EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

       THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT is entered into between Bally Total Fitness Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Harold Morgan (the “Executive”) dated as of January 1, 2003 (“Effective Date”).

       WHEREAS, the Executive is employed by the Company as Senior Vice President, Human Resources pursuant to an employment agreement dated as of January 1, 2000 (“Prior Agreement”); and

       WHEREAS, the Company and Executive desire to enter into a new agreement in connection with Executive’s continuing employment with the Company.

       NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY AGREED:

             1.       Employment Period. The Company agrees to employ the Executive, and the Executive hereby agrees to be employed by the Company, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, for the initial period commencing on the Effective Date and ending on December 31, 2005. Commencing January 1, 2005, such employment period shall be extended each day by one day to create a new one year term. At any time at or after January 1, 2005, either the Company or the Executive may deliver notice (an “Expiration Notice”) to the other party (in the manner provided in Section 4(a)(iii)) that the employment period shall expire on the last day of the one year period commencing on the date of delivery of such notice (the initial employment period as so extended is the "Employment Period”).

             2.       Position and Duties.

             (a)       During the Employment Period:

             (b)       During the Employment Period, and excluding any periods of vacation and sick leave to which the Executive is entitled, the Executive agrees to devote substantially all of his attention and time during normal business hours to the business and affairs of the Company and, to the extent necessary to discharge the responsibilities assigned to the Executive, to use the Executive’s reasonable best efforts to perform faithfully and efficiently such responsibilities. During the Employment Period, Executive may engage in the following activities:

             3.       Compensation.

             (a)       Base Salary. During the Employment Period, the Executive shall receive an annual base salary (“Annual Base Salary”) in the gross amount of Three Hundred Thousand dollars ($300,000), payable in accordance with the normal payroll practices of the Company. During the Employment Period, at least annually, the Annual Base Salary shall be reviewed and may be increased (but not decreased). After any such increase, the term “Annual Base Salary” shall refer to Annual Base Salary as so increased.

             (b)       Annual Bonus. For each calendar year completed during the Employment Period, the Executive shall be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus (“Annual Bonus”) based upon the attainment of performance targets that are established by the Board, provided that the Executive shall have a target Annual Bonus of at least fifty percent (50%) of his Annual Base Salary.

             (c)       Incentive Awards. The Executive shall be eligible for annual equity awards under the Company’s 1996 Long-Term Incentive Plan (and any successor long-term incentive plan) (“Incentive Plan”) during the Employment Period as determined by the Board or duly authorized Committee of the Board.

             (d)       Benefits. During the Employment Period, the Executive shall be entitled to participate in all employee pension (defined contribution), welfare, perquisite (including any automobile allowance, executive health benefits and executive long-term disability benefits), fringe benefit, and other benefit plans, practices, policies and programs generally applicable to the most senior executives of the Company that may be established or maintained by the Company during the Employment Period.

             (e)       Expenses. During the Employment Period, the Executive shall be entitled to receive prompt reimbursement for all expenses incurred by the Executive in connection with his employment, in accordance with the Company’s policies for its most senior employees.

             (f)       Vacation. During the Employment Period, the Executive shall be entitled to paid vacation in accordance with the plans, policies, programs and practices of the Company as in effect with respect to the senior executives of the Company.

             4.       Termination of Employment.

             (a)       Definitions. The following definitions of terms shall apply for all purposes under this Agreement:

             (b)       Death or Disability.

             (c)       Cause; Expiration of Employment Period. If the Company terminates Executive’s employment for Cause, or Executive’s employment terminates pursuant to an Expiration Notice duly given by either Executive or the Company under Section 1, then the Company shall have no further obligation to Executive after the Date of Termination other than:

             5.       Change of Control.

             (a)       Change of Control Definition. A “Change of Control” shall, except as provided below, mean a Change of Control of the Company of a nature that would be required to be reported in response to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14A of Regulation 14A promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (as in effect on the Effective Date), whether or not the Company is then subject to such reporting requirement; provided that, without limitation, such a Change of Control shall be deemed to have occurred if:

             (b)       Company Termination of Employment. The provisions of Section 1 to the contrary notwithstanding, if within two years following a Change of Control the Company terminates the Executive’s employment other than for any of Cause, death or Disability, then the Company shall have no further obligation to the Executive after the Date of Termination other than:

             (c)       Parachute Payments.

