The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday, Oct. 26, edition that Corus Entertainment now has five months left to address its debt crisis, but the company seems no closer to resolving the severe financial difficulties it first revealed in mid-July. The Globe's Jameson Berkow writes that Corus announced a new agreement with its lenders on Friday, along with its latest quarterly results. The deal, which involves a banking group led by the Royal Bank of Canada and Toronto-Dominion Bank, will enable Corus to take on significantly more debt in relation to its income. Under its original agreement, Corus was set to have its debt-to-earnings ratio drop to a maximum of 4.25 by Sept. 1. This meant that its total debt could not exceed 4.25 times its annual operating income, which Corus had previously acknowledged it was likely to exceed. The ratio was later increased to 4.75 through mid-October. The most recent amendment, announced on Friday, allows Corus to carry up to $5.75 in debt for every dollar of operating earnings until the end of 2024. From Jan. 1, 2025, through the end of March, Corus will be allowed to carry as much as $7.25 in debt for every dollar in annual operating income.
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