properly if
and when the need arises to protect their interests. The
Boards guiding principle in all aspects of its business is
to maximize shareholder value and the Board currently believes
that the rights plan remains an important component of its
ability to achieve this objective.
FOR THESE REASONS, THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT
SHAREHOLDERS VOTE AGAINST THIS PROPOSAL.
25
PROPOSAL 7: TO ADOPT A RECAPITALIZATION PLAN
The following proposal and supporting statement were submitted
by the Communications Workers of America Members Relief
Fund, 501 Third Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
20001-2797, which has advised us that it holds
10,500 shares of our common stock.
RESOLVED: The stockholders request that the Board of Directors
take the steps that may be necessary to adopt a recapitalization
plan that would provide for all of the Companys
outstanding stock to have one vote per share.
Supporting Statement
Comcasts capital structure gives Brian L. Roberts a
disproportionate and nondilutable percentage of the stockholder
votes. He had one-third of the voting power at the 2004 Annual
Meeting, despite the fact that he was the beneficial owner of
just 9.44 million shares of the Class B common, or
less than one percent of the Comcasts total market value.
In contrast, Comcasts 1.35 billion shares of Class A
common had two-thirds of the aggregate voting power.
Mr. Roberts nondilutable percentage of the total was
maintained by giving the Class A common just 0.2086
votes per share. This means the Class B shares had
about 75 times the voting power of each Class A share.
We believe this disproportionate voting power presents a
significant danger to the stockholders. As Louis Lowenstein has
observed, dual-class voting stocks reduce accountability for
corporate officers and insiders. Whats Wrong With Wall
Street (1988). They eliminate checks or balances, except
for fiduciary duty rules that reach only the most egregious
sorts of behavior. 1989 Columbia Law Review 979, 1008.
The danger of such disproportionate power is illustrated, in our
view, by the charges of fraud that have recently been brought
against the top executives of Adelphia Communications and
Hollinger International. Like Comcast, each of those media
companies had a capital structure that gave disproportionate
voting power to one or more insiders. We believe those capital
structures were a factor that contributed to the alleged frauds
by reducing accountability.
Comcasts current capital structure has other
disadvantages. It could hinder acquisitions of the Walt Disney
Company, or other companies, that are now governed on the one
share-one vote principle. It also could make it more difficult
to raise additional capital, because some persons, like Nell
Minow, the editor of The Corporate Library, would never
buy or recommend non-voting or limited voting stock. (USA
Today, May 17, 2004)
With a market capitalization in excess of $63 billion,
Comcast may be the largest public company with a multiple-class
capital structure. In our view, this large capitalization
magnifies the danger to investors that is inherent in Comcasts
current capital structure.
This proposal won about 31% of the votes that were cast for and
against at the 2004 Annual Meeting. Moreover, if all of the
Class B common is subtracted from that count, it appears
that the proposal won a 52.3% majority of the remaining
Class A shares held by public investors.
Raytheon, Readers Digest, Church & Dwight, Fairchild
Semiconductor, and other companies have eliminated stocks with
disparate voting rights in order to provide each share of their
common stock with a single vote. We believe Comcast should also
take this step in order to align the voting power of our
stockholders with their economic interests in the enterprise.
26
Our Comments Regarding the Proposal
to Adopt a Recapitalization Plan
The dual voting class structure of Comcast has existed since
Comcast went public in 1972. Prior to our acquisition of
AT&T Corp.s broadband business in November 2002,
Mr. Brian L. Roberts beneficially owned Comcast stock
representing approximately 87% of the combined voting power of
all Comcast stock. In connection with that transaction,
Mr. Roberts agreed to reduce his voting interest to a
331/3%
nondilutable interest. Without this concession, the AT&T
Broadband transaction, which has proven so beneficial to
Comcast, would not have been possible. Moreover, at the AT&T
Corp. shareholders meeting relating to the AT&T Broadband
transaction, the AT&T shareholders not only approved the
AT&T Broadband transaction as a whole but also separately
approved the governance terms of that transaction, which
approval was a condition to completing the AT&T Broadband
transaction. In fact, approximately 92% of the AT&T
shareholders voting on the governance proposal voted to approve
it.
The Board believes that the historical success of Comcast is
owed in large part to the respected and stable leadership
provided by Mr. Roberts and the Roberts family. Through
their leadership and focus on long-term growth, Comcast has a
proven track record for creating shareholder value. Our shares
have outperformed leading stock indices by significant margins,
including the S&P 500 by a margin of approximately
2 to 1 since Comcast went public in 1972. The Board
also believes that Mr. Roberts and the Roberts family have
been, and will continue to be, crucial to the long-term success
of Comcasts business and position of financial strength.
The Board also believes that Comcasts history of being
able to successfully raise capital for acquisitions and its
other business needs evidences that the dual voting class
structure does not impair Comcasts ability to raise
additional capital or acquire other companies.
Finally, under Pennsylvania law and our Restated Articles of
Incorporation, no recapitalization that affects the voting
rights of our Class B common stock can be effected without
the separate approval of Mr. Brian L. Roberts, as
beneficial owner of our Class B common stock.
FOR THESE REASONS, THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT
SHAREHOLDERS VOTE AGAINST THIS PROPOSAL.
27
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Summary Compensation Table
This table sets forth certain information regarding the annual
and long-term compensation we paid to or for our Chairman and
CEO and each of our other executive officers named in the table
(the named executive officers) for each of our last
three fiscal years.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Long-Term Compensation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Annual Compensation |
|
Awards(4) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Restricted |
|
Securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other Annual |
|
Stock |
|
Underlying |
|
All Other |
|
|
|
|
Salary |
|
Bonus |
|
Compensation |
|
Awards |
|
Options |
|
Compensation |
Name and Principal Position(1) |
|
Year |
|
($) |
|
($)(2) |
|
($)(3) |
|
($)(5) |
|
(#) |
|
($)(6) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brian L. Roberts
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
2,101,000 |
|
|
|
6,684,300 |
|
|
|
389,899 |
|
|
|
3,286,800 |
(a) |
|
|
800,000 |
(7) |
|
|
266,913 |
|
|
Chairman of the |
|
|
2003 |
|
|
|
2,001,000 |
|
|
|
6,000,000 |
|
|
|
365,618 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
950,100 |
(7) |
|
|
255,981 |
|
|
Board and CEO |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3,252 |
(8) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2002 |
|
|
|
1,238,623 |
|
|
|
6,000,000 |
|
|
|
216,714 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
750,000 |
(9) |
|
|
237,319 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,100 |
(8) |
|
|
|
|
|
Stephen B. Burke
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
1,226,230 |
|
|
|
4,331,969 |
|
|
|
1,204 |
|
|
|
10,548,000 |
(b) |
|
|
400,000 |
(7) |
|
|
1,057,276 |
|
|
Executive Vice President, |
|
|
2003 |
|
|
|
1,167,886 |
|
|
|
5,166,886 |
|
|
|
554 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
500,100 |
(7) |
|
|
488,165 |
|
|
Chief Operating Officer
|
|
|
2002 |
|
|
|
991,105 |
|
|
|
1,166,886 |
|
|
|
1,770 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,200,000 |
(9) |
|
|
282,899 |
|
|
and President,
Comcast Cable |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ralph J. Roberts
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
1,681,000 |
|
|
|
1,782,480 |
|
|
|
4,204,635 |
|
|
|
14,436,133 |
(c) |
|
|
500,000 |
(7) |
|
|
5,796,202 |
|
|
Chair of the Executive |
|
|
2003 |
|
|
|
1,601,000 |
|
|
|
1,600,000 |
|
|
|
3,590,770 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
650,100 |
(7) |
|
|
4,867,132 |
|
|
and Finance Committee |
|
|
2002 |
|
|
|
1,265,478 |
|
|
|
1,600,000 |
|
|
|
3,387,679 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
600,000 |
(9) |
|
|
6,888,647 |
|
|
of the Board |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,000 |
(8) |
|
|
|
|
|
Lawrence S. Smith
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
1,092,475 |
|
|
|
1,158,055 |
|
|
|
3,958 |
|
|
|
1,494,000 |
(a) |
|
|
375,000 |
(7) |
|
|
473,827 |
|
|
Executive Vice President |
|
|
2003 |
|
|
|
1,040,500 |
|
|
|
1,039,500 |
|
|
|
1,914 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
450,100 |
(7) |
|
|
344,844 |
|
|
and Co-Chief |
|
|
2002 |
|
|
|
882,909 |
|
|
|
1,039,500 |
|
|
|
1,922 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
420,000 |
(9) |
|
|
282,289 |
|
|
Financial Officer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,600 |
(8) |
|
|
|
|
|
David L. Cohen
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
1,009,000 |
|
|
|
1,069,488 |
|
|
|
2,605 |
|
|
|
2,988,000 |
(a) |
|
|
375,000 |
(7) |
|
|
61,534 |
|
|
Executive Vice President |
|
|
2003 |
|
|
|
961,000 |
|
|
|
960,000 |
|
|
|
2,175 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
400,100 |
(7) |
|
|
28,908 |
|
|
|
|
|
2002 |
|
|
|
400,000 |
|
|
|
720,000 |
|
|
|
558 |
|
|
|
476,800 |
(d) |
|
|
610,000 |
(9) |
|
|
1,384 |
|
|
John R. Alchin
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
927,100 |
|
|
|
982,592 |
|
|
|
26,161 |
|
|
|
1,344,600 |
(a) |
|
|
325,000 |
(7) |
|
|
429,524 |
|
|
Executive Vice President, |
|
|
2003 |
|
|
|
883,000 |
|
|
|
882,000 |
|
|
|
105,157 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
400,100 |
(7) |
|
|
336,020 |
|
|
Co-Chief Financial Officer |
|
|
2002 |
|
|
|
750,135 |
|
|
|
882,000 |
|
|
|
29,302 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
310,000 |
(9) |
|
|
242,306 |
|
|
and Treasurer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
600 |
(8) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
Includes our Chairman and CEO and the five other most highly
compensated individuals who were our executive officers at the
end of 2004, each as measured by salary and bonus.
Mr. Cohen became an executive officer on July 1, 2002. |
|
(2) |
The amounts in this column include bonuses earned by the named
executive officers under our 2002 Executive Cash Bonus Plan and
2002 Supplemental Cash Bonus Plan. Also included in this column
is a one-time bonus of $3,032,000 paid to Mr. Burke in 2004
at the time he entered into his amended and restated employment
agreement with us. |
|
(3) |
This column includes: (a) payments to certain of the named
executive officers to cover their tax liabilities incurred in
connection with various items, calculated assuming the highest
individual income tax bracket, including: (i) local taxes
on certain stock option exercises by Messrs. Brian L.
Roberts and Alchin; (ii) payments to Mr. Ralph J.
Roberts to cover the premiums attributable to the term |
28
|
|
|
life insurance portion of certain split-dollar life insurance
policies (see note 6(a) below); (iii) payments to
Mr. Brian L. Roberts to cover the premiums attributable to
term life insurance policies (see note 6(b) below); and
(iv) payments to cover premiums attributable to our
executive long-term disability plan (see note 6(d) below);
(b) amounts on account of personal use of company aircraft
in 2004 and 2003, determined as the extent to which the value of
such use, calculated on an incremental cost basis, exceeds the
amount paid to us for such use pursuant to company policy (in
2004: Mr. Brian L. Roberts $90,933; and Mr. Ralph J.
Roberts $58,703; and in 2003: Mr. Brian L. Roberts,
$73,712; and Mr. Ralph J. Roberts, $59,509);
(c) amounts on account of personal use of company-provided
administrative support (in 2004: Messrs. Brian L. Roberts
and Ralph J. Roberts, each $37,205; and in 2003:
Messrs. Brian L. Roberts and Ralph J. Roberts, each
$33,266); and (d) amounts with respect to other incidental
personal benefits. The use of company aircraft is required by
company policy for security reasons with respect to personal and
business travel by Messrs. Brian L. Roberts and Ralph J.
Roberts. In 2004 and 2003, each of the named executive officers
other than Messrs. Brian L. Roberts and Ralph J. Roberts
received, after payment to us in accordance with company policy,
personal benefits in an amount less than $50,000 (the minimum
amount required for disclosure under the rules of the Securities
and Exchange Commission). In each of 2004, 2003 and 2002,
pursuant to the companys policy regarding management
perquisites, the named executive officers paid the company the
following amounts for items that otherwise would have been
personal benefits: Mr. Brian L. Roberts, $174,279, $171,429
and $155,422; Mr. Burke, $82,329, $75,458 and $5,804;
Mr. Ralph J. Roberts, $18,771, $10,287 and $16,606;
Mr. Smith, $23,430, $28,407 and $25,521; Mr. Cohen,
$7,382, $13,816 and $0; and Mr. Alchin, $0, $11,273 and
$16,256. |
|
(4) |
Does not include amounts payable to certain of the named
executive officers in connection with the cancellation of QVC
stock options as a result of the sale of our interest in QVC on
September 17, 2003 (see note 8 below). These amounts
were previously reported in our 2004 proxy statement. |
|
(5) |
(a) On March 9, 2004, we granted the following awards
of restricted stock units with respect to Class A common
stock: Mr. Brian L. Roberts, 110,000 restricted stock
units; Mr. Smith, 50,000 restricted stock units;
Mr. Cohen, 100,000 restricted stock units; and
Mr. Alchin, 45,000 restricted stock units. The per share
value of the Class A common stock on the date of grant was
$29.88. 15% of the shares subject to each award vest on each of
March 9, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and 40% vest on
March 9, 2009. |
|
|
|
(b) On January 12, 2004, we granted Mr. Burke an
award of 300,000 restricted shares of Class A common stock.
100,000 of these shares vest on January 2, 2005 and 50,000
vest on each of January 2, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. The
per share value of the Class A common stock on the date of
grant was $35.16. |
|
|
(c) On January 30, 2004, we granted Mr. Ralph J.
Roberts an award of 423,347 restricted shares of Class A
common stock. This award was granted in exchange for
Mr. Roberts waiving our obligation to pay certain
past and all future split-dollar life insurance premiums under
the terms of his employment agreement and split-dollar life
insurance policies and had a fair market value on the date of
grant equal to the net present value of these obligations.
One-third of these shares vest on each of January 2, 2005,
2006 and 2007. The per share value of the Class A common
stock on the date of grant was $34.10. |
|
|
(d) On July 1, 2002, we granted Mr. Cohen an
award of 20,000 restricted shares of Class A Special common
stock. 25% of the shares vest on each of January 2, 2003,
2004, 2005 and 2006. The per share value of the Class A
Special common stock on the date of grant was $23.84. |
|
|
The aggregate number of shares and value with respect to the
named executive officers on December 31, 2004 for
restricted stock holdings were: Mr. Brian L. Roberts,
110,000 shares of Class A common stock ($3,660,800);
Mr. Burke, 300,000 shares of Class A common stock
($9,984,000); Mr. Ralph J. Roberts, 423,347 shares of
Class A common stock ($14,088,988); Mr. Smith,
50,000 shares of Class A common stock ($1,664,000);
Mr. Cohen, 10,000 shares of Class A Special
common stock ($328,400) and 100,000 shares of Class A
common stock ($3,328,000); and Mr. Alchin,
45,000 shares of Class A common stock ($1,497,600).
Holders of |
29
|
|
|
restricted shares and restricted stock units do not have any
voting rights with respect to these shares. The dollar values
are based on the closing price of our Class A common stock
($33.28) and Class A Special common stock ($32.84) on
December 31, 2004. |
|
|
(6) |
This column includes (with respect to amounts applicable to
2004): (a) payments to certain named executive officers to
reimburse them for their payment of premiums attributable to the
term life insurance portion of certain split-dollar life
insurance policies (Mr. Brian L. Roberts, $1,736;
Mr. Ralph J. Roberts, $2,794,118; Mr. Smith, $2,133;
and Mr. Alchin, $1,930); (b) payments to cover
premiums attributable to term life insurance policies
(Mr. Brian L. Roberts, $189,099); (c) contributions to
our Retirement-Investment Plan in the amount of $12,300 for each
of the named executive officers; (d) payments to certain
named executive officers to cover the premiums attributable to
our executive long-term disability plan (Mr. Brian L.
Roberts, $4,104; Mr. Smith, $1,658; and Mr. Alchin,
$5,938); and (e) the dollar value of interest earned on
deferred compensation in excess of 120% of the long-term
applicable federal rate (the current rate on deferred
compensation is 12%) (Mr. Brian L. Roberts, $59,674;
Mr. Burke, $1,044,976; Mr. Ralph J. Roberts,
$2,989,784; Mr. Smith, $457,736; Mr. Cohen, $49,234;
and Mr. Alchin, $409,356). |
|
(7) |
Represents the number of shares of Class A common stock
issuable upon the exercise of options. |
|
(8) |
Represents the number of shares of QVC common stock that were
issuable upon the exercise of options granted to certain named
executive officers by the compensation committee of the QVC
board of directors pursuant to the QVC stock option and stock
appreciation rights plan. As a result of the sale of our
interest in QVC, all options to purchase QVC common stock held
by our employees were cancelled in exchange for a cash payment
(or deferred cash payment plus interest) from us equal to the
difference between the value of the consideration we received in
the sale for each share of QVC we owned and the exercise price
of the option. |
|
(9) |
Represents the number of shares of Class A Special common
stock issuable upon the exercise of options. |
30
Stock Option Grants
This table contains information concerning grants of employee
stock options we made to the named executive officers during
2004. No stock appreciation rights were granted during 2004 to
the named executive officers.