             6.       Covenants.

             (a)       Introduction. The parties acknowledge that the provisions and covenants contained in this Section 6 are ancillary and material to this Agreement and that the limitations contained in this Agreement are reasonable in geographic and temporal scope and do not impose a greater restriction or restraint than is necessary to protect the goodwill and other legitimate business interests of the Company. The parties also acknowledge and agree that the provisions of this Section 6 do not adversely affect the Executive’s ability to earn a living in any capacity that does not violate the covenants contained herein.

             (b)       Confidential Information. The Executive shall hold in a fiduciary capacity for the benefit of the Company and all of its subsidiaries, partnerships, joint ventures, limited liability companies, and other affiliates (collectively, the “BTFHC Group”), all secret or confidential information, knowledge or data relating to the BTFHC Group, its franchisees, and their businesses (including, without limitation, any proprietary and not publicly available information concerning any processes, methods, trade secrets, research, secret data, costs, names of users or purchasers of their respective products or services, business methods, operating procedures or programs or methods of promotion and sale) that the Executive has obtained or obtains during the Executive’s employment by the BTFHC Group and that is not public knowledge (other than as a result of the Executive’s violation of this Section 6(b)) (“Confidential Information”). The Executive shall not communicate, divulge or disseminate Confidential Information at any time during or after the Executive’s employment with the BTFHC Group, except with prior written consent of the applicable member of the BTFHC Group, or as otherwise required by law or legal process. All records, files, memoranda, reports, customer lists, drawings, plans, documents and the like that the Executive uses, prepares or comes into contact with during the course of the Executive’s employment shall remain the sole property of the Company or the BTFHC Group, as applicable, and shall be turned over to the applicable member of the BTFHC Group upon termination of the Executive’s employment.

             (c)       Non-Recruitment. For purposes of this agreement, the “Restricted Period” means the period of the Executive’s employment with the BTFHC Group and the period following the Executive’s Date of Termination (i) of the unexpired time of the Employment Period if the Executive’s Date of Termination occurs before January 1, 2005 and before (and not in connection with) a Change in Control or (ii) of one year in all other cases. The Executive shall not, at any time during the Restricted Period, without the prior written consent of the Company, directly or indirectly, contact, solicit, recruit, or employ (whether as an employee, officer, director, agent, consultant or independent contractor) any person who was or is at any time during the previous twelve (12) months an employee, representative, officer or director of the BTFHC Group. Further, during the Restricted Period, Executive shall not take any action that could reasonably be expected to have the effect of encouraging or inducing any employee, representative, officer or director of the BTFHC Group to cease their relationship with the BTFHC Group for any reason.

             (d)       No Competition. During the Restricted Period, the Executive shall not invest in (other than in a publicly traded company with a maximum investment of no more than 1% of outstanding shares), consult, advise, or be otherwise engaged or employed by, any Competitor. A “Competitor” means any entity or enterprise that competes with the BTFHC Group through the operation of health or fitness clubs or any other business engaged in competition within five (5) miles of any health or fitness facility, or other business, which on the Date of Termination is owned, managed or under development to be owned or managed by the BTFHC Group or is owned by a franchisee of the BTFHC Group.

             (e)       Assistance to Company. The Executive agrees that, following termination of employment for any reason, the Executive shall assist and cooperate with the Company with regard to any matter or project in which the Executive was involved during the Executive’s employment with the Company, including but not limited to any litigation that may be pending or arise after such termination of employment. Further, the Executive agrees to notify the Company at the earliest opportunity of any contact that is made by any third parties concerning any such matter or project. The Company shall not unreasonably request such cooperation of Executive and shall compensate the Executive for any lost wages or expenses associated with such cooperation and assistance.

             (f)       Acknowledgement and Enforcement. The Executive acknowledges and agrees that:

       The Executive therefore agrees and consents that if