Amendment No. 12 to Schedule 13D

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

SCHEDULE 13D

 

 

Information to be Included in Statements Filed Pursuant to Rule

13d-1(a) and Amendments Thereto Filed Pursuant to Rule 13d-2(a)

Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No. 12)*

 

 

 

 

BALLY TOTAL FITNESS HOLDING CORPORATION


(Name of Issuer)

 

 

COMMON STOCK, NO PAR VALUE, $.01 PER SHARE


(Title of Class of Securities)

 

 

058 73K 10 8


(CUSIP Number)

 

 

KENNETH J. BARONSKY

MILBANK, TWEED, HADLEY & McCLOY LLP

601 S. FIGUEROA STREET, 30TH FLOOR

LOS ANGELES, CA 90017

TELEPHONE: 213-892-4333


(Name, address and telephone number of person authorized to receive notices and communications)

 

 

October 31, 2005


(Date of event which requires filing of this statement)

 

If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report the acquisition which is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this schedule because of Rule 13d-1(e), 13d-1(f) or 13d-1(g), check the following box  ¨.

 

NOTE:  Schedules filed in paper format shall include a signed original and five copies of the schedule, including all exhibits. See Rule 13d-7 for other parties to whom copies are to be sent.

 

*   The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person’s initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

 

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).


CUSIP No. 058 73K 10 8

 

(1)  

NAME OF REPORTING PERSON S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

 

            Liberation Investments, L.P.

   
(2)  

CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP

(a)  ¨

(b)  x

   
(3)  

SEC USE ONLY

 

   
(4)  

SOURCE OF FUNDS

 

            WC

   
(5)  

CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e)

 

  ¨
(6)  

CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

 

            Delaware

   

NUMBER OF

SHARES

BENEFICIALLY

OWNED BY

PERSON

WITH

 

  (7)    SOLE VOTING POWER

 

                0


  (8)    SHARED VOTING POWER

 

                2,662,963


  (9)    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

 

                0


(10)    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

 

                2,662,963

(11)  

AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

 

            2,662,963

   
(12)  

CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES

 

 

¨

 

(13)  

PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

 

            7.84%

   
(14)  

TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

 

            PN

   

 

Page 2


CUSIP No. 058 73K 10 8

 

(1)  

NAME OF REPORTING PERSON S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

 

            Liberation Investments, Ltd.

   
(2)  

CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP

(a)  ¨

(b)  x

   
(3)  

SEC USE ONLY

 

   
(4)  

SOURCE OF FUNDS

 

            WC

   
(5)  

CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e)

 

  ¨
(6)  

CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

 

            Cayman Islands

   

NUMBER OF

SHARES

BENEFICIALLY

OWNED BY

PERSON

WITH

 

  (7)    SOLE VOTING POWER

 

                0


  (8)    SHARED VOTING POWER

 

                1,436,487


  (9)    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

 

                0


(10)    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

 

                1,436,487

(11)  

AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

 

            1,436,487

   
(12)  

CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES

 

 

¨

 

(13)  

PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

 

            4.23%

   
(14)  

TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

 

            CO

   

 

Page 3


CUSIP No. 058 73K 10 8

 

(1)  

NAME OF REPORTING PERSON S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

 

            Liberation Investment Group LLC

   
(2)  

CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP

(a)  ¨

(b)  x

   
(3)  

SEC USE ONLY

 

   
(4)  

SOURCE OF FUNDS

 

            N/A

   
(5)  

CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e)

 

  ¨
(6)  

CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

 

            Delaware

   

NUMBER OF

SHARES

BENEFICIALLY

OWNED BY

PERSON

WITH

 

  (7)    SOLE VOTING POWER

 

                0


  (8)    SHARED VOTING POWER

 

                4,099,450


  (9)    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

 

                0


(10)    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

 

                4,099,450

(11)  

AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

 

            4,099,450

   
(12)  

CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES

 

 

¨

 

(13)  

PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

 

            12.06%

   
(14)  

TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

 

            OO, IA

   

 

Page 4


CUSIP No. 058 73K 10 8

 

(1)  

NAME OF REPORTING PERSON S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

 

            Emanuel R. Pearlman

   
(2)  

CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP

(a)  ¨

(b)  x

   
(3)  

SEC USE ONLY

 

   
(4)  

SOURCE OF FUNDS

 

            N/A

   
(5)  

CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e)

 

  ¨
(6)  

CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

 

            United States

   

NUMBER OF

SHARES

BENEFICIALLY

OWNED BY

PERSON

WITH

 

  (7)    SOLE VOTING POWER

 

                35,000


  (8)    SHARED VOTING POWER

 

                4,099,450


  (9)    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

 

                35,000


(10)    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

 

                4,099,450

(11)  

AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

 

            4,134,450

   
(12)  

CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES

 

 

¨

 

(13)  

PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

 

            12.16%

   
(14)  

TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

 

            IN, HC

   

 

Page 5


INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT

 

This Amendment No. 12 (this “Amendment”) relates to the Schedule 13D filed on behalf of (i) Liberation Investments, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“LILP”); (ii) Liberation Investments Ltd. (“LILTD”), a private offshore investment corporation; (iii) Liberation Investment Group, LLC (“LIGLLC”), a Delaware limited liability company and general partner of LILP and discretionary investment advisor to LILTD; and (iv) Emanuel R. Pearlman, as General Manager, Chief Investment Officer and majority member of LIGLLC, with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 8, 2004, as amended by Amendment No. 1 filed on July 13, 2004, Amendment No. 2 filed on August 27, 2004, Amendment No. 3 filed on September 1, 2004, Amendment No. 4 filed on September 10, 2004, Amendment No. 5 filed on December 13, 2004, Amendment No. 6 filed on April 26, 2005, Amendment No. 7 filed on May 6, 2005, Amendment No. 8 filed on July 19, 2005, Amendment No. 9 filed on July 22, 2005, Amendment No. 10 filed on September 19, 2005 and Amendment No. 11 filed on October 11, 2005 (the “Schedule 13D”), relating to shares of common stock, $.01 par value per share, of Bally Total Fitness Holding Corporation (the “Company”).

 

Items 4 and 7 of the Schedule 13D are hereby amended and supplemented as follows:

 

ITEM 4. PURPOSE OF TRANSACTION

 

On October 31, 2005, pursuant to Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, LILP and LILTD submitted a letter (a copy of which is attached to this filing as Exhibit 16, the “Demand Letter”) to the Company pursuant to Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law demanding the right to inspect the Company’s stockholder list and certain books and records of the Company relating to, among other things, the (i) adoption by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) on October 18, 2005 of a Stockholder Rights Plan (the “Poison Pill”), (ii) independence of certain directors and the circumstances of their appointment to the Board and (iii) Company’s retention of Russell Reynolds Associates (“RRA”) to find independent directors and the relationship between RRA and existing directors of the Company.

 

LILP and LILTD submitted the Demand Letter to the Company in order to investigate the adoption of a management protection provision in the Poison Pill. In addition, LILP and LILTD seek to investigate whether all of the “independent” members of the Board are in fact independent of the influence of the Company’s management and whether their connections with the Company’s management were properly disclosed before they were appointed. LILP and LILTD intend to examine all of the documentary materials and other information made available to them by the Company pursuant to the Demand Letter and, if appropriate, use such materials in a legal action against the Company. In addition, LILP and LILTD are weighing the possibility of running a proxy contest to, among other possibilities, elect directors or change the Company’s by-laws to permit the stockholders to vote to remove Mr. Paul Toback as Chief Executive Officer of the Company.


As a result of their submission of the Demand Letter to the Company, LILP and LILTD may engage in discussions with the Company’s stockholders, management or Board concerning the matters set forth in clauses (i) through (iii) of this Item 4 of the Schedule 13D.

 

ITEM 7. MATERIAL TO BE FILED AS EXHIBITS

 

The following exhibit is filed with this Amendment:

 

Exhibit 16.   Letter Re: Demand For Inspection Of Books And Records Of Bally Total Fitness Holding Corporation Pursuant to 8 Del.C. §220, dated as of October 28, 2005, submitted by LILP and LILTD to the Company.


SIGNATURE

 

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

 

Dated: October 31, 2005

 

LIBERATION INVESTMENTS, L.P.
By:   Liberation Investment Group LLC, general partner
By:  

/s/ Emanuel R. Pearlman


    Emanuel R. Pearlman
    General Manager
LIBERATION INVESTMENTS LTD.
By:  

/s/ Emanuel R. Pearlman


    Emanuel R. Pearlman
    Director
LIBERATION INVESTMENT GROUP LLC
By:  

/s/ Emanuel R. Pearlman


    Emanuel R. Pearlman
    General Manager
EMANUEL R. PEARLMAN

/s/ Emanuel R. Pearlman