Stock Option Grants in 2004
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Individual Grants(1) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
% of Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Options |
|
|
|
|
Number of Securities |
|
Granted to |
|
|
|
|
Underlying Options |
|
Employees |
|
Exercise Price |
|
Expiration |
|
Grant Date Present |
Name |
|
Granted (#) |
|
in 2004 |
|
($/Sh) |
|
Dates |
|
Value ($)(2) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brian L. Roberts
|
|
|
800,000 |
|
|
|
5.0% |
|
|
|
29.88 |
|
|
|
3/9/14 |
|
|
|
9,112,000 |
|
Stephen B. Burke
|
|
|
400,000 |
|
|
|
2.5% |
|
|
|
29.88 |
|
|
|
3/9/14 |
|
|
|
4,556,000 |
|
Ralph J. Roberts
|
|
|
500,000 |
|
|
|
3.1% |
|
|
|
29.88 |
|
|
|
3/9/14 |
|
|
|
5,695,000 |
|
Lawrence S. Smith
|
|
|
375,000 |
|
|
|
2.3% |
|
|
|
29.88 |
|
|
|
3/9/14 |
|
|
|
4,271,250 |
|
David L. Cohen
|
|
|
375,000 |
|
|
|
2.3% |
|
|
|
29.88 |
|
|
|
3/9/14 |
|
|
|
4,271,250 |
|
John R. Alchin
|
|
|
325,000 |
|
|
|
2.0% |
|
|
|
29.88 |
|
|
|
3/9/14 |
|
|
|
3,701,750 |
|
|
|
(1) |
Options are for the purchase of shares of Class A common
stock and were granted on March 9, 2004 under our stock
option plans. All options granted in 2004 have exercise prices
equal to the fair market value of the underlying shares on the
date of grant. Options granted in 2004 become exercisable at the
rate of 30% of the shares covered thereby on the second
anniversary of the date of grant, another 15% on each of the
third, fourth and fifth anniversaries of the date of grant,
another 5% on each of the sixth through ninth anniversaries of
the date of grant and 5% six months prior to the tenth
anniversary of the date of grant. |
|
(2) |
These amounts represent the estimated present value of options
at the date of grant calculated using the Black-Scholes
option-pricing model, based upon the following assumptions used
in developing the grant valuations: an expected volatility of
approximately 28.8%; an expected term to exercise of seven
years; an interest rate of approximately 3.4%; and no dividend
yield. The actual value of these options, if any, realized by an
executive officer will depend on the extent to which the market
value of the Class A common stock exceeds the exercise
price of the option on the date the option is exercised.
Consequently, there is no assurance that the value realized by a
named executive officer will be at or near the value estimated
above. These amounts should not be used to predict share
performance. |
31
Stock Option Exercises and Holdings
This table contains information related to options to purchase
shares of Class A Special common stock exercised during
2004 by the named executive officers and the number and value of
options to purchase Class A Special common stock and
Class A common stock held at December 31, 2004 by such
individuals.
Aggregated Option Exercises in 2004
and Option Values at December 31, 2004
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of Securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying Unexercised |
|
Value of Unexercised |
|
|
Shares |
|
|
|
Options at |
|
In-the-Money Options at |
|
|
Acquired |
|
|
|
December 31, 2004 (#) |
|
December 31, 2004 ($) |
|
|
on Exercise |
|
Value |
|
|
|
|
Name |
|
(#) |
|
Realized ($) |
|
Exercisable |
|
Unexercisable |
|
Exercisable |
|
Unexercisable |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brian L. Roberts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class A Special common stock
|
|
|
1,049,899 |
|
|
|
20,821,524 |
|
|
|
12,191,647 |
|
|
|
605,139 |
|
|
|
48,742,302 |
|
|
|
9,541,500 |
|
|
Class A common stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,750,100 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8,572,116 |
|
Stephen B. Burke
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class A Special common stock
|
|
|
1,023,080 |
|
|
|
13,733,808 |
|
|
|
3,362,455 |
|
|
|
708,695 |
|
|
|
10,099,141 |
|
|
|
8,794,066 |
|
|
Class A common stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
900,100 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,440,116 |
|
Ralph J. Roberts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class A Special common stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3,406,824 |
|
|
|
5,288 |
|
|
|
20,257,257 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class A common stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,150,100 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5,704,116 |
|
Lawrence S. Smith
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class A Special common stock
|
|
|
336,526 |
(1) |
|
|
5,750,000 |
|
|
|
2,069,809 |
|
|
|
232,695 |
|
|
|
11,911,970 |
|
|
|
2,641,800 |
|
|
Class A common stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
825,100 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,047,116 |
|
David L. Cohen
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class A Special common stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
185,500 |
|
|
|
424,500 |
|
|
|
1,669,500 |
|
|
|
3,820,500 |
|
|
Class A common stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
775,100 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3,739,116 |
|
John R. Alchin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class A Special common stock
|
|
|
487,927 |
(2) |
|
|
9,135,485 |
|
|
|
1,724,515 |
|
|
|
199,445 |
|
|
|
11,937,309 |
|
|
|
2,260,750 |
|
|
Class A common stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
725,100 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3,569,116 |
|
|
|
(1) |
Mr. Smith realized the value shown above upon the exercise
of options to purchase 250,000 shares of Class A
Special common stock. In addition, the receipt of
53,439 shares of Class A Special common stock to be
issued to Mr. Smith, resulting from the exercise on
July 2, 2004 of options to purchase 49,312 shares at
an exercise price of $10.5834 per share and options to purchase
37,214 shares at an exercise price of $9.5625 per share,
net of 1,284 shares withheld to satisfy certain tax
obligations, was deferred until October 7, 2005 pursuant to
our Deferred Stock Option Plan. The per share fair market value
of such shares on July 2, 2004 was $27.60. The value
ultimately realized with respect to such shares will be
determined based upon the fair market value of such shares upon
their issuance to Mr. Smith. If such shares (and such
withheld shares) had been issued to Mr. Smith on the date
of exercise, the aggregate value realized by him with respect to
such shares would have been $1,510,370, which amount is not
included in the table above. |
|
(2) |
Mr. Alchin realized the value shown above upon the exercise
of options to purchase 397,195 shares of Class A
Special common stock. In addition, the receipt of
55,332 shares of Class A Special common stock to be
issued to Mr. Alchin, resulting from the exercise on
July 8, 2004 of options to purchase 60,900 shares at
an exercise price of $10.5834 per share and options to purchase
29,832 shares at an exercise price of $9.5625 per share,
net of 1,329 shares withheld to satisfy certain tax
obligations, was deferred until August 2, 2006 pursuant to
our Deferred Stock Option Plan. The per share fair market value
of such shares on July 8, 2004 was $27.29. The value
ultimately realized with respect to such shares will be
determined based upon the fair market value of such shares upon
their issuance to Mr. Alchin. If such shares (and such
withheld shares) had been issued to Mr. Alchin on the date
of exercise, the aggregate value realized by him with respect to
such shares would have been $1,546,279, which amount is not
included in the table above. |
32
This table summarizes our equity plan information as of
December 31, 2004.
Equity Compensation Plan Information
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(c) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of Securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Remaining Available |
|
|
(a) |
|
(b) |
|
for Future Issuance |
|
|
Number of Securities |
|
Weighted-Average |
|
Under Equity |
|
|
to Be Issued upon |
|
Exercise Price of |
|
Compensation Plans |
|
|
Exercise of |
|
Outstanding |
|
(Excluding |
|
|
Outstanding Options, |
|
Options, Warrants |
|
Securities Reflected |
Plan Category |
|
Warrants and Rights |
|
and Rights |
|
in Column (a)) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity compensation plans approved by security
holders:(1)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class A common stock
|
|
|
84,879,781 |
|
|
$ |
36.99 |
|
|
|
52,087,357 |
|
|
Class A Special common stock
|
|
|
55,629,858 |
|
|
$ |
30.67 |
|
|
|
|
|
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total(2)
|
|
|
140,509,639 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
52,087,357 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
Includes the following plans: the Comcast Corporation 1987 Stock
Option Plan, the Comcast Corporation 2002 Stock Option Plan, the
Comcast Corporation 2002 Restricted Stock Plan, the Comcast
Corporation 2002 Employee Stock Purchase Plan and the Comcast
Corporation 2003 Stock Option Plan. |
|
(2) |
Includes stock options assumed in connection with our
acquisition of the AT&T Broadband business in November 2002,
which were granted under the AT&T Broadband Corp. Adjustment
Plan. As of December 31, 2004, these assumed stock options
were outstanding with respect to 42,612,002 shares of
Class A common stock and had a weighted average exercise
price of $44.66 per share. |
Pension Plan
Under our Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan, adopted
July 31, 1989, supplemental retirement, death and
disability benefits may be paid to or in respect of certain of
our and our affiliated companies senior executives, as
selected by the Board. Mr. Ralph J. Roberts (who is
credited with 30 years of service, the maximum credited
service allowed under the Supplemental Executive Retirement
Plan) is the only current named executive officer selected by
the Board to participate in the Supplemental Executive
Retirement Plan. The Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan
contemplates the payment of various percentages of a
participants final average compensation (as actuarially
reduced, in certain circumstances, and as defined below) if the
participant: (i) elects to retire early (after the later of
the participants 55th birthday or 20 years of service
with us); (ii) retires at age 65 or after;
(iii) suffers a permanent disability which renders the
participant incapable of employment in the same or a similar
occupation; or (iv) dies. A participant may elect a
reduction in lifetime benefits in exchange for the continuation
of payments to a surviving spouse or his designated beneficiary.
33
This table shows the annual single life annuity retirement
benefit which Mr. Ralph J. Roberts would receive based on
remuneration covered by, and years of service credited under,
the Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan if he had retired on
January 1, 2005 at age 65 (or older). The benefits
shown below are subject to reduction for Social Security
benefits.
Pension Plan Table
|
|
|
|
|
Final Average |
|
Years of Service |
Compensation(1) |
|
30 or More(2) |
|
|
|
$2,300,000
|
|
$ |
1,380,000 |
|
2,400,000
|
|
|
1,440,000 |
|
2,500,000
|
|
|
1,500,000 |
|
2,600,000
|
|
|
1,560,000 |
|
2,700,000
|
|
|
1,620,000 |
|
|
|
(1) |
Final average compensation equals one-fifth of the total
compensation for the five years preceding termination of
employment. Compensation includes salary, bonus (including any
deferred bonus) and any other supplementary remuneration, but
excludes payments made to participants for split-dollar life
insurance premium bonuses and payments made to offset tax
liabilities incurred related to these bonuses. In the case of
Mr. Ralph J. Roberts, final average compensation may, under
some circumstances, be increased as described below in
Agreements with Executive Officers and Directors
Compensation Agreement with Mr. Ralph J. Roberts
Election to Become a Consultant. |
|
(2) |
This column represents the maximum annual benefit payable under
the Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan. |
Agreements with Executive Officers and Directors
|
|
|
Compensation Agreement with Mr. Brian L. Roberts |
We have entered into a compensation agreement with
Mr. Brian L. Roberts, our Chairman and CEO. The following
is a description of the material terms of this agreement, as
amended.
Term. The term of the compensation agreement is from
June 16, 1998 through the date of our 2005 annual meeting
of shareholders.
Base Salary. Mr. Roberts will receive an annual base
salary of $2 million, as adjusted (but not reduced, except
pursuant to an overall plan to reduce the compensation of all
our senior executive officers) from time to time to reflect his
contribution to our growth and success.
Bonus; Stock Awards. Mr. Roberts is eligible to
receive an annual performance bonus, payable in cash, of up to
150% of his base salary for the applicable year. The amount of
the bonus is determined annually by the Compensation Committee,
in accordance with, and upon satisfaction of, the standards
contained in our Executive Cash Bonus Plan. Mr. Roberts is
also eligible to participate in our Supplemental Cash Bonus Plan.
Deferred Compensation. With our consent, Mr. Roberts
may cause the payment of all or a portion of the compensation
payable to him to be deferred in accordance with and subject to
our deferred compensation plans.
Termination. The compensation agreement will terminate
upon the death of Mr. Roberts, at our option upon his
disability or for cause, upon a vote of not less than
three-fourths of the entire membership of the Board. If his
employment is terminated by reason of his death or disability,
we must continue to pay his annual base salary on a monthly
basis for five years to him or, upon his death, to his spouse
for so long as she is living. In addition, upon
Mr. Roberts death, we have agreed to provide health
plan benefits to Mr. Roberts spouse during her
lifetime. If we terminate his employment in violation of the
compensation agreement, he remains entitled to substantially all
of the benefits under the compensation
34
agreement (e.g., salary, annual bonus and health plan
benefits) for the original remaining term of the agreement. If
Mr. Roberts employment is terminated on or after the
occurrence of a change of control, this termination cannot be
treated as a termination for cause under the agreement.
Noncompetition and Confidentiality. Mr. Roberts has
agreed not to compete with us during his employment and for two
years after termination of his employment. He is also required
to maintain the confidentiality of our information and not to
use such information except for our benefit. Breach by
Mr. Roberts of any of these obligations constitutes cause
for termination of the compensation agreement.
Term Life Insurance Agreement with Mr. Roberts. We
have entered into a Term Life Insurance Premium and Tax Bonus
Agreement dated as of September 23, 1998 with
Mr. Roberts. This agreement provides that, as additional
compensation to him, we will reimburse him for all of the
premiums on certain specified 20-and 15-year level-premium term
life insurance policies, and that we will pay him an additional
bonus equal to the income tax payable on such reimbursement and
the bonus. The annual amount of the premiums to be reimbursed
under this agreement is approximately $189,000 through 2012 and
$177,000 from 2013 through 2017. The Term Life Insurance Premium
and Tax Bonus Agreement does not terminate upon termination of
Mr. Roberts employment with us.
Change of Control Provisions. Prior to any change of
control, we must establish and fund a grantor trust, the amounts
in which will be subject to claims of our creditors in the case
of our bankruptcy, for the purpose of paying all compensation,
deferred compensation and term life insurance premiums and
bonuses for Mr. Roberts then applicable. Upon the
occurrence of a change of control, such trust must become
irrevocable and we must continue to make payments into such
trust to maintain sufficient amounts to fund all benefits
subject to the trust. While our acquisition of the AT&T
Broadband business in November 2002 was a change of control
under the compensation agreement, Mr. Roberts elected to
waive his right to have us fund the trust at that time; however,
Mr. Roberts may exercise this right at any time by
providing notice to us.
|
|
|
Employment Agreement with Mr. Burke |
We have entered into an employment agreement with
Mr. Stephen B. Burke, our Executive Vice President, Chief
Operating Officer and President of Comcast Cable. As of
January 1, 2004, we amended and restated
Mr. Burkes employment agreement. The following is a
description of the material terms of this agreement.
Term. The term of the agreement is from January 1,
2004 through December 31, 2008.
Base Salary. The agreement provides for a base salary of
$1,225,230 in 2004. For each year in the term subsequent to
2004, the base salary is increased by the greater of 5% or the
percentage increase during the previous year in the consumer
price index (up to a maximum of 10%).
Bonus. Mr. Burke is eligible to receive an annual
cash performance bonus of 50% of his base salary under our
Executive Cash Bonus Plan, commencing in 2004, as well as a cash
bonus of 50% under our Supplemental Cash Bonus Plan in each of
2004 and 2005. He also received a one-time bonus of $3,032,000
at the time he entered into the agreement. If any part of
Mr. Burkes compensation payable with respect to any
taxable year is not deductible by us by reason of the limitation
contained in Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, we will only pay amounts to the extent deductible. Amounts
not paid will be deferred until a later taxable year.
Stock Award. Under the terms of Mr. Burkes
agreement, he received an award of 300,000 restricted shares of
Class A common stock on January 12, 2004. 100,000 of
these shares will vest on January 2, 2005, and 50,000 of
these shares will vest on each of January 2, 2006, 2007,
2008 and 2009, subject to continued employment with us.
Termination. If we terminate Mr. Burkes
employment without cause, he is entitled to receive his
then-current base salary and all insurance, medical or other
similar benefits for a period of two years from the date of
termination, subject to offset by other compensation or benefits
earned by him during such
35
period, and he is entitled to receive his bonus for the year of
termination. He is also entitled to receive any restricted
shares that would have vested within the one-year period after
termination. If Mr. Burke terminates his employment for
good reason, he will receive the same benefits as he would have
if we had terminated his employment without cause. If he
resigns, he is entitled only to his base salary for days
actually worked and any amounts due to him under our deferred
compensation plans.
Noncompetition and Confidentiality. Mr. Burke has
agreed not to compete with us during his employment and for one
year after termination of his employment. The agreement also
requires him to maintain the confidentiality of our information
and not to use such information, except for our benefit, at all
times during his employment and for a period of one year after
termination of his employment.
Change of Control Provisions. Under the agreement, we
must give Mr. Burke at least ten days notice prior to
the anticipated date of a change of control. Upon receipt of
this notice, all options held by Mr. Burke will become
immediately exercisable in full. Until the day before the date
of a change of control, he will be able to exercise all such
options. If the change of control is not consummated, the
options will be treated as not having been exercised.
|
|
|
Compensation Agreement with Mr. Ralph J. Roberts |
We have entered into a compensation agreement with
Mr. Ralph J. Roberts, the founder of Comcast and Chairman
of the Executive and Finance Committee of the Board. The
following is a description of the material terms of this
agreement, as amended.
Term; Position. The term of the compensation agreement is
from August 31, 1998 to December 31, 2007. The
compensation agreement provides that Mr. Roberts will serve
as Chairman of the Executive and Finance Committee of the Board
until such time as he may elect to change his status to that of
a non-executive consultant, and that until he makes such
election he will continue to devote substantially all of his
working time to us.
If Mr. Roberts elects to become a non-executive consultant,
he will devote such time as is necessary to perform the
functions we reasonably request. In addition, for a period of
five years following any termination of the service period of
the compensation agreement, Mr. Roberts will perform such
reasonable ceremonial functions as we may request and will
promote our interests and goodwill as we may reasonably request.
Base Salary. The compensation agreement provides that
Mr. Roberts will receive an annual base salary of
$1.6 million, as adjusted (but not reduced, except pursuant
to an overall plan to reduce the compensation of all our senior
executive officers) in order to reflect the greater of increases
in the consumer price index subsequent to 1997 and the average
percentage increase in the base compensation of our five
employees (other than Mr. Ralph J. Roberts) with the
highest base compensation during the preceding year.
Bonus. So long as he continues to serve as one of our
executive officers, Mr. Roberts will be eligible to receive
annual bonuses of up to 50% of his base salary in accordance
with our Executive Cash Bonus Plan, based on performance targets
established by the Compensation Committee. Mr. Roberts is
also eligible to participate in our Supplemental Cash Bonus Plan.
Split-Dollar Life Insurance. The compensation agreement
requires that we continue to provide and maintain the
split-dollar life insurance provided to Mr. Roberts under a
previous agreement and to provide additional survivorship
split-dollar life insurance to Mr. Roberts and his spouse.
Such split-dollar life insurance includes certain split-dollar
life insurance provided to replace the potential benefits
represented by a prior terminated discretionary bonus plan with
respect to the appreciation through March 15, 1994 in the
options for Class A Special common stock previously awarded
to Mr. Roberts, taking into account our financial position
and the tax deductibility of any such payments. Under the
compensation agreement and the terms of the split-dollar life
insurance arrangements, we are obligated to pay the whole-life
portion of the annual premiums for certain single-life and
joint-and-survivor life insurance policies for Mr. Roberts,
and upon payment of the policies at the death of
Mr. Roberts or of the survivor of Mr. Roberts and his
36
spouse, as applicable, we recover all of the cumulative premiums
previously paid by us for the whole-life portion of such
policies. As of July 30, 2002, due to considerations raised
by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, we ceased to pay the premiums
associated with Mr. Roberts split-dollar life
insurance policies. We have calculated the amount of the
required premiums not paid and, in exchange for Mr. Roberts
waiving our obligation to pay certain past and all future
premium payments under the compensation agreement and the
split-dollar life insurance policies and the benefit to us of
not having to make these premium payments, on January 30,
2004, the Compensation Committee granted Mr. Roberts an
award of 423,347 restricted shares of Class A
common stock, one-third of which vest on each of January 2,
2005, 2006 and 2007 or upon his death, if earlier.
Supplemental Death Benefit. Upon the death of
Mr. Roberts, the compensation agreement requires us to pay
a supplemental death benefit to a beneficiary designated by
Mr. Roberts. The compensation agreement substituted this
death benefit for two bonus arrangements of comparable value
included in a prior agreement that were based on appreciation of
Class A common stock from the date of grant of options to
purchase Class B common stock to the date of exercise. We
must pay the death benefit within six months from the date of
Mr. Roberts death. Under the terms of the
compensation agreement, Mr. Roberts requested that we
invest portions of the death benefit in certain investments
identified by Mr. Roberts. We have complied with
Mr. Roberts request, and the amount of the death
benefit has been adjusted to reflect the increase or decrease in
value of any such investments. As of December 31, 2004, the
amount of the death benefit was approximately $36.4 million.
Termination. The compensation agreement will terminate
upon Mr. Roberts death, at our option upon his
disability or for cause, upon a vote of not less than two-thirds
of the entire membership of the Board. If his employment is
terminated by reason of his death or disability, we must
continue to pay his annual base salary on a monthly basis for
five years to him or, upon his death, to his spouse for so long
as she is living. Upon Mr. Roberts death, we have
agreed to provide health plan benefits to Mr. Roberts
spouse during her lifetime. In addition, the death benefit
described above will continue to be payable in accordance with
its terms and all of his outstanding stock options will vest
fully and remain exercisable for their remaining terms. If we
terminate his employment in violation of the compensation
agreement, he will remain entitled to substantially all of the
benefits under the compensation agreement (e.g., salary,
annual bonus and health plan benefits) for the original
remaining term of the agreement. If Mr. Roberts
employment is terminated on or after the occurrence of a change
of control, this termination cannot be treated as a termination
for cause under the agreement.
Noncompetition and Confidentiality. Mr. Roberts has
agreed not to compete with us during his employment and for five
years after termination of his employment. The compensation
agreement also requires him to maintain the confidentiality of
our information and not to use such information, except for our
benefit, at all times during his employment and after
termination of his employment. Breach by Mr. Roberts of any
of these obligations constitutes cause for termination of the
compensation agreement.
Change of Control Provisions. Prior to any change of
control, we must establish and fund a grantor trust, the amounts
in which will be subject to claims of our creditors in the case
of our bankruptcy, for the purpose of paying all deferred
compensation, nonqualified retirement benefits and split-dollar
life insurance premiums and bonuses for Mr. Roberts then
applicable. Upon the occurrence of a change of control, such
trust must become irrevocable, and we must continue to make
payments into such trust to maintain sufficient amounts to fund
all benefits subject to the trust. While our acquisition of the
AT&T Broadband business in November 2002 was a change
of control under the compensation agreement, Mr. Roberts
elected to waive his right to have us fund the trust at that
time; however, Mr. Roberts may exercise this right at any
time by providing notice to us.
Election to Become a Consultant. Mr. Roberts may at
any time, upon 30 days notice to us, elect to change
his position from an executive to a consultant. In such event,
he will continue to receive all of the compensation provided
under the compensation agreement, other than the bonus to which
he would otherwise be entitled under our Executive Cash Bonus
Plan. If he elects to become a consultant,
Mr. Roberts entitlement to retirement benefits under
our Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan will be
37
adjusted annually to reflect 150% of his base salary as a
consultant, but his benefits under such plan will not in any
event exceed the bonus he could have received under the
compensation agreement had he continued to work as an executive.
|
|
|
Employment Agreements with Messrs. Smith and Alchin |
We have entered into employment agreements with
Mr. Lawrence S. Smith, our Executive Vice President and
Co-Chief Financial Officer and Mr. John R. Alchin, our
Executive Vice President, Co-Chief Financial Officer and
Treasurer. The following is a description of the material terms
of these agreements.
Term. The term of the agreements is from May 31,
2000 through December 31, 2005.
Base Salary. The agreements with Messrs. Smith and
Alchin provide for a base salary of $825,000 and $700,000,
respectively, in 2001. In each case, for each year in the term
subsequent to 2001, the base salary is increased by the greater
of 5% or the percentage increase during the previous year in the
consumer price index (up to a maximum of 10%).
Bonus. Each of the executives is eligible to receive an
annual performance bonus under our Executive Cash Bonus Plan,
commencing in 2000, of up to 50% of his base salary for the
applicable year. The amount of the bonus is determined annually
by the Compensation Committee, based on our and the
executives performance during such year, and is payable in
cash or in shares of Class A Special common stock, at the
discretion of the Compensation Committee. Each executive also
participates in our Supplemental Cash Bonus Plan. If any part of
the executives compensation payable with respect to any
taxable year is not deductible by us by reason of the limitation
contained in Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, we will only pay amounts to the extent deductible. Amounts
not paid will be deferred until a later taxable year.
Termination. If we terminate the executives
employment without cause, he is entitled to receive his
then-current base salary and all insurance, medical or other
similar benefits for a period of two years from the date of
termination, subject to offset by other compensation or benefits
earned by him during such period, and he is entitled to receive
his bonus for the year of termination. If the executive resigns,
he is entitled only to his base salary for days actually worked
and any amounts due to him under our deferred compensation plans.
Noncompetition and Confidentiality. Under each of the
agreements, the executive has agreed not to compete with us
during his employment and for one year after termination of his
employment. The agreements also require each executive to
maintain the confidentiality of our information and not to use
such information, except for our benefit, at all times during
his employment and for a period of one year after termination of
his employment. Breach by the executive of any of these
obligations constitutes cause for termination of the agreement
and terminates our obligations for payments subsequent to his
termination.
Change of Control Provisions. Under each of the
agreements, we must give the executives at least
30 days notice prior to the anticipated date of a
change of control. Upon receipt of this notice, all options held
by the executives will become immediately exercisable in full.
Until the day before the date of a change of control, the
executives will be able to exercise all such options. We will
hold in escrow any shares received upon exercise, and the shares
will be delivered to the executive only if he remains employed
for the six-month period following the change of control. If the
change of control is not consummated, the options will be
treated as not having been exercised.
|
|
|
Employment Agreement with Mr. Cohen |
We have entered into an employment agreement with Mr. David
L. Cohen, one of our Executive Vice Presidents. The following is
a description of the material terms of this agreement.
Term. The term of the agreement is from July 1, 2002
through January 2, 2006.
38
Base Salary. The agreement provides for an annual base
salary of $800,000 in 2002. For each year in the term subsequent
to 2002, the base salary is increased by the greater of 5% or
the percentage increase during the previous year in the consumer
price index (up to a maximum of 10%).
Bonus; Stock Awards. Mr. Cohen is eligible to
receive an annual performance bonus under our Executive Cash
Bonus Plan for the year 2002 and each year through 2005 of up to
50% of his base salary for the applicable year. The amount of
the bonus is determined annually by the Compensation Committee,
based on our and Mr. Cohens performance during such
year, and is payable in cash or in shares of Class A
Special common stock, at the discretion of the Compensation
Committee. Mr. Cohen is also eligible to participate in our
Supplemental Cash Bonus Plan. If any part of
Mr. Cohens compensation payable with respect to any
taxable year is not deductible by us by reason of the limitation
contained in Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, we will only pay amounts to the extent deductible. Amounts
not paid will be deferred until a later taxable year.
Under the terms of the agreement, Mr. Cohen also received a
grant of options to purchase 500,000 shares of Class A
Special common stock on July 1, 2002, 30% of which vested
on the second anniversary of the date of grant, 15% of which
will vest on each of the third through fifth anniversaries of
the date of grant, 5% of which will vest on each of the sixth
through ninth anniversaries of the date of grant and 5% of which
will vest six months after the ninth anniversary. He also
received an award of 20,000 restricted shares of Class A
Special common stock, 5,000 of which vested or will vest on each
of January 2, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Termination. If we terminate Mr. Cohens
employment without cause, he is entitled to receive his
then-current base salary and all insurance, medical or other
similar benefits for a period of two years from the date of
termination, subject to offset by other compensation or benefits
earned by him during such period, and he is entitled to receive
his bonus for the year of termination. In addition, all
restricted shares granted under the agreement that are unvested
at the time of termination will vest. If such termination occurs
prior to the fourth anniversary of the date he commenced
employment with us, any options granted under the agreement that
would have vested during this four-year period will vest as of
the date of termination and remain exercisable for the remainder
of their original term.
Noncompetition and Confidentiality. Under the agreement,
Mr. Cohen has agreed not to compete with us during his
employment and for one year after termination of his employment.
The agreement also requires Mr. Cohen to maintain the
confidentiality of our information and not to use such
information, except for our benefit, at all times during his
employment and for a period of one year after termination of his
employment. Breach by Mr. Cohen of any of these obligations
constitutes cause for termination of the agreement and
terminates our obligations for payments subsequent to his
termination.
Change of Control Provisions. Under the agreement, we
must give Mr. Cohen at least 30 days notice
prior to the anticipated date of a change of control. Upon
receipt of this notice, all options held by Mr. Cohen will
become immediately exercisable in full. Until the day before the
date of a change of control, he will be able to exercise all
such options. If the change of control is not consummated, the
options will be treated as not having been exercised.
|
|
|
Consulting Agreement with Mr. Armstrong |
In connection with our acquisition of the AT&T Broadband
business, we entered into an employment agreement with
Mr. Armstrong. Under the terms of the employment agreement,
we were obligated to enter into a consulting agreement with
Mr. Armstrong if he retired from his position as
Non-Executive Chairman of the Board prior to or at our 2004
annual meeting of shareholders. He retired from this position on
May 26, 2004 and, on this date, we entered into a
consulting agreement with him. The following is a description of
the material terms of this agreement.
Term. The term of the consulting agreement is from
May 26, 2004 until the one year anniversary of our
regularly scheduled 2005 annual meeting of shareholders.
39
Position and Duties. During the term, Mr. Armstrong
will serve as a senior advisor and consultant to us and will
perform such strategic consulting and advisory services as are
mutually agreed upon by Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Brian L.
Roberts or his designee.
Compensation; Benefits. The consulting agreement provides
that Mr. Armstrong will receive an annual consultancy fee
of $900,000. In addition, in recognition of his retirement from
employment with us and his position as Non-Executive Chairman of
the Board prior to the end of the original term of the
employment agreement, when he entered into this agreement we
paid him the base salary and bonus amounts that would have been
due to him had he remained employed by us through the original
term of the employment agreement. Mr. Armstrong is entitled
to defer the receipt of amounts payable under the consulting
agreement on substantially the same terms and conditions as if
the amounts were earned while he was an employee participating
in our deferred compensation plans. Any amounts previously
deferred by Mr. Armstrong will continue to be credited with
the same rate of interest as in effect under our deferred
compensation plans with respect to the accounts of active
employees, until the date that the consulting agreement is
terminated. During the term of the agreement, Mr. Armstrong
is entitled to primary personal use of an airplane on the same
economic terms as Mr. Brian L. Roberts, home office support
and tax preparation and financial counseling services (plus a
tax gross-up with respect to such services, but only if it is
provided to our other senior executives). We have also agreed to
pay premiums on his existing universal life insurance policy,
together with a gross-up for income taxes.
Stock Awards. Performance shares and stock options that
were held by Mr. Armstrong prior to his becoming employed
by us and which were converted into Comcast equity securities as
a part of our acquisition of the AT&T Broadband business
vested and were paid out, as applicable, on the date
Mr. Armstrong became a consultant. Stock options granted to
Mr. Armstrong in connection with his employment with us
will continue to vest during the term of the consulting
agreement and will become fully vested at the end of the term.
Termination. If Mr. Armstrongs service is
terminated due to his death or disability, he or his
beneficiaries will be entitled to the consultancy fee through
the end of the month of such death or disability and all
outstanding unvested stock options will vest and all options
will be exercisable for the remainder of their original terms.
In the event of a termination by us without cause or a
constructive termination without cause, Mr. Armstrong will
be provided with the following: the consultancy fee through the
date of termination, an amount equal to $1,800,000, four times
Mr. Armstrongs base salary under his employment
agreement (which was $1,800,000) plus the target bonus amount
under his employment agreement (150% of base salary), and all
outstanding unvested stock options will vest and all options
will be exercisable for the remainder of their original terms.
Upon a termination of his service prior to the end of the term
of the consulting agreement, Mr. Armstrong will also be
entitled to tax preparation and financial counseling services,
primary personal use of one of our airplanes on the same
economic terms as Mr. Brian L. Roberts and continued
payment of premiums by us for his existing universal life
insurance policy (together with a gross-up for income taxes),
all through the original term of the consulting agreement, as
well as home office support for the period beginning on the date
of termination and ending two years after the end of the
original term of the agreement.
Noncompetition. Under the consulting agreement,
Mr. Armstrong has agreed not to compete with us during the
term of the agreement.
Change of Control. If Mr. Armstrongs service
is terminated following a change of control, the noncompetition
provision described above will terminate. In addition, all
outstanding equity-based awards will vest and become
exercisable. In the event that any payments due to
Mr. Armstrong under the agreement are subject to excise tax
under Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, we
will provide Mr. Armstrong with a tax gross-up payment to
negate the excise tax.
40
|
|
|
Employment Agreement with Mr. Brodsky |
We have entered into an employment agreement with
Mr. Julian A. Brodsky, our non-executive Vice Chairman. The
following is a description of the material terms of this
agreement, as amended.
Term. The term of the employment agreement is from
May 1, 2002 to April 30, 2009.
Positions and Duties. From May 1, 2002 to
April 30, 2004, Mr. Brodsky was one of our executive
employees. From May 1, 2004 to April 30, 2009,
Mr. Brodsky will be one of our non-executive employees.
During the time that he is a non-executive employee, he will
devote such time as is necessary for the performance of his
duties, as we reasonably request.
Base Salary. The employment agreement provides that
Mr. Brodsky will receive an annual base salary of $837,560
in 2002, which base salary was increased on each of
January 1, 2003 and January 1, 2004 by the greater of
certain factors specified in the employment agreement. From
May 1, 2004 to April 30, 2009, Mr. Brodsky will
receive an annual base salary of $600,000.
Bonus. For calendar years 2002, 2003 and a pro-rated
portion of 2004, Mr. Brodsky was entitled to receive the
maximum amount of his cash bonus under our Executive Cash Bonus
Plan. He is no longer entitled to participate in this plan.
SERP; Post-Retirement Programs; Split-Dollar Life Insurance
Arrangements. Mr. Brodsky is entitled to participate in
our Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan; for purposes of this
plan, his employment was deemed to terminate on April 30,
2004. At the end of the term, Mr. Brodsky will be eligible
to participate in our post-retirement benefits plan for a number
of years based upon his years of service with us. Upon
termination of these post-retirement benefits, we will provide
Mr. Brodsky and his spouse, for the remainder of their
lives, a medical plan to supplement Medicare and will reimburse
Mr. Brodsky and his spouse for amounts not paid or
reimbursed by their health care plans so as to provide them with
health care benefits equivalent to those available to our
employees. We currently maintain two split-dollar life insurance
arrangements for Mr. Brodsky under which we have no further
obligation to pay any company-portion of the applicable premiums.
Termination of Employment. If Mr. Brodskys
employment is terminated due to his death, all outstanding stock
options will vest and become exercisable for the remainder of
their original terms, we will continue to pay to his surviving
spouse his then current annual base salary for five years or, if
earlier, until the date of her death, and we will provide health
care benefits until the date of her death. If his employment is
terminated due to disability, we will continue to pay his then
current annual base salary for five years or, if earlier, until
April 30, 2009, certain benefits (free cable and high speed
data, parking at our corporate office and sports arenas and cell
phone and service) will continue through this period, all
outstanding stock options will vest and become exercisable for
the remainder of their original terms and Mr. Brodsky will
be entitled to participate in our post-retirement benefits plan
based upon years of service with us. If Mr. Brodsky dies
while receiving these benefits, we will provide benefits to his
spouse as described above under termination due to death.
If we terminate Mr. Brodskys employment without
cause, Mr. Brodsky will be entitled to receive, for the
remainder of the term, monthly payments of base salary (based on
the highest annual base salary Mr. Brodsky received prior
to his termination), amounts that would otherwise have been
payable under our Executive Cash Bonus Plan and health care
benefits, or, at his option, we will make available private
health insurance, and the other benefits described above. In
addition, all outstanding stock options will vest and become
exercisable for the remainder of their original terms, and
Mr. Brodsky will be reimbursed for the cost of obtaining
office space and secretarial support for the remainder of the
term comparable to what he had been provided with as an
employee. At the end of the term, he will be entitled to
participate in our post-retirement benefits plan. If
Mr. Brodsky dies while receiving these benefits, we will
provide benefits to his spouse as described above under
termination due to death.
If Mr. Brodsky retires, all outstanding stock options will
vest and become exercisable for the remainder of their original
terms, Mr. Brodsky will be entitled to participate in our
post-retirement benefits
41
plan based upon years of service with us, and he will continue
to receive the other benefits described above through the
remainder of the term. Upon termination of
Mr. Brodskys employment at the end of the term, all
outstanding stock options will vest and become exercisable for
the remainder of their original terms.
Under a separate agreement, Mr. Brodsky was also entitled
to a $30,000 payment each year for 15 years commencing on
May 1, 2004, the date he became one of our non-executive
employees. Pursuant to the terms of his employment agreement, he
received a lump sum payout of $326,800 in 2004, which was the
present value of these annual payment obligations. This benefit
reduced the benefits to which Mr. Brodsky was otherwise
entitled to under our Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan
with respect to 2004.
Noncompetition and Confidentiality. Under the employment
agreement, Mr. Brodsky has agreed not to compete with us
during his employment and for two years after termination of his
employment for any reason other than a termination without
cause. The employment agreement also requires him to maintain
the confidentiality of our information and not to use such
information, except for our benefit, at all times during his
employment and after termination of his employment.
Change of Control Provisions. Prior to any change of
control, we must establish and fund a grantor trust, the amounts
in which will be subject to claims of our creditors in the case
of our bankruptcy, for the purpose of paying all deferred
compensation, nonqualified retirement benefits and split-dollar
life insurance premiums and bonuses for Mr. Brodsky then
applicable. Upon the occurrence of a change of control, such
trust must become irrevocable, and we must continue to make
payments into such trust to maintain sufficient amounts to fund
all benefits subject to the trust. While our acquisition of the
AT&T Broadband business in November 2002 was a change
of control under the agreement, Mr. Brodsky elected to
waive his right to have us fund the trust at that time; however,
Mr. Brodsky may exercise this right at any time by
providing notice to us.
42
Stock Performance Graph
The following graph compares the yearly percentage change in the
cumulative total shareholder return on our Class A common
stock and Class A Special common stock during the five
years ended December 31, 2004 with the cumulative total
return on the Standard & Poors 500 Stock Index
and with a selected peer group consisting of us and other
companies engaged in the cable, telecommunications and media
industries. The peer group (the New Peer Group)
consists of Cablevision Systems Corporation (Class A), Time
Warner Inc., The DirecTV Group Inc. and Echostar Communications
Corp. Previously, the peer group (the Prior Peer
Group) had consisted of Cablevision Systems Corporation
(Class A), Cox Communications, Inc. and Charter
Communications, Inc. (Class A). We have designated a new
peer group excluding Cox Communications since it is no longer a
public company and excluding Charter Communications because we
have determined that the companies included in the New Peer
Group are more appropriate for stock performance comparison and
measurement purposes. The comparison assumes $100 was invested
on December 31, 1999 in our Class A common stock and
Class A Special common stock and in each of the foregoing
indices and assumes the reinvestment of dividends.
COMPARISON OF FIVE YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2000 | |
|
2001 | |
|
2002 | |
|
2003 | |
|
2004 | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(in dollars) | |
Comcast Class A
|
|
|
86 |
|
|
|
75 |
|
|
|
49 |
|
|
|
68 |
|
|
|
70 |
|
Comcast Class A Special
|
|
|
83 |
|
|
|
71 |
|
|
|
45 |
|
|
|
62 |
|
|
|
65 |
|
S&P 500 Stock Index
|
|
|
91 |
|
|
|
80 |
|
|
|
62 |
|
|
|
80 |
|
|
|
89 |
|
New Peer Group Index
|
|
|
55 |
|
|
|
49 |
|
|
|
23 |
|
|
|
31 |
|
|
|
33 |
|
Old Peer Group Index
|
|
|
90 |
|
|
|
73 |
|
|
|
38 |
|
|
|
54 |
|
|
|
55 |
|
43
Report of the Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee is responsible for approving the
nature and amount of compensation to be paid to Comcasts
executive officers, establishing and evaluating
performance-based criteria and goals related to compensation,
administering Comcasts equity-based and cash bonus plans,
making grants of awards under these plans, determining the
balance of short- and long-term compensation to be awarded under
these plans with respect to any particular year and determining
and overseeing Comcasts compensation and benefits policies
generally. Our members are independent directors (as
defined under Nasdaq rules), non-employee directors
(as defined in Rule 16b-3 promulgated under Section 16
of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934) and outside
directors (as defined in Section 162(m) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986). The Compensation Committee
utilizes the services of an independent compensation consultant
to assist it in carrying out its responsibilities and duties.
Compensation Policy. The committee seeks to offer those
types of compensation that will serve to attract, motivate and
retain highly qualified executive officers and key employees in
an effort to enhance Comcasts success and shareholder
value. In addition, our compensation policies are designed to
align the interests of management with Comcasts
shareholders. In order to do so, Comcast offers a range of
short- and long-term and cash and non-cash compensation
elements. We believe this serves the goals of compensating our
executive officers competitively on a current basis, tying a
significant portion of our executives compensation to
company performance and allowing our executive officers and key
employees to gain an ownership stake in Comcast commensurate
with their relative levels of seniority and responsibility. Each
year, we perform a review of our executive compensation
programs, compensation philosophy and committee mission and
performance. In addition, each year we review the nature and
amounts of all elements of our executive officers
compensation and evaluate these when making compensation-related
determinations for the next year.
We believe that Comcasts competitors for executive talent
are comprised of a broader range of companies than those with
which Comcast is compared for stock performance purposes. Thus,
the groups of companies with which we compare senior management
compensation levels consist of a broader group than the
companies included in the peer group index in the stock
performance graph above. The compensation peer groups include
companies in the entertainment/media industry (including The
Walt Disney Company, Time Warner Inc. and Viacom Inc.), the
telecommunications industry (including SBC Communications Inc.,
BellSouth Corporation and Verizon Communications Inc.), as well
as companies having comparable revenues and total
capitalizations. The determination of the peer groups to be used
for compensation purposes was made in consultation with our
compensation consultant. For 2004, our general goal was to
provide the executive officers with total aggregate compensation
that was around the 75th percentile of total compensation for
executives with comparable positions within the peer groups
identified above. In determining the compensation levels for our
executives, we weighted more heavily the compensation earned by
similarly situated executives in the entertainment/media peer
group, as both we and our consultant increasingly view this
group as the most relevant comparator group. In determining
individual compensation amounts, we also considered the
executives length of service with Comcast, their
contributions to Comcast during this period and the other
factors described below.
Comcasts executive compensation program includes the
following key components, which are more fully described below:
base salary, performance-based annual cash bonuses and long-term
equity compensation in the form of stock options and restricted
stock units. In addition, the executive officers have the
ability to participate in Comcasts deferred compensation
plans, receive certain personal benefits in accordance with our
management perquisite policy and participate in Comcasts
employee benefit plans available to all employees. In 2004, with
the assistance of our compensation consultant, we sought to
achieve a mix of the key elements of compensation noted above to
properly compensate and motivate the executives on both a short-
and longer-term basis. We considered a variety of factors in
arriving at the amount and mix of compensation paid or awarded
to the executive officers. Key factors were the performance of
Comcast measured by the achievement of quantitative goals and
individual performance measured against quantitative and
qualitative objectives, including the executive officers
individual responsibility and role with respect to overall
corporate policy-making, management and administration.
44
Base Salary. In establishing base salary levels for 2004,
we considered the terms of the executive officers
employment agreements, individual job responsibilities, duties
and performance, and market data on base salary levels at peer
group companies. We determined that an increase in base salary
for each named executive officer was appropriate given his
individual performance, Comcasts level of achievement of
the performance goals under its annual bonus plans and the
increased duties and responsibilities placed on each of the
officers as a result of Comcasts continued growth, and
approved an increase in base salaries to each of the named
executive officers.
Bonuses. Annual cash bonuses for executive officers were
granted under Comcasts 2002 Executive Cash Bonus Plan (the
Executive Plan) and 2002 Supplemental Cash Bonus
Plan (the Supplemental Plan), each of which was
recommended by, and designed in consultation with, our
compensation consultant and previously approved by shareholders.
The target bonus for each of the named executive officers under
these plans is based on our assessment of the optimal mix of
base and annual short-term bonus cash compensation and is made
with the assistance of our compensation consultant analyzing
market data on short-term bonuses at peer group companies. In
2004, the target bonus for Mr. Brian L. Roberts under the
Executive Plan, expressed as a percentage of base salary,
remained at 150%, and the target bonus for the other named
executive officers remained at 50%. The target bonus for
Mr. Brian L. Roberts under the Supplemental Plan remained
at 150% of salary, and the target bonus for the other named
executive officers remained at 50%.
Under the Executive Plan, each executive designated by us was
eligible to earn an annual bonus of up to 150% of the sum of his
or her base salary and any unearned bonus from any prior plan
year, but not more than a total of $3 million, based on
quantitative annual cash flow performance targets we established
in advance. In 2004, we established two separate increase in
cash flow targets under this plan. If Comcast achieved the first
target, an executive would receive two-thirds of his target
bonus amount and if Comcast achieved the second (higher) target,
an executive would receive 100% of the target amount. Comcast
achieved greater than 100% of these cash flow targets in 2004,
which resulted in bonuses equal to the target amounts being paid
to the named executive officers under this plan.
Under the Supplemental Plan, each executive designated by us was
eligible to earn an annual bonus of a percentage of his or her
base salary, but no more than a total of $5 million, based
on annual quantitative and qualitative performance targets we
established in advance. Under this plan, we set varying
qualitative and quantitative targets to measure performance and
do so based on the positions and responsibilities of eligible
employees. In 2004, we determined that the most significant
metric to measure company performance as it relates to the named
executive officers was increase in cash flow and set cash flow
targets under this plan with higher thresholds than those under
the Executive Plan. Each executive was eligible to receive a
bonus equal to 80-120% of target, depending on the cash flow
achieved. Comcast achieved greater than 100% of this cash flow
target in 2004, which resulted in bonuses of 112.2% of the
target amounts being paid to the named executive officers under
this plan.
Equity-Based Incentive Compensation. Comcasts
equity-based incentive compensation had historically been in the
form of stock options. In 2004, after discussion with our
compensation consultant, we decided to redesign Comcasts
long-term equity compensation program to include grants of
restricted stock units since we determined that the use of
restricted stock units would further promote our goal of
employee retention, as well as deliver value to our employees,
including our executive officers. Given Comcasts long
history of possessing an entrepreneurial culture and its focus
on continued growth, we determined that a mixture of equity
awards that was weighted with 75% of the value derived from the
grant of stock options and 25% of the value derived from the
grant of restricted stock units would be the optimal mix for
Comcast and its executive officers and other employees. We
believe that reliance upon long-term equity compensation is
advantageous to Comcast because this type of compensation
fosters a long-term commitment by the recipients and motivates
the recipients to seek to improve the long-term market
performance of Comcasts stock. In general, total equity
award grants were based on a proportional relationship to the
expected cash compensation of each executive officer, taking
into account prior equity grants and grants made at the same
time to other executives, as well as the value of equity-based
compensation awarded to comparable executives at peer companies.
45
We seek to achieve the long-term objectives of equity
compensation in part by extending the vesting period for options
over a longer time period than is the case with many other
companies. For example, with respect to the options granted to
Mr. Brian L. Roberts and the other executive officers
during 2004, one-half of each individuals options vests
over five years and one-half vests over a period of nine years
and six months. Restricted stock units and restricted shares
granted during 2004 to the named executive officers, other than
Mr. Burke, vest 15% on each of the first four anniversaries
of the date of grant and 40% on the fifth anniversary. One-third
of Mr. Burkes restricted share award vested on the
first anniversary of the date of grant and the remainder vests
in equal installments on the second through fifth anniversaries
of the date of grant.
Deferred Compensation Plans. Comcast maintains deferred
compensation plans that allow certain of its employees,
including its executive officers, to defer the receipt of cash
compensation and restricted stock units. These plans are not
funded plans.
Executive Perquisites and Other Benefits. Comcasts
policy on the provision of executive perquisites with respect to
Mr. Brian L. Roberts and Mr. Ralph J. Roberts is to
allow each of them to receive perquisites up to a maximum value
of $50,000. If either receives benefits that would otherwise be
considered perquisites in excess of this amount, he is required
to pay Comcast the amount of such excess. With respect to the
other named executive officers, they are required to pay Comcast
for the full value of any benefits that would be considered
perquisites, other than the provision of parking at
Comcasts headquarters. In addition, Comcast pays, or
reimburses, premiums on life and executive long-term disability
insurance policies for all named executive officers who
participate in these plans and provides a tax gross-up with
respect to certain of these payments.
Acceleration of Certain Options. In 2004, we decided to
accelerate the vesting of all unvested options granted prior to
2003 to purchase Class A Special common stock with an
exercise price of $34 or higher held by current employees,
including all executive officers. Because these options have
exercise prices in excess of current market values (are
underwater), and were not fully achieving their
original objectives of incentive compensation and employee
retention, we determined that the acceleration may have a
positive effect on employee morale, retention and perception of
option value. The acceleration also took into account the fact
that in December 2004, Comcast completed the repurchase of
stock options held by certain non-employees for cash (including
underwater options) under a stock option liquidity program, and
that no such offer (nor any other solution for
underwater options) was made to current employees. This
acceleration eliminates the future compensation expense Comcast
would otherwise recognize once the new stock option expensing
rules become effective. All executive officers agreed to not
sell any shares acquired through the exercise of an option so
accelerated (other than shares withheld for purposes of
satisfying income tax liabilities in connection with such option
exercises) prior to the date on which the exercise would have
been permitted under the options original vesting terms.
Compensation of Mr. Brian L. Roberts. Mr. Brian
L. Roberts compensation for 2004 was determined under the
terms of his compensation agreement (a summary of the material
terms of this agreement can be found under Agreements with
Executive Officers and DirectorsCompensation Agreement
with Mr. Brian L. Roberts). The levels of
compensation provided under this agreement were determined when
such agreement was entered into and at the time of its
subsequent amendment in 2002 in connection with the
companys acquisition of the AT&T Broadband business.
In advising us on the design and formation of this agreement,
our consultant considered the compensation levels of chief
executive officers at peer group companies. In approving the
compensation agreement and the amendment to it, this committee
also took into account an assessment of the importance of
maintaining the continued active participation of
Mr. Roberts in Comcasts affairs over the periods
covered by the agreement, Comcasts growth and overall
performance during these periods and the increased
responsibilities of Mr. Roberts following Comcasts
acquisition of the AT&T Broadband business.
Mr. Roberts compensation in 2004 consisted of the
salary and benefits as determined under his compensation
agreement and short-term incentive compensation consisting of
awards under the Executive Plan and Supplemental Plan described
above as well as an additional discretionary bonus under the
46
Supplemental Plan in an amount equal to the difference between
the amount that would have been payable to Mr. Roberts
under the Executive Plan (based on his target bonus and the
achievement of greater than 100% of the targets under this plan)
and the amount that was actually paid to him, as a result of the
individual limit under this plan. In addition, Mr. Roberts
received long-term incentive compensation consisting of a grant
of options under Comcasts stock option plans to purchase a
total of 800,000 shares of Class A common stock and a
grant of 110,000 restricted stock units with respect to
Class A common stock. In determining whether to increase
Mr. Roberts base salary and in setting the other
elements of his compensation, we took also into account the
financial performance of Comcast and Mr. Roberts
individual performance over the past year, including his strong
and consistent management of Comcast. With respect to
Mr. Roberts short-term incentive awards, we set
target bonuses based on the achievement of a specific
quantitative performance measure (increase in cash flow) under
both the Executive Case Bonus Plan and the Supplemental Cash
Bonus Plan. In determining Mr. Roberts total
long-term incentives, we took into account our goal to provide
total compensation to Mr. Roberts which is relative to
executives with comparable positions at peer group companies.
Effect of Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m).
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986
provides generally that compensation in excess of
$1 million paid to each of the chief executive officer and
the other four most highly compensated executive officers of a
public company (determined as of the last day of the
companys tax year) will not be deductible for federal
income tax purposes, unless the compensation meets the Internal
Revenue Codes definition of performance-based.
We conduct an ongoing review of Comcasts compensation
practices for purposes of obtaining the maximum continued
deductibility of compensation paid consistent with
Comcasts existing commitments and ongoing competitive
needs. While the tax impact of any compensation arrangement is
one factor to be considered, such impact is evaluated in light
of our and Comcasts overall compensation philosophy. From
time to time, we have awarded and may award compensation which
is not fully deductible if we determine that such award is
consistent with this philosophy and is in the best interests of
Comcast and its shareholders.
Members of the Compensation Committee
Dr. Judith Rodin (Chair)
S. Decker Anstrom
Joseph L. Castle, II
Joseph J. Collins
Michael I. Sovern
SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS FOR NEXT YEAR
Any shareholder proposals intended to be presented at our annual
meeting of shareholders in 2006 called for a date between
May 2, 2006 and July 1, 2006 and considered for
inclusion in our proxy materials must be received by
December 9, 2005. Any shareholder proposals should be
directed to Arthur R. Block, Secretary, at our address listed on
page 3 of this proxy statement. However, shareholders who
wish to nominate directors for election must comply with the
procedures described under About the Board and its
Committees beginning on page 10 of this proxy
statement.
Any shareholder proposals intended to be presented at our annual
meeting of shareholders in 2006 and not included in our proxy
materials must comply with the advance notice provision in
Section 2.09 of our by-laws. In the case of an annual
meeting called for a date between May 2, 2006 and
July 3, 2006, we must receive notice of the proposal on or
after March 3, 2006 and on or before April 2, 2006. In
the case of an annual meeting called for any other date, we must
receive notice of the proposal by the close of business on the
tenth day following the day we mailed notice of, or announced
publicly, the date of the meeting, whichever occurs first. If
notice is not received during the specified period, the
shareholder proposals will be deemed untimely.
Shareholder proposals failing to comply with the procedures of
Rule 14a-8 of the proxy solicitation rules will be
excluded. All shareholder proposals should be directed to Arthur
R. Block, Secretary, at our address listed on page 3 of
this proxy statement.
47
SOLICITATION OF PROXIES
We will pay the cost of this proxy solicitation. In addition to
soliciting proxies by mail, we expect that a number of our
employees will solicit shareholders for the same type of proxy,
personally and by telephone. None of these employees will
receive any additional or special compensation for doing this.
We have retained D.F. King & Co., Inc. to assist
in the solicitation of proxies for a fee of $19,000 plus
reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses. We will, on
request, reimburse banks, brokerage firms and other nominees for
their expenses in sending proxy materials to their customers who
are beneficial owners of our common stock and obtaining their
voting instructions.
Electronic Access to Proxy Materials and Annual Report
Shareholders can access the Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy
Statement and Annual Report via our website at www.cmcsa.com or
www.cmcsk.com. For future shareholder meetings, registered
shareholders can consent to accessing their proxy statement and
annual report electronically. If you are a registered
shareholder and you have not already done so, you can choose
this option by marking the Electronic Access box on
the proxy card or by following the instructions provided when
voting via the Internet or by telephone. If you choose this
option, prior to each shareholder meeting you will receive in
the mail your proxy card that provides a notice of meeting with
a business reply envelope. You do not need to select this option
each year; however, you may want to choose this option for more
than one account held in your name. Your choice will remain in
effect unless you revoke it by contacting our transfer agent,
EquiServe, at 1-888-883-8903 or visiting EquiServes
website at www.econsent.com/cmcsa. Shareholders who hold shares
through a bank, brokerage firm or other nominee may request
electronic access by contacting their nominee.
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING DELIVERY OF SHAREHOLDER
DOCUMENTS
Under the Securities and Exchange Commission rules, delivery of
one proxy statement and annual report to two or more investors
sharing the same mailing address is permitted, under certain
conditions. This procedure, called householding, is
available to you if all of the following criteria are met:
|
|
|
|
(1) |
You have the same address as other security holders registered
on our books; |
|
|
(2) |
You have the same last name as the other security holders; and |
|
|
(3) |
Your address is a residential address or post office box. |
If you meet this criteria, you are eligible for householding and
the following terms apply. If you are not eligible, please
disregard this notice.
For Registered Shareholders
Only one proxy statement and annual report will be delivered to
the shared mailing address. You will, however, still receive
separate mailings of important and personal information, as well
as a separate proxy card.
What do I need to do to receive just one set of annual
disclosure materials?
You do not have to do anything. Unless EquiServe is notified
otherwise within 60 days of the mailing of this notice,
your consent is implied and only one set of materials will be
sent to your household. This consent is considered perpetual,
which means you will continue to receive a single proxy
statement/annual report in the future unless you notify us
otherwise.
48
What if I want to continue to receive multiple sets of
materials?
If you would like to continue to receive a separate set of
materials for yourself, call or write EquiServe at
1-888-883-8903 or P.O. Box 43091, Providence, Rhode Island
02940-3091. A separate set of materials will be sent to you
promptly.
What if I consent to have one set of materials mailed now,
but change my mind later?
Call or write EquiServe to turn off the householding
instructions for yourself. You will then be sent a separate
proxy statement and annual report within 30 days of receipt
of your instruction.
The reason I receive multiple sets of materials is because
some of the stock belongs to my children. What happens when they
move out and no longer live in my household?
When there is an address change for one of the members of the
household, materials will be sent directly to the shareholder at
his or her new address.
ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
WE WILL PROVIDE WITHOUT CHARGE TO EACH PERSON SOLICITED BY THIS
PROXY STATEMENT, UPON THE WRITTEN REQUEST OF SUCH PERSON, A COPY
OF OUR ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K, AS FILED WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION FOR OUR MOST RECENT FISCAL
YEAR. SUCH WRITTEN REQUESTS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO INVESTOR
RELATIONS AT OUR ADDRESS SET FORTH ON PAGE 3 OF THIS
PROXY STATEMENT.
49
DIRECTIONS TO THE WACHOVIA COMPLEX
|
|
|
From New Jersey via the Walt Whitman Bridge Follow
the signs for Broad Street. At the end of the Broad Street ramp,
turn left and follow the signs to the Sports Complex. The
Wachovia Complex will be on your left. |
|
From Interstate 76/ Schuylkill Expressway Traveling
East, follow the signs for South Jersey, Walt Whitman Bridge and
Sports Complex. Take the Broad Street Exit. At the bottom of the
exit ramp, make a right onto Broad Street. The Wachovia Complex
will be on your left. |
|
From Interstate 476/ Blue Route Take I-476 South to
the end. Follow signs for I-95 North, Philadelphia. Take I-95
North to Broad Street exit. The Wachovia Complex will be on your
right. |
|
From Interstate 95 From I-95 Northbound or
Southbound, take the Broad Street exit. The Wachovia Complex
will be on your right. |
|
Public Transportation SEPTA (Southeastern
Pennsylvania Transportation Authority). Take the Broad Street
(Orange) line South to the Pattison Ave. stop (last stop). When
you exit the subway, the Wachovia Complex will be immediately to
the south and east. |
|
Parking Information There is ample free parking
available in the Wachovia Complex. Shareholders should use the
main entrance to the Wachovia Complex which is located on Broad
Street at 3601 South Broad Street. The gate attendant will
direct you to the parking area and building. |
50
Appendix A
COMCAST CORPORATION
Audit Committee Charter
Purpose
The Audit Committee (the Committee) is created by
the Board of Directors of the Company to:
|
|
|
|
|
assist the Board in its oversight responsibilities by overseeing
the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Company
and the audits of the financial statements and internal control
over financial reporting of the Company by reviewing |
|
|
|
|
|
the qualifications, independence and performance of the
Companys independent auditors; |
|
|
|
the performance of the Companys internal audit function; |
|
|
|
the quality and integrity of the financial statements and the
effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of
the Company; and |
|
|
|
|
|
prepare the audit committee report that Securities and Exchange
Commission (the SEC) rules require to be included in
the Companys annual proxy statement. |
It is not the duty of the Committee to determine that the
Companys financial statements are complete and accurate
and are in accordance with GAAP, to determine that the
Companys internal control over financial reporting is
effective, or to plan or conduct audits. This is the
responsibility of management and the independent auditors.
Membership
The Committee shall consist of at least three members, comprised
solely of independent directors meeting the requirements of
applicable SEC and Nasdaq rules. The Governance and Directors
Nominating Committee shall recommend nominees for appointment to
the Committee annually and as vacancies or newly created
positions occur. Committee members shall be appointed by the
Board and may be removed by the Board at any time. The
Governance and Directors Nominating Committee shall recommend to
the Board, and the Board shall designate, the Chairperson of the
Committee.
Authority and Responsibilities
In addition to any other responsibilities which may be assigned
from time to time by the Board, to fulfill its responsibilities
and duties, the Committee shall:
Independent Auditors
|
|
|
|
|
Be directly responsible for the appointment (subject, if
applicable, to shareholder ratification), compensation,
retention, and oversight of the independent auditors engaged to
conduct the audits of the Companys financial statements
and internal control over financial reporting (including
resolution of disagreements, if any, between management and the
independent auditors regarding financial reporting) or other
audit, review or attest services. The independent auditors shall
report directly to the Committee. |
|
|
|
Pre-approve all audit services and permissible non-audit
services to be provided by the independent auditors either
before the independent auditors are engaged to render such
services or pursuant to pre-approval policies and procedures
established by Committee. The Committee may delegate its
authority to pre-approve services to one or more Committee
members, provided that such designees present any such approvals
to the full Committee at the next regularly scheduled Committee
meeting. |
A-1
|
|
|
|
|
Review and approve the independent auditors annual audit
plan and the terms of the engagement letter. |
|
|
|
Evaluate the independent auditors qualifications,
performance and independence. As part of such evaluation: |
|
|
|
|
|
obtain and review a report or reports from the Companys
independent auditors: |
|
|
|
|
|
describing the independent auditors internal
quality-control procedures; |
|
|
|
describing any material issues raised by (i) the most
recent internal quality-control review, peer review, or Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board inspection of the auditing
firm, or (ii) any inquiry or investigation by governmental
or professional authorities, within the preceding five years,
regarding one or more independent audits carried out by the
auditing firm; and any steps taken to deal with any such
issues; and |
|
|
|
assuring that Section 10A of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 has not been implicated; |
|
|
|
|
|
at least annually, the Committee shall obtain a formal written
statement from the Companys independent auditors
describing all relationships between the independent auditors
and the Company consistent with Independence Standards Board
Standard No. 1; actively engage in a dialogue with the
independent auditors with respect to any disclosed relationships
or services that may impact the objectivity and independence of
the independent auditor; and take, or recommend that the full
Board take, appropriate action to oversee the independence of
the independent auditors. |
|
|
|
|
|
Monitor the Companys hiring of current or former employees
of the independent auditors. |
Internal Auditors
|
|
|
|
|
At least annually, evaluate the performance, responsibilities,
budget and staffing of the Companys internal audit
function and review the internal audit plan. |
Financial Statements; Internal Control over Financial
Reporting; Disclosure and Other Compliance Matters
|
|
|
|
|
Review, in conjunction with management, the Companys
policies generally with respect to the Companys earnings
press releases and with respect to financial information and
earnings guidance provided to analysts and rating agencies,
including the use of non-GAAP financial information. |
|
|
|
Review with management, the internal auditors and the
independent auditors: |
|
|
|
|
|
the annual audited financial statements, including the
Companys disclosures under Managements
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations, prior to the filing of the Companys
Form 10-K. As part of such review, the Committee shall
obtain a report from the Companys independent auditors on
those matters required pursuant to SEC Regulation S-X
Rule 2-07; |
|
|
|
the annual audited management assessment of the effectiveness of
internal control over financial reporting, including the
Companys disclosures under Managements Report
on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting, prior to the
filing of the Companys Form 10-K; |
|
|
|
the quarterly financial statements, including the Companys
disclosures under Managements Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,
prior to the filing of the Companys
Form 10-Q; and |
|
|
|
the quarterly and annual earnings press releases prior to their
publication. |
|
|
|
|
|
Monitor, in conjunction with the chief executive and chief
financial officers of the Company, the Companys internal
control over financial reporting (including compliance with
applicable laws and regulations) and disclosure controls and
procedures. Items monitored with respect to each of these |
A-2
|
|
|
|
|
matters include any significant deficiencies or material
weaknesses in the design or operation of such controls and
procedures, any corrective actions taken with regard to such
deficiencies and weaknesses, and any fraud involving management
or other employees with a significant role in such controls and
procedures. |
|
|
|
Review and discuss with the independent auditors those matters
required to be discussed with the Committee by the auditors
pursuant to Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, as
amended. |
|
|
|
Recommend to the Board that the annual audited financial
statements be included in the Companys Form 10-K for
filing with the SEC. |
|
|
|
Prepare the audit committee report that Securities and Exchange
Commission rules require to be included in the Companys
annual proxy statement. |
|
|
|
Approve all related party transactions, as defined by applicable
Nasdaq rules, to which the Company is a party. |
|
|
|
Review the Companys policies and practices with respect to
financial risk assessment and management, including discussing
with management the Companys major financial risk
exposures and the steps that have been taken to monitor and
control such exposures. |
|
|
|
Establish procedures for: |
|
|
|
|
|
the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by
the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls
or auditing matters, and |
|
|
|
the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of the
Company of concerns regarding questionable accounting or
auditing matters. |
Reporting to the Board
|
|
|
|
|
Report to the Board periodically. This report shall include a
review of any recommendations or issues that arise with respect
to the qualifications, independence and performance of the
Companys independent auditors, the performance of the
internal audit function, the quality and integrity of the
Companys financial statements and the effectiveness of
internal control over financial reporting, and any other matters
that the Committee deems appropriate or is requested to be
included by the Board. |
|
|
|
At least annually, evaluate its own performance and report to
the Board on such evaluation. |
|
|
|
Annually review and assess the adequacy of this charter and
recommend any proposed changes to the Board for approval. |
Procedures
The Committee shall meet as often as it determines is
appropriate to carry out its responsibilities under this
charter, but not less frequently than quarterly. The Chairperson
of the Committee, in consultation with the other Committee
members, shall determine the frequency and length of the
Committee meetings and shall set meeting agendas consistent with
this charter.
The Committee shall meet separately, periodically, with
management, with internal auditors or other personnel
responsible for the internal audit function, and with the
independent auditors.
The Committee is authorized (without seeking Board approval) to
address any matter brought to its attention with full access to
funding and all books, records, facilities and personnel of the
Company and is authorized to retain independent counsel or other
advisors and may request any officer or employee of the Company
or the Companys independent auditors or outside counsel to
meet with any members of, or advisors to, the Committee.
The Committee may delegate its authority to subcommittees or the
Chairperson of the Committee when it deems appropriate and in
the best interests of the Company.
A-3
Appendix B
COMCAST CORPORATION
2002 RESTRICTED STOCK PLAN
(As Amended And Restated, Effective January 1, 2005)
1. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
(a) Amendment and Restatement of Plan.
COMCAST CORPORATION, a Pennsylvania corporation, hereby amends
and restates the Comcast Corporation 2002 Restricted Stock Plan
(the Plan), effective January 1, 2005. The
purpose of the Plan is to promote the ability of Comcast
Corporation to recruit and retain employees and enhance the
growth and profitability of Comcast Corporation by providing the
incentive of long-term awards for continued employment and the
attainment of performance objectives.
(b) Purpose of the Amendment; Credits
Affected. The Plan has been amended and restated, effective
January 1, 2005 in order (i) to preserve the favorable
tax treatment available to amounts deferred pursuant to the Plan
before January 1, 2005 and the earnings credited in respect
of such amounts (each a Grandfathered Amount)
in light of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004,
IRS Notice 2005-1, and the regulations issued
by the Department of the Treasury thereunder (collectively, the
AJCA), and (ii) with respect to all
other amounts eligible to be deferred under the Plan, to comply
with the requirements of the AJCA. Except as provided in
Paragraph 8(f)(iii) of the Plan, Grandfathered Amounts will
continue to be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan
as in effect prior to the Amendment Date. All amounts eligible
to be deferred under the Plan other than Grandfathered Amounts
will be subject to the terms of this amendment and restatement
of the Plan and the AJCA.
(c) Reservation of Right to Amend to
Comply with AJCA. The Board and the Committee reserve the
right to amend the Plan, either retroactively or prospectively,
in whatever respect is required to achieve and maintain
compliance with the requirements of the AJCA.
(d) Deferral Provisions of Plan Unfunded and
Limited to Select Group of Management or Highly Compensated
Employees. Deferral Eligible Grantees and Non-Employee
Directors may elect to defer the receipt of Restricted Stock and
Restricted Stock Units as provided in Article VIII. The
deferral provisions of Article VIII and the other
provisions of the Plan relating to the deferral of Restricted
Stock and Restricted Stock Units are unfunded and maintained
primarily for the purpose of providing a select group of
management or highly compensated employees the opportunity to
defer the receipt of compensation otherwise payable to such
eligible employees in accordance with the terms of the Plan.
2. DEFINITIONS
(a) Acceleration Election
means a written election on a form provided by the Committee,
pursuant to which a Deceased Grantees
Successor-in-Interest or a Disabled Grantee elects to accelerate
the distribution date of Shares issuable with respect to
Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units.
(b) Account means unfunded
bookkeeping accounts established pursuant to Paragraph 8(e)
and maintained by the Committee in the names of the respective
Grantees (i) to which Deferred Stock Units are deemed
credited and (ii) to which an amount equal to the Fair
Market Value of Deferred Stock Units with respect to which a
Diversification Election has been made and interest thereon are
deemed credited, reduced by distributions in accordance with the
Plan.
(c) Active Grantee
means each Grantee who is actively employed by a Participating
Company.
(d) Affiliate means, with
respect to any Person, any other person that, directly or
indirectly, is in control of, is controlled by, or is under
common control with, such Person. For purposes of this
definition, the term control, including its
correlative terms controlled by and under
common control with, mean, with respect to any Person, the
possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or
cause the
B-1
direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether
through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or
otherwise.
(e) AJCA means the
American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, IRS Notice 2005-1 and
announcements, notices, revenue rulings and regulations issued
under the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004.
(f) Annual Rate of Pay
means, as of any date, an employees annualized base pay
rate. An employees Annual Rate of Pay shall not include
sales commissions or other similar payments or awards.
(g) Applicable Interest Rate
means:
|
|
|
|
(i) |
Except as otherwise provided in Paragraph 2(g)(ii), the
Applicable Interest Rate means the interest rate that, when
compounded annually pursuant to rules established by the
Committee from time to time, is mathematically equivalent to
8% per annum, compounded annually, or such other interest
rate established by the Committee from time to time. The
effective date of any reduction in the Applicable Interest Rate
shall not precede the later of: (A) the 30th day following
the date of the Committees action to establish a reduced
rate; or (B) the lapse of 24 full calendar months from the
date of the most recent adjustment of the Applicable Interest
Rate by the Committee. |
|
|
(ii) |
Effective for the period extending from a Grantees
employment termination date to the date the Grantees
Account is distributed in full, the Committee, in its sole and
absolute discretion, may designate the term Applicable
Interest Rate for such Grantees Account to mean the
lesser of: (A) the rate in effect under
Paragraph 2(g)(i) or (B) the interest rate that, when
compounded annually pursuant to rules established by the
Committee from time to time, is mathematically equivalent to the
Prime Rate plus one percent, compounded annually as of the last
day of the calendar year. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
Committee may delegate its authority to determine the Applicable
Interest Rate under this Paragraph 2(g)(ii) to an officer
of the Company or committee of two or more officers of the
Company. |
(h) AT&T Broadband
Transaction means the acquisition of AT&T
Broadband Corp. (now known as Comcast Cable Communications
Holdings, Inc.) by the Company.
(i) Award means an
award of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units granted
under the Plan.
(j) Board means the
Board of Directors of the Company.
(k) Change of Control means:
|
|
|
|
(i) |
For all purposes of the plan other than article VIII, any
transaction or series of transactions as a result of which any
Person who was a Third Party immediately before such transaction
or series of transactions owns then-outstanding securities of
the Company such that such Person has the ability to direct the
management of the Company, as determined by the Board in its
discretion. The Board may also determine that a Change of
Control shall occur upon the completion of one or more proposed
transactions. The Boards determination shall be final and
binding. |
|
|
(ii) |
For purposes of Article VIII, any transaction or series of
transactions that constitutes: |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
a change in the ownership of the Company, within the meaning of
Q&A 12 of IRS Notice 2005-1; |
|
|
(2) |
a change in effective control of the Company, within the meaning
of Q&A 13 of IRS Notice 2005-1; or |
|
|
(3) |
a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets
of the Company, within the meaning of Q&A 14 of IRS
Notice 2005-1. |
B-2
(l) Code means the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
(m) Comcast Plan means any
restricted stock, restricted stock unit, stock bonus, stock
option or other compensation plan, program or arrangement
established or maintained by the Company or an Affiliate,
including but not limited to this Plan, the Comcast Corporation
2003 Stock Option Plan, the Comcast Corporation 2002 Stock
Option Plan, the Comcast Corporation 1996 Stock Option Plan,
Comcast Corporation 1987 Stock Option Plan and the Comcast
Corporation 2002 Deferred Stock Option Plan.
(n) Committee means the
Compensation Committee of the Board.
(o) Common Stock means
Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01, of the Company.
(p) Company means Comcast
Corporation, a Pennsylvania corporation, as successor to Comcast
Holdings Corporation (formerly known as Comcast Corporation),
including any successor thereto by merger, consolidation,
acquisition of all or substantially all the assets thereof, or
otherwise.
(q) Company Stock Fund means
a hypothetical investment fund pursuant to which Deferred Stock
Units are credited with respect to a portion of an Award subject
to an Election, and thereafter until (i) the date of
distribution or (ii) the effective date of a
Diversification Election, to the extent a Diversification
Election applies to such Deferred Stock Units, as applicable.
The portion of a Grantees Account deemed invested in the
Company Stock Fund shall be treated as if such portion of the
Account were invested in hypothetical shares of Common Stock or
Special Common Stock otherwise deliverable as Shares upon the
Vesting Date associated with Restricted Stock or Restricted
Stock Units, and all dividends and other distributions paid with
respect to Common Stock or Special Common Stock were held
uninvested in cash and credited with interest at the Applicable
Interest Rate as of the next succeeding December 31 (to the
extent the Account continues to be deemed credited in the form
of Deferred Stock Units through such December 31).
(r) Date of Grant
means the date on which an Award is granted.
(s) Deceased Grantee
means:
|
|
|
|
(i) |
A Grantee whose employment by a Participating Company is
terminated by death; or |
|
|
(ii) |
A Grantee who dies following termination of employment by a
Participating Company. |
(t) Deferral Eligible
Employee means:
|
|
|
|
(i) |
An Eligible Employee whose Annual Rate of Pay is $200,000 or
more as of both: (i) the date on which an Initial Election
is filed with the Committee; and (ii) the first day of the
calendar year in which such Initial Election filed. |
|
|
(ii) |
An Eligible Employee whose Annual Rate of Pay is $125,000 as of
each of: (A) June 30, 2002; (B) the date on which
an Initial Election is filed with the Committee; and
(C) the first day of each calendar year beginning after
December 31, 2002. |
|
|
(iii) |
Each New Key Employee. |
|
|
(iv) |
Each other employee of a Participating Company who is designated
by the Committee, in its sole and absolute discretion, as a
Deferral Eligible Employee. |
(u) Deferred Stock Units
means the number of hypothetical Shares subject to an Election.
(v) Disability means:
|
|
|
|
(i) |
An individuals inability to engage in any substantial
gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable
physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in
death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not
less than 12 months; or |
B-3
|
|
|
|
(ii) |
Circumstances under which, by reason of any medically
determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected
to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous
period of not less than 12 months, an individual is
receiving income replacement benefits for a period of not less
than three months under an accident or health plan covering
employees of the individuals employer. |
(w) Disabled Grantee means:
|
|
|
|
(i) |
A Grantee whose employment by a Participating Company is
terminated by reason of Disability; |
|
|
(ii) |
The duly-appointed legal guardian of an individual described in
Paragraph 2(w)(i) acting on behalf of such individual. |
(x) Diversification Election
means a Grantees election to have a portion of the
Grantees Account credited in the form of Deferred Stock
Units and attributable to any grant of Restricted Stock or
Restricted Stock Units deemed liquidated and credited thereafter
under the Income Fund, as provided in Paragraph 8(g).
(y) Election means, as
applicable, an Initial Election, a Subsequent Election, or an
Acceleration Election.
(z) Eligible Employee
means an employee of a Participating Company, as determined by
the Committee.
(aa) Fair Market Value means:
|
|
|
|
(i) |
If Shares are listed on a stock exchange, Fair Market Value
shall be determined based on the last reported sale price of a
Share on the principal exchange on which Shares are listed on
the date of determination, or if such date is not a trading day,
the next trading date. |
|
|
(ii) |
If Shares are not so listed, but trades of Shares are reported
on the Nasdaq National Market, Fair Market Value shall be
determined based on the last quoted sale price of a Share on the
Nasdaq National Market on the date of determination, or if such
date is not a trading day, the next trading date. |
|
|
(iii) |
If Shares are not so listed nor trades of Shares so reported,
Fair Market Value shall be determined by the Committee in good
faith. |
(bb) Grandfathered Amount means
Deferred Stock Units described in Paragraph 1(b).
(cc) Grantee means an Eligible
Employee or Non-Employee Director who is granted an Award.
(dd) Hardship means a
Grantees severe financial hardship due to an unforeseeable
emergency resulting from a sudden and unexpected illness or
accident of the Grantee, or, a sudden and unexpected illness or
accident of a dependent (as defined by section 152(a) of
the Code) of the Grantee, or loss of the Grantees property
due to casualty, or other similar and extraordinary
unforeseeable circumstances arising as a result of events beyond
the control of the Grantee. A need to send the Grantees
child to college or a desire to purchase a home is not an
unforeseeable emergency. No Hardship shall be deemed to exist to
the extent that the financial hardship is or may be relieved
(a) through reimbursement or compensation by insurance or
otherwise, (b) by borrowing from commercial sources on
reasonable commercial terms to the extent that this borrowing
would not itself cause a severe financial hardship, (c) by
cessation of deferrals under the Plan, or (d) by
liquidation of the Grantees other assets (including assets
of the Grantees spouse and minor children that are
reasonably available to the Grantee) to the extent that this
liquidation would not itself cause severe financial hardship.
For the purposes of the preceding sentence, the Grantees
resources shall be deemed to include those assets of his spouse
and minor children that are reasonably available to the Grantee;
however, property held for the Grantees child under an
irrevocable trust or under a Uniform Gifts to Minors Act
custodianship or Uniform Transfers to
B-4
Minors Act custodianship shall not be treated as a
resource of the Grantee. The Committee shall determine whether
the circumstances of the Grantee constitute an unforeseeable
emergency and thus a Hardship within the meaning of this
Paragraph 2(dd). Following a uniform procedure, the
Committees determination shall consider any facts or
conditions deemed necessary or advisable by the Committee, and
the Grantee shall be required to submit any evidence of the
Grantees circumstances that the Committee requires. The
determination as to whether the Grantees circumstances are
a case of Hardship shall be based on the facts of each case;
provided however, that all determinations as to Hardship shall
be uniformly and consistently made according to the provisions
of this Paragraph 2(dd) for all Grantees in similar
circumstances.
(ee) Income Fund means a
hypothetical investment fund pursuant to which an amount equal
to the Fair Market Value of Deferred Stock Units subject to a
Diversification Election is credited as of the effective date of
such Diversification Election and as to which interest is
credited thereafter until the date of distribution at the
Applicable Interest Rate.
(ff) Initial Election means
a written election on a form provided by the Committee, pursuant
to which a Grantee: (i) elects, within the time or times
specified in Paragraph 8(a), to defer the distribution date
of Shares issuable with respect to Restricted Stock or
Restricted Stock Units; and (ii) designates the
distribution date of such Shares.
(gg) New Key Employee means each
employee of a Participating Company who: (i) becomes an
employee of a Participating Company and has an Annual Rate of
Pay of $200,000 or more as of his employment commencement date;
or (ii) has an Annual Rate of Pay that is increased to
$200,000 or more and who, immediately preceding such increase,
was not a Deferral Eligible Employee.
(hh) Non-Employee Director means
an individual who is a member of the Board, and who is not an
employee of the Company, including an individual who is a member
of the Board and who previously was an employee of the Company.
(ii) Normal Retirement means
a Grantees termination of employment that is treated by
the Participating Company as a retirement under its employment
policies and practices as in effect from time to time.
(jj) Other Available Shares
means, as of any date, the sum of:
|
|
|
|
(i) |
The total number of Shares owned by a Grantee that were not
acquired by such Grantee pursuant to a Comcast Plan or otherwise
in connection with the performance of services to the Company or
an Affiliate; plus |
|
|
(ii) |
The excess, if any of: |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
The total number of Shares owned by a Grantee other than the
Shares described in Paragraph 2(jj)(i); over |
|
|
(2) |
The sum of: |
|
|
|
|
(A) |
The number of such Shares owned by such Grantee for less than
six months; plus |
|
|
|
|
(B) |
The number of such Shares owned by such Grantee that has, within
the preceding six months, been the subject of a withholding
certification pursuant to Paragraph 9(c)(ii) or any similar
withholding certification under any other Comcast Plan; plus |
|
|
(C) |
The number of such Shares owned by such Grantee that has, within
the preceding six months, been received in exchange for Shares
surrendered as payment, in full or in part, or as to which
ownership was attested to as payment, in full or in part, of the
exercise price for an option to purchase any securities of the
Company or an Affiliate of the Company, under any Comcast |
B-5
|
|
|
|
|
Plan, but only to the extent of the number of Shares surrendered
or attested to; plus |
|
|
|
|
(D) |
The number of such Shares owned by such Grantee as to which
evidence of ownership has, within the preceding six months, been
provided to the Company in connection with the crediting of
Deferred Stock Units to such Grantees Account
under the Comcast Corporation 2002 Deferred Stock Option Plan
(as in effect from time to time). |
For purposes of this Paragraph 2(jj), a Share that is
subject to an Election pursuant to Paragraph 8 or a
deferral election pursuant to another Comcast Plan shall not be
treated as owned by a Grantee until all conditions to the
delivery of such Share have lapsed. The number of Other
Available Shares shall be determined separately for Common Stock
and Special Common Stock. For purposes of determining the number
of Other Available Shares, the term Shares shall
also include the securities held by a Grantee immediately before
the consummation of the AT&T Broadband Transaction that
became Shares as a result of the AT&T Broadband Transaction.
(kk) Participating Company means
the Company and each of the Subsidiary Companies.
(ll) Performance-Based
Compensation means performance-based
compensation within the meaning of Q&A 22 of
IRS Notice 2005-1, or such other guidance as may be
issued by the Department of the Treasury under section 409A
of the Code.
(mm) Performance Period means a period
of at least 12 months during which a Grantee may earn
Performance-Based Compensation.
(nn) Person means an individual, a
corporation, a partnership, an association, a trust or any other
entity or organization.
(oo) Plan means the Comcast
Corporation 2002 Restricted Stock Plan, as set forth herein, and
as amended from time to time.
(pp) Prime Rate means, for any
calendar year, the interest rate that, when compounded daily
pursuant to rules established by the Committee from time to
time, is mathematically equivalent to the prime rate of interest
(compounded annually) as published in the Eastern Edition of The
Wall Street Journal on the last business day preceding the first
day of such calendar year, and as adjusted as of the last
business day preceding the first day of each calendar year
beginning thereafter.
(qq) Restricted Stock means Shares
subject to restrictions as set forth in an Award.
(rr) Restricted Stock Unit
means a unit that entitles the Grantee, upon the Vesting Date
set forth in an Award, to receive one Share.
(ss) Retired Grantee means a
Grantee who has terminated employment pursuant to a Normal
Retirement.
(tt) Rule 16b-3 means
Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the 1934 Act, as in
effect from time to time.
(uu) Share or
Shares means:
|
|
|
|
(i) |
except as provided in Paragraph 2(uu)(ii), a share or
shares of Common Stock. |
|
|
(ii) |
with respect to Awards granted before the consummation of the
AT&T Broadband Transaction as to which a Vesting Date has
not occurred, and for purposes of Paragraphs 2(jj) and
9(c), the term Share or Shares also
means a share or shares of Special Common Stock. |
(vv) Special Common Stock means
Class A Special Common Stock, par value $0.01, of the
Company.
B-6
(ww) Special Diversification Election
means, with respect to each separate grant of Restricted Stock
or Restricted Stock Units, a Diversification Election by a
Grantee to have more than 40 percent of the Deferred Stock
Units credited to such Grantees Account in the Company
Stock Fund liquidated and credited thereafter under the Income
Fund, as provided in Paragraph 8(g)(i), if (and to the
extent that) it is approved by the Committee in accordance with
Paragraph 8(g)(ii).
(xx) Subsequent Election means a
written election on a form provided by the Committee, filed with
the Committee in accordance with Paragraph 8(d), pursuant
to which a Grantee: (i) elects, within the time or times
specified in Paragraph 8(d), to further defer the
distribution date of Shares issuable with respect to Restricted
Stock or Restricted Stock Units; and (ii) designates the
distribution date of such Shares.
(yy) Subsidiary Companies means
all business entities that, at the time in question, are
subsidiaries of the Company, within the meaning of
section 424(f) of the Code.
(zz) Successor-in-Interest means
the estate or beneficiary to whom the right to payment under the
Plan shall have passed by will or the laws of descent and
distribution.
(aaa) Terminating Event means any of the
following events:
|
|
|
|
(i) |
the liquidation of the Company; or |
|
|
(ii) |
a Change of Control. |
(bbb) Third Party means any Person,
together with such Persons Affiliates, provided that the
term Third Party shall not include the Company or an
Affiliate of the Company.
(ccc) Vesting Date means, as applicable:
(i) the date on which the restrictions imposed on a Share
of Restricted Stock lapse or (ii) the date on which the
Grantee vests in a Restricted Stock Unit.
(ddd) 1933 Act means the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended.
(eee) 1934 Act means the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
3. RIGHTS TO BE GRANTED
Rights that may be granted under the Plan are:
(a) Rights to Restricted Stock which gives the
Grantee ownership rights in the Shares subject to the Award,
subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture, as set forth in
Paragraph 7, and to deferred payment, as set forth in
Paragraph 8; and
(b) Rights to Restricted Stock Units which give
the Grantee the right to receive Shares upon a Vesting Date, as
set forth in Paragraph 7, and to deferred payment, as set
forth in Paragraph 8. The maximum number of Shares subject
to Awards that may be granted to any single individual in any
calendar year, adjusted as provided in Paragraph 10, shall
be one million Shares.
4. SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN
(a) Not more than 15 million Shares in the
aggregate may be issued under the Plan pursuant to the grant of
Awards, subject to adjustment in accordance with
Paragraph 10. The Shares issued under the Plan may, at the
Companys option, be either Shares held in treasury or
Shares originally issued for such purpose.
(b) If Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock
Units are forfeited pursuant to the term of an Award, other
Awards with respect to such Shares may be granted.
5. ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN
(a) Administration. The Plan shall be
administered by the Committee, provided that with respect to
Awards to Non-Employee Directors, the rules of this
Section 5 shall apply so that all references in this
B-7
Section 5 to the Committee shall be treated as references
to either the Board or the Committee acting alone.
(b) Grants. Subject to the express terms
and conditions set forth in the Plan, the Committee shall have
the power, from time to time, to:
|
|
|
|
(i) |
select those Employees and Non-Employee Directors to whom Awards
shall be granted under the Plan, to determine the number of
Shares and/or Restricted Stock Units, as applicable, to be
granted pursuant to each Award, and, pursuant to the provisions
of the Plan, to determine the terms and conditions of each
Award, including the restrictions applicable to such Shares and
the conditions upon which a Vesting Date shall occur; and |
|
|
(ii) |
interpret the Plans provisions, prescribe, amend and
rescind rules and regulations for the Plan, and make all other
determinations necessary or advisable for the administration of
the Plan. |
The determination of the Committee in all matters as stated
above shall be conclusive.
(c) Meetings. The Committee shall
hold meetings at such times and places as it may determine. Acts
approved at a meeting by a majority of the members of the
Committee or acts approved in writing by the unanimous consent
of the members of the Committee shall be the valid acts of the
Committee.
(d) Exculpation. No member of the
Committee shall be personally liable for monetary damages for
any action taken or any failure to take any action in connection
with the administration of the Plan or the granting of Awards
thereunder unless (i) the member of the Committee has
breached or failed to perform the duties of his office, and
(ii) the breach or failure to perform constitutes
self-dealing, willful misconduct or recklessness; provided,
however, that the provisions of this Paragraph 5(d) shall
not apply to the responsibility or liability of a member of the
Committee pursuant to any criminal statute.
(e) Indemnification. Service on
the Committee shall constitute service as a member of the Board.
Each member of the Committee shall be entitled without further
act on his part to indemnity from the Company to the fullest
extent provided by applicable law and the Companys
Articles of Incorporation and By-laws in connection with or
arising out of any action, suit or proceeding with respect to
the administration of the Plan or the granting of Awards
thereunder in which he may be involved by reason of his being or
having been a member of the Committee, whether or not he
continues to be such member of the Committee at the time of the
action, suit or proceeding.
(f) Delegation of Authority. The
Committee may delegate to an officer of the Company, or a
committee of two or more officers of the Company, discretion
under the Plan to grant Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock
Units to any Grantee other than a Grantee who, at the time of
the grant:
|
|
|
|
(i) |
has a base salary of $500,000 or more; |
|
|
(ii) |
holds a position with Comcast Corporation of Senior Vice
President or a position of higher rank than Senior Vice
President; or |
|
|
(iii) |
is subject to the short-swing profit recapture rules of
section 16(b) of the 1934 Act. |
(g) Termination of Delegation of
Authority. Any delegation of authority described in
Paragraph 5(f) shall continue in effect until the earliest
of:
|
|
|
|
(i) |
such time as the Committee shall, in its discretion, revoke such
delegation of authority; |
|
|
(ii) |
the delegate shall cease to be an employee of the Company for
any reason; or |
|
|
(iii) |
the delegate shall notify the Committee that he declines to
continue exercise such authority. |
B-8
6. ELIGIBILITY
Awards may be granted only to Eligible Employees and, subject to
the approval of the shareholders of the Company at the Annual
Meeting of Shareholders of the Company to be held in 2005,
Non-Employee Directors.
7. RESTRICTED STOCK AND RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARDS
The Committee may grant Awards in accordance with the Plan,
provided that the Board or the Committee may grant Awards to
Non-Employee Directors authorized by the Comcast Corporation
2002 Non-Employee Director Compensation Plan, or otherwise. With
respect to Awards to Non-Employee Directors, the rules of this
Section 7 shall apply so that either the Board or the
Committee acting alone shall have all of the authority otherwise
reserved in this Section 7 to the Committee.
The terms and conditions of Awards shall be set forth in writing
as determined from time to time by the Committee, consistent,
however, with the following:
(a) Time of Grant. All Awards shall be
granted within ten (10) years from the date of adoption of
the Plan by the Board.
(b) Terms of Awards. The provisions of
Awards need not be the same with respect to each Grantee. No
cash or other consideration shall be required to be paid by the
Grantee in exchange for an Award.
(c) Awards and Agreements. Each
Grantee shall be provided with an agreement specifying the terms
of an Award. In addition, a certificate shall be issued to each
Grantee in respect of Restricted Shares subject to an Award.
Such certificate shall be registered in the name of the Grantee
and shall bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms,
conditions and restrictions applicable to such Award. The
Company may require that the certificate evidencing such
Restricted Stock be held by the Company until all restrictions
on such Restricted Stock have lapsed.
(d) Restrictions. Subject to the
provisions of the Plan and the Award, the Committee may
establish a period commencing with the Date of Grant during
which the Grantee shall not be permitted to sell, transfer,
pledge or assign Restricted Stock awarded under the Plan.
(e) Vesting/ Lapse of
Restrictions. Subject to the provisions of the Plan and the
Award, a Vesting Date for Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock
Units subject to an Award shall occur at such time or times and
on such terms and conditions as the Committee may determine and
as are set forth in the Award; provided, however, that except as
otherwise provided by the Committee, a Vesting Date shall occur
only if the Grantee is an employee of a Participating Company as
of such Vesting Date, and has been an employee of a
Participating Company continuously from the Date of Grant. The
Award may provide for Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units
to vest in installments, as determined by the Committee. The
Committee may, in its sole discretion, waive, in whole or in
part, any remaining conditions to vesting with respect to such
Grantees Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units. All
references to Shares in Awards granted before the consummation
of the AT&T Broadband Transaction as to which a Vesting Date
has not occurred shall be deemed to be references to Special
Common Stock.
(f) Rights of the Grantee.
Grantees may have such rights with respect to Shares subject to
an Award as may be determined by the Committee and set forth in
the Award, including the right to vote such Shares, and the
right to receive dividends paid with respect to such Shares. A
Grantee whose Award consists of Restricted Stock Units shall not
have the right to vote or to receive dividend equivalents with
respect to such Restricted Stock Units.
(g) Termination of Grantees
Employment. A transfer of an Eligible Employee between two
employers, each of which is a Participating Company, shall not
be deemed a termination of employment. In the event that a
Grantee terminates employment with all Participating Companies,
all Restricted Shares and/or Restricted Stock Units as to which
a Vesting Date has not occurred shall be forfeited by the
Grantee and deemed canceled by the Company.
B-9
(h) Delivery of Shares. Except as
otherwise provided by Paragraph 8, when a Vesting Date
occurs with respect to all or a portion of an Award of
Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units, the Company shall
notify the Grantee that a Vesting Date has occurred, and shall
deliver to the Grantee (or the Grantees
Successor-in-Interest) a certificate for the number of Shares as
to which a Vesting Date has occurred (or in the case of
Restricted Stock Units, the number of Shares represented by such
Restricted Stock Units) without any legend or restrictions
(except those that may be imposed by the Committee, in its sole
judgment, under Paragraph 9(a)). The right to payment of
any fractional Shares that may have accrued shall be satisfied
in cash, measured by the product of the fractional amount times
the Fair Market Value of a Share at the Vesting Date, as
determined by the Committee.
8. DEFERRAL ELECTIONS
A Grantee may elect to defer the receipt of Shares that would
otherwise be issuable with respect to Restricted Stock or
Restricted Stock Units as to which a Vesting Date has occurred,
as provided by the Committee in the Award, consistent, however,
with the following:
(a) Initial Election.
|
|
|
|
(i) |
Election. Each Grantee who is a Non-Employee Director or
a Deferral Eligible Employee shall have the right to defer the
receipt of some or all of the Shares issuable with respect to
Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units as to which a Vesting
Date has not yet occurred, by filing an Initial Election to
defer the receipt of such Shares on a form provided by the
Committee for this purpose. |
|
|
(ii) |
Deadline for Initial Election. No Initial Election to
defer the receipt of Shares issuable with respect to Restricted
Stock or Restricted Stock Units that are not Performance-Based
Compensation shall be effective unless it is filed with the
Committee on or before the 30th day following the Date of Grant
provided that pursuant to Q-A 21 of IRS Notice
2005-1, to the extent provided by the Committee or its
delegate, a Grantee may, on or before March 15, 2005, make
an Initial Election with respect to Restricted Stock or
Restricted Stock Units that were granted before January 1,
2005 and were not vested on December 31, 2004, and with
respect to Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units that may
be granted after December 31, 2004, provided further that
the Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units to which the
Initial Election relates have not been vested at the time the
Initial Election is filed. No Initial Election to defer the
receipt of Shares issuable with respect to Restricted Stock or
Restricted Stock Units that are Performance-Based Compensation
shall be effective unless it is filed with the Administrator at
least six months before the end of the Performance Period during
which such Performance-Based Compensation may be earned. |
|
|
(iii) |
Special Transition Rule. Pursuant to Q-A 20 of IRS
Notice 2005-1, to the extent provided by the Committee or
its delegate, a Grantee may, on or before December 31,
2005, terminate the deferral of Restricted Stock or Restricted
Stock Units pursuant to an Initial Election or cancel an Initial
Election with regard to amounts deferred under the Plan,
provided that if a Grantee terminates the deferral of
Compensation pursuant to an Initial Election under this
Paragraph 8(a)(iii), the Company shall pay the Grantee the
Compensation that would have been deferred if the deferral of
Compensation had not been terminated, and provided further that
if a Grantee cancels an Initial Election with regard to amounts
deferred under the Plan, the Company shall pay the Grantee the
amount deferred pursuant to such Initial Election through the
cancellation date, plus income, gains and losses credited with
respect thereto as provided in this Article VIII. |
(b) Effect of Failure of Vesting Date to
Occur. An Election shall be null and void if a Vesting Date
with respect to the Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units
does not occur before the distribution date for Shares issuable
with respect to such Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units
identified in such Election.
B-10
(c) Deferral Period. Except as
otherwise provided in Paragraph 8(d), all Shares issuable
with respect to Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units that
are subject to an Election shall be delivered to the Grantee (or
the Grantees Successor-in-Interest) without any legend or
restrictions (except those that may be imposed by the Committee,
in its sole judgment, under Paragraph 9(a)), on the
distribution date for such Shares designated by the Grantee on
the most recently filed Election. Subject to acceleration or
deferral pursuant to Paragraph 8(d) or Paragraph 11,
no distribution may be made earlier than January 2nd of the
third calendar year beginning after the Vesting Date, nor later
than January 2nd of the eleventh calendar year beginning
after the Vesting Date. The distribution date may vary with each
separate Election.
(d) Additional Elections.
Notwithstanding anything in this Paragraph 8(d) to the
contrary, no Subsequent Election shall be effective until
12 months after the date on which such Subsequent Election
is made.
|
|
|
|
(i) |
Each Active Grantee who has previously made an Initial Election
to receive a distribution of part or all of his or her Account,
or who, pursuant to this Paragraph 8(d)(i) has made a
Subsequent Election to defer the distribution date for Shares
issuable with respect to Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock
Units for an additional period from the originally-elected
distribution date, may elect to defer the distribution date for
a minimum of five and a maximum of ten additional years from the
previously-elected distribution date, by filing a Subsequent
Election with the Committee on or before the close of business
at least one year before the date on which the distribution
would otherwise be made. |
|
|
(ii) |
A Deceased Grantees Successor-in-Interest may elect to:
(A) file a Subsequent Election to defer the distribution
date for the Deceased Grantees Shares issuable with
respect to Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units for a
minimum of five additional years from the date payment would
otherwise be made; or (B) file an Acceleration Election to
accelerate the distribution date for the Deceased Grantees
Shares issuable with respect to Restricted Stock or Restricted
Stock Units from the date payment would otherwise be made to a
date that is as soon as practicable following the Deceased
Grantees death. A Subsequent Election must be filed with
the Committee at least one year before the date on which the
distribution would otherwise be made, as reflected on the
Deceased Grantees last Election. An Acceleration Election
pursuant to this Paragraph 8(d)(ii) must be filed with the
Committee as soon as practicable following the Deceased
Grantees death, as determined by the Committee. |
|
|
(iii) |
A Disabled Grantee may elect to accelerate the distribution date
of the Disabled Grantees Shares issuable with respect to
Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units from the date payment
would otherwise be made to a date that is as soon as practicable
following the date the Disabled Grantee became disabled. An
Acceleration Election pursuant to this Paragraph 8(d)(iii)
must be filed with the Committee as soon as practicable
following the Deceased Grantees death, as determined by
the Committee. |
|
|
(iv) |
A Retired Grantee may elect to defer the distribution date of
the Retired Grantees Shares issuable with respect to
Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units for a minimum of five
additional years from the date payment would otherwise be made
(provided that if a Subsequent Election is made pursuant to this
Paragraph 8(d)(iv), the Retired Grantees Account
shall be distributed in full on or before the later of the fifth
anniversary of the Retired Grantees Normal Retirement or
the fifth anniversary of the date that payment would otherwise
have been made. A Subsequent Election must be filed with the
Committee at least one year before the date on which the
distribution would otherwise be made, as reflected on the
Retired Grantees last Election. |
|
|
(v) |
Discretion to Provide for Distribution in Full Upon or
Following a Change of Control. To the extent permitted by
IRS Notice 2005-1, in connection with a Change of
Control, and |
B-11
|
|
|
|
|
for the 12-month period following a Change of Control, the
Committee may exercise its discretion to terminate the deferral
provisions of the Plan and, notwithstanding any other provision
of the Plan or the terms of any Initial Election or Subsequent
Election, distribute the Account of each Grantee in full and
thereby effect the revocation of any outstanding Initial
Elections or Subsequent Elections. |
|
|
(vi) |
Hardship. Notwithstanding the terms of an Initial
Election or Subsequent Election, if, at the Grantees
request, the Committee determines that the Grantee has incurred
a Hardship, the Committee may, in its discretion, authorize the
immediate distribution of all or any portion of the
Grantees Account. |
|
|
(vii) |
Other Acceleration Events. To the extent permitted by
Q-A 15 of IRS Notice 2005-1, notwithstanding the
terms of an Initial Election or Subsequent Election,
distribution of all or part of a Grantees Account may be
made: |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
To the extent necessary to fulfill a domestic relations order
(as defined in section 414(p)(1)(B) of the Code). |
|
|
(2) |
To the extent necessary to comply with a certificate of
divestiture (as defined in section 1043(b)(2) of the Code). |
|
|
(3) |
To pay the Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA)
tax imposed under sections 3101 and 3121(v)(2) of the Code on
compensation deferred under the Plan (the FICA
Amount) plus the income tax at source on wages imposed
under section 3401 of the Code with respect to the FICA
Amount, and to pay the additional income tax at source on wages
attributable to the pyramiding section 3401 wages and
taxes, provided that the total amount distributable under this
Paragraph 8(d)(vii)(3) shall not exceed the sum of the FICA
Amount and the income tax withholding related to such FICA
Amount. |
(e) Book Accounts. An Account
shall be established for each Grantee who makes an Election.
Deferred Stock Units shall be credited to the Account as of the
date an Election becomes effective. Each Deferred Stock Unit
will represent, as applicable, either a hypothetical share of
Common Stock or a hypothetical share of Special Common Stock
credited to the Account in lieu of delivery of the Shares to
which the Election applies. To the extent an Account is deemed
invested in the Income Fund, the Committee shall credit earnings
with respect to such Account at the Applicable Interest Rate, as
further provided in Paragraph 8(g).
(f) Plan-to-Plan Transfers. The
Administrator may delegate its authority to arrange for
plan-to-plan transfers as described in this Paragraph 8(f)
to an officer of the Company or committee of two or more
officers of the Company.
|
|
|
|
(i) |
The Administrator may, with a Grantees consent, make such
arrangements as it may deem appropriate to transfer the
Companys obligation to pay benefits with respect to such
Grantee which have not become payable under this Plan, to
another employer, whether through a deferred compensation plan,
program or arrangement sponsored by such other employer or
otherwise, or to another deferred compensation plan, program or
arrangement sponsored by the Company or an Affiliate. Following
the completion of such transfer, with respect to the benefit
transferred, the Grantee shall have no further right to payment
under this Plan. |
|
|
(ii) |
The Administrator may, with a Grantees consent, make such
arrangements as it may deem appropriate to assume another
employers obligation to pay benefits with respect to such
Grantee which have not become payable under the deferred
compensation plan, program or arrangement under which such
future right to payment arose, to the Plan, or to assume a
future payment obligation of the Company or an Affiliate under
another plan, program or arrangement sponsored by the Company or
an Affiliate. Upon the |
B-12
|
|
|
|
|
completion of the Plans assumption of such payment
obligation, the Administrator shall establish an Account for
such Grantee, and the Account shall be subject to the rules of
this Plan, as in effect from time to time. |
|
|
(iii) |
Pursuant to Q-A 19(c) of IRS Notice 2005-1, to
the extent provided by the Committee or its delegate, a Grantee
may, on or before December 31, 2005, with respect to all or
any portion of his or her Grandfathered Amount under the Plan as
in effect on December 31, 2004, make new payment elections
as to the form and timing of payment of such amounts as may be
permitted under this Plan, provided that following the
completion of such new payment election, such amounts shall not
be treated as a Grandfathered Amount, but instead shall be
treated as a non-Grandfathered Amount, subject to the rules of
this Plan. |
(g) Crediting of Income, Gains and Losses on
Accounts. Except as otherwise provided in
Paragraph 8(h), the value of a Grantees Account as of
any date shall be determined as if it were invested in the
Company Stock Fund.
(h) Diversification Elections.
|
|
|
|
(i) |
In General. A Diversification Election shall be
available: (A) at any time that a Registration Statement
filed under the 1933 Act (a Registration
Statement) is effective with respect to the Plan; and
(B) with respect to a Special Diversification Election, if
and to the extent that the opportunity to make such a Special
Diversification Election has been approved by the Committee. No
approval is required for a Diversification Election other than a
Special Diversification Election. |
|
|
(ii) |
Committee Approval of Special Diversification Elections.
The opportunity to make a Special Diversification Election and
the extent to which a Special Diversification Election applies
to Deferred Stock Units credited to the Company Stock Fund may
be approved or rejected by the Committee in its sole discretion.
A Special Diversification Election shall only be effective if
(and to the extent) approved by the Committee. |
|
|
(iii) |
Timing and Manner of Making Diversification Elections.
Each Grantee and, in the case of a Deceased Grantee, the
Successor-in-Interest, may make a Diversification Election to
convert up to 40 percent (or in the case of a Special
Diversification Election, up to the approved percentage) of
Deferred Stock Units attributable to each grant of Restricted
Stock or Restricted Stock Units credited to the Company Stock
Fund to the Income Fund. No deemed transfers shall be permitted
from the Income Fund to the Company Stock Fund. Diversification
Elections under this Paragraph 8(h)(iii) shall be
prospectively effective on the later of: (A) the date
designated by the Grantee on a Diversification Election filed
with the Committee; or (B) the business day next following
the lapse of six months from the date Deferred Stock Units
subject to the Diversification Election are credited to the
Grantees Account. In no event may a Diversification
Election be effective earlier than the business day next
following the lapse of six (6) months from the date
Deferred Stock Units are credited to the Account following the
lapse of restrictions with respect to an Award. |
|
|
(iv) |
Timing of Credits. Account balances subject to a
Diversification Election under this Paragraph 8(h) shall be
deemed transferred from the Company Stock Fund to the Income
Fund immediately following the effective date of such
Diversification Election. The value of amounts deemed invested
in the Income Fund immediately following the effective date of a
Diversification Election shall be based on hypothetical sales of
Common Stock or Special Common Stock, as applicable, underlying
the liquidated Deferred Stock Units at Fair Market Value as of
the effective date of a Diversification Election. |
B-13
(i) Effect of Distributions within
Five Years of Effective Date of Diversification Election.
If, pursuant to Paragraphs 8(a) through 8(d), Shares
distributable with respect to Deferred Stock Units credited to
the Company Stock Fund that are attributable to an Award as to
which a Diversification Election was made are distributed on or
before the fifth anniversary of the effective date of such
Diversification Election (and, in the case of a Grantee who
is a Successor-in-Interest, whether or not such Diversification
Election was made by a Grantees predecessor-in-interest),
then, except as may otherwise be provided by the Committee in
its sole and absolute discretion, the following percentage of
the Grantees Account credited to the Income Fund and
attributable to such Diversification Election shall be
distributed simultaneously with such Shares, without regard to
any election to the contrary:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distributable Percentage of Corresponding |
|
|
|
Time that Shares are Distributable |
|
|
Income Fund Amount |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On or before the third anniversary of a Diversification Election |
|
|
60% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
After the third anniversary of a Diversification Election and on
or before the fourth anniversary of a Diversification Election |
|
|
40% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
After the fourth anniversary of a Diversification Election and
on or before the fifth anniversary of a Diversification Election |
|
|
20% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
After the fifth anniversary of a Diversification Election |
|
|
0% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(j) Grantees Status as General
Creditors. A Grantees right to delivery of Shares
subject to an Election under this Paragraph 8, or to
amounts deemed invested in the Income Fund pursuant to a
Diversification Election, shall at all times represent the
general obligation of the Company. The Grantee shall be a
general creditor of the Company with respect to this obligation,
and shall not have a secured or preferred position with respect
to such obligation. Nothing contained in the Plan or an Award
shall be deemed to create an escrow, trust, custodial account or
fiduciary relationship of any kind. Nothing contained in the
Plan or an Award shall be construed to eliminate any priority or
preferred position of a Grantee in a bankruptcy matter with
respect to claims for wages.
(k) Non-Assignability, Etc. The right of
a Grantee to receive Shares subject to an Election under this
Paragraph 8, or to amounts deemed invested in the Income
Fund pursuant to a Diversification Election, shall not be
subject in any manner to attachment or other legal process for
the debts of such Grantee; and no right to receive Shares or
cash payments hereunder shall be subject to anticipation,
alienation, sale, transfer, assignment or encumbrance.
9. SECURITIES LAWS; TAXES
(a) Securities Laws. The Committee shall
have the power to make each grant of Awards under the Plan
subject to such conditions as it deems necessary or appropriate
to comply with the then-existing requirements of the
1933 Act and the 1934 Act, including Rule 16b-3.
Such conditions may include the delivery by the Grantee of an
investment representation to the Company in connection with a
Vesting Date occurring with respect to Shares subject to an
Award, or the execution of an agreement by the Grantee to
refrain from selling or otherwise disposing of the Shares
acquired for a specified period of time or on specified terms.
(b) Taxes. Subject to the rules of
Paragraph 9(c), the Company shall be entitled, if necessary
or desirable, to withhold the amount of any tax, charge or
assessment attributable to the grant of any Award or the
occurrence of a Vesting Date with respect to any Award. The
Company shall not be required to deliver Shares pursuant to any
Award until it has been indemnified to its satisfaction for any
such tax, charge or assessment.
B-14
(c) Payment of Tax Liabilities;
Election to Withhold Shares or Pay Cash to Satisfy Tax
Liability.
|
|
|
|
(i) |
In connection with the grant of any Award or the occurrence of a
Vesting Date under any Award, the Company shall have the right
to (A) require the Grantee to remit to the Company an
amount sufficient to satisfy any federal, state and/or local
withholding tax requirements prior to the delivery or transfer
of any certificate or certificates for Shares subject to such
Award, or (B) take any action whatever that it deems
necessary to protect its interests with respect to tax
liabilities. The Companys obligation to make any delivery
or transfer of Shares shall be conditioned on the Grantees
compliance, to the Companys satisfaction, with any
withholding requirement. |
|
|
(ii) |
Except as otherwise provided in this Paragraph 9(c)(ii),
any tax liabilities incurred in connection with grant of any
Award or the occurrence of a Vesting Date under any Award under
the Plan shall be satisfied by the Companys withholding a
portion of the Shares subject to such Award having a Fair Market
Value approximately equal to the minimum amount of taxes
required to be withheld by the Company under applicable law,
unless otherwise determined by the Committee with respect to any
Grantee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may permit
a Grantee to elect one or both of the following: (A) to
have taxes withheld in excess of the minimum amount required to
be withheld by the Company under applicable law; provided that
the Grantee certifies in writing to the Company at the time of
such election that the Grantee owns Other Available Shares
having a Fair Market Value that is at least equal to the Fair
Market Value to be withheld by the Company in payment of
withholding taxes in excess of such minimum amount; and
(B) to pay to the Company in cash all or a portion of the
taxes to be withheld in connection with such grant or Vesting
Date. In all cases, the Shares so withheld by the Company shall
have a Fair Market Value that does not exceed the amount of
taxes to be withheld minus the cash payment, if any, made by the
Grantee. Any election pursuant to this Paragraph 9(c)(ii)
must be in writing made prior to the date specified by the
Committee, and in any event prior to the date the amount of tax
to be withheld or paid is determined. An election pursuant to
this Paragraph 9(c)(ii) may be made only by a Grantee or,
in the event of the Grantees death, by the Grantees
legal representative. No Shares withheld pursuant to this
Paragraph 9(c)(ii) shall be available for subsequent grants
under the Plan. The Committee may add such other requirements
and limitations regarding elections pursuant to this
Paragraph 9(c)(ii) as it deems appropriate. |
10. CHANGES IN CAPITALIZATION
The aggregate number of Shares and class of Shares as to which
Awards may be granted and the number of Shares covered by each
outstanding Award shall be appropriately adjusted in the event
of a stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or other
change in the number or class of issued and outstanding equity
securities of the Company resulting from a subdivision or
consolidation of the Shares and/or other outstanding equity
security or a recapitalization or other capital adjustment (not
including the issuance of Shares and/or other outstanding equity
securities on the conversion of other securities of the Company
which are convertible into Shares and/or other outstanding
equity securities) affecting the Shares which is effected
without receipt of consideration by the Company. The Committee
shall have authority to determine the adjustments to be made
under this Paragraph 10 and any such determination by the
Committee shall be final, binding and conclusive.
11. TERMINATING EVENTS
The Committee shall give Grantees at least thirty
(30) days notice (or, if not practicable, such
shorter notice as may be reasonably practicable) prior to the
anticipated date of the consummation of a Terminating Event. The
Committee may, in its discretion, provide in such notice that
upon the consummation of such Terminating Event, any conditions
to the occurrence of a Vesting Date with respect to an Award of
Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units (other than
Restricted Stock or Restricted
B-15
Stock Units that have previously been forfeited) shall be
eliminated, in full or in part. Further, the Committee may, in
its discretion, provide in such notice that notwithstanding any
other provision of the Plan or the terms of any Election made
pursuant to Paragraph 8, upon the consummation of a
Terminating Event, Shares issuable with respect to Restricted
Stock or Restricted Stock Units subject to an Election made
pursuant to Paragraph 8 shall be transferred to the
Grantee, and all amounts credited to the Income Fund shall be
paid to the Grantee.
12. CLAIMS PROCEDURE
If an individual (hereinafter referred to as the
Applicant, which reference shall include the legal
representative, if any, of the individual) does not receive
timely payment of benefits to which the Applicant believes he is
entitled under Paragraph 8 of the Plan, the Applicant may
make a claim for benefits in the manner hereinafter provided.
An Applicant may file a claim for benefits with the Committee on
a form supplied by the Committee. If the Committee wholly or
partially denies a claim, the Committee shall provide the
Applicant with a written notice stating:
(a) The specific reason or reasons for the
denial;
(b) Specific reference to pertinent Plan
provisions on which the denial is based;
(c) A description of any additional
material or information necessary for Applicant to perfect the
claim and an explanation of why such material or information is
necessary; and
(d) Appropriate information as to the steps to
be taken in order to submit a claim for review.
Written notice of a denial of a claim shall be provided within
90 days of the receipt of the claim, provided that if
special circumstances require an extension of time for
processing the claim, the Committee may notify the Applicant in
writing that an additional period of up to 90 days will be
required to process the claim.
If the Applicants claim is denied, the Applicant shall
have 60 days from the date of receipt of written notice of
the denial of the claim to request a review of the denial of the
claim by the Committee. Request for review of the denial of a
claim must be submitted in writing. The Applicant shall have the
right to review pertinent documents and submit issues and
comments to the Committee in writing. The Committee shall
provide a written decision within 60 days of its receipt of
the Applicants request for review, provided that if
special circumstances require an extension of time for
processing the review of the Applicants claim, the
Committee may notify the Applicant in writing that an additional
period of up to 60 days shall be required to process the
Applicants request for review.
It is intended that the claims procedures of this Plan be
administered in accordance with the claims procedure regulations
of the Department of Labor set forth in 29 CFR
§ 2560.503-1.
Claims for benefits under the Plan must be filed with the
Committee at the following address:
|
|
|
Comcast Corporation
1500 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Attention: General Counsel |
13. AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION
The Plan may be terminated by the Board at any time. The Plan
may be amended by the Board or the Committee at any time. No
Award shall be affected by any such termination or amendment
without the written consent of the Grantee.
B-16
14. EFFECTIVE DATE
The effective date of this amendment and restatement of the Plan
is January 1, 2005.
15. GOVERNING LAW
The Plan and all determinations made and actions taken pursuant
to the Plan shall be governed in accordance with Pennsylvania
law.
Executed on the 16th day of February, 2005.
|
|
|
|
Attest: |
/s/ Arthur R. Block |
B-17
CO-PS-2005
P.O. Box 8694
Edison, NJ 08818-8694
Notice of
2005 Annual Meeting
Wednesday, June 1, 2005, 9:00 a.m.
Wachovia Complex
3601 South Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19148
ADMISSION TICKET
Please present
this ticket for
admittance of
shareholder(s) named
below, together with one
guest.
Your vote is important. Please vote immediately.
Votes submitted by the Internet or telephone must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 31, 2005.
Vote-by-Internet
1. |
Log on to the Internet and
go to
http://www.eproxyvote.com/cmcsa |
|
2. |
Follow the easy steps outlined on the
secured website. |
Vote-by-Telephone
1. |
Call toll-free
1-877-PRX-VOTE (1-877-779-8683). |
|
2. |
Follow the easy recorded instructions. |
|
|
Vote-by-Mail |
If you vote by Internet or telephone, please do not mail your proxy card.
If you vote by mail, mail your proxy card using the enclosed envelope. |
DETACH HERE IF YOU ARE RETURNING YOUR PROXY CARD BY MAIL
|
|
|
|
|
|
þ |
|
Please mark votes as in this example. |
|
|
CMC |
The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR all director nominees and FOR Proposals 2 and 3.
The Board of Directors recommends
a vote AGAINST shareholder Proposals 4 through 7.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1. |
|
Election of Directors. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FOR |
|
AGAINST |
|
ABSTAIN |
|
|
Nominees: |
|
(01) S. Decker Anstrom (02) Kenneth J. Bacon |
|
(05) Julian A. Brodsky (06) Joseph L. Castle, II |
|
(09) Brian L. Roberts (10) Ralph J. Roberts |
|
|
2. |
|
|
Independent auditors. |
|
o |
|
o |
|
o |
|
|
|
|
(03) Sheldon M. Bonovitz (04) Edward D. Breen |
|
(07) Joseph J. Collins (08) J. Michael Cook |
|
(11) Dr. Judith
Rodin (12) Michael I. Sovern |
|
|
3. |
|
|
2002 Restricted Stock Plan. |
|
o |
|
o |
|
o |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FOR ALL NOMINEES |
o |
|
o |
WITHHELD FROM ALL NOMINEES |
|
|
|
|
o |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For all nominees except for numbers as written above |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FOR
|
|
AGAINST
|
|
ABSTAIN |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.
|
|
Disclose political contributions.
|
|
o
|
|
o
|
|
o |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.
|
|
Require that the Chairman of
the Board not have managerial
responsibilities.
|
|
o
|
|
o
|
|
o |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6.
|
|
Eliminate shareholder rights
plan unless shareholder
approval is received.
|
|
o
|
|
o
|
|
o |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7.
|
|
Adopt a recapitalization plan.
|
|
o
|
|
o
|
|
o |
|
o |
I consent to access future proxy statements and
annual reports electronically. (see page 48
of the proxy statement) |
|
|
o |
Please discontinue annual report mailing for my account.
(continue to send me my proxy card and proxy statement) |
|
|
o |
I/We plan to attend the annual meeting
of shareholders at the Wachovia Complex in
Philadelphia, PA, on June 1, 2005. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Signature: |
|
|
|
Date: |
|
|
|
Signature: |
|
|
|
Date: |
|
|
Please sign as name(s) appears hereon. Give full title if you are signing for a corporation,
partnership or other entity, or as attorney, administrator, executor, guardian, trustee or in any
other representative capacity.
Annual Meeting Agenda
|
|
|
8:00 a.m.
|
|
Doors Open to Meeting Room |
|
|
|
9:00 a.m.
|
|
Welcome and Introduction; Matters for Shareholder Vote |
DIRECTIONS
From New Jersey via the Walt Whitman Bridge
Follow the signs for Broad Street. At the end of the Broad
Street ramp, turn left and follow the signs to the Sports
Complex. The Wachovia Complex will be on your left.
From Interstate 76/Schuylkill Expressway
Traveling East, follow the signs for South Jersey, Walt
Whitman Bridge and Sports Complex. Take the Broad Street
exit. At the bottom of the exit ramp, make a right onto
Broad Street. The Wachovia Complex will be on your left.
From Interstate 476/Blue Route Take I-476 South
to the end. Follow signs for I-95 North, Philadelphia.
Take I-95 North to Broad Street exit. The Wachovia Complex
will be on your right.
From Interstate 95 From I-95 Northbound or
Southbound, take the Broad Street exit. The Wachovia Complex
will be on your right.
Public Transportation SEPTA (Southeastern
Pennsylvania Transportation Authority). Take the Broad
Street (Orange) line South to the Pattison Ave. stop (last
stop). When you exit the subway, the Wachovia Complex will
be immediately to the south and east.
Parking Information There is ample free parking
available in the Wachovia Complex. Shareholders should use the
main entrance to the Wachovia Complex which is located on Broad
Street at 3601 South Broad Street. The gate attendant will
direct you to the parking area and building.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMCAST CORPORATION |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING ON June 1, 2005
|
|
|
I hereby appoint David L. Cohen and Arthur R. Block, and each of them acting individually, as
proxies, with the powers I would possess if personally present, and with full power of
substitution, to vote all my shares in Comcast Corporation at the annual meeting of shareholders to
be held at the Wachovia Complex, 3601 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148 at 9:00 a.m.
Eastern Time on June 1, 2005, and at any adjournment or postponement thereof, upon all matters that
may properly come before the meeting, including the matters described in the proxy statement, and
in accordance with my instructions on the reverse side of this proxy card. In the event that any
other matter may properly come before the meeting, or any adjournment or postponement thereof, the
proxies are each authorized to vote such matter in his discretion. I hereby revoke all previous
proxies given to vote at the annual meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.
I acknowledge receipt of this notice of annual meeting of shareholders, proxy statement and 2004
annual report of Comcast Corporation.
The shares represented by this proxy card will be voted in
accordance with your instructions if the card is signed and returned. If your card is signed and
returned without instructions, except as otherwise required by the plan noted below, your shares
will be voted in favor of all the director nominees, in favor of Proposals 2 and 3 and against
Proposals 4, 5, 6 and 7. Voting by Internet, telephone or mail, votes all your shares, under the
same registration held in any one or more of the following manners: as a shareholder of record and
in the Comcast Corporation Retirement-Investment Plan. If you do not vote by Internet or
telephone, or mail a proxy card or attend the annual meeting and vote by ballot, your shares will
not be voted, except that if you hold shares in the Comcast Corporation Retirement-Investment Plan
and do not return your proxy card or do not specify how to vote your shares on your proxy card, the
plan trustee will vote your shares in the same proportion on each matter as it votes shares held in
this plan for which voting directions were received. If you are voting with this proxy card,
please mark your choices and sign the other side of the proxy card and return it promptly to
Comcast Corporation c/o EquiServe Trust Company, N.A., P.O. Box 8694, Edison, NJ 08818-8694.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: All annual meeting attendees may be asked to present a valid government-issued
photo identification, such as a drivers license or passport, before entering the meeting. In
addition, video and audio recording devices and other electronic devices will not be permitted at
the annual meeting, and attendees will be subject to security inspections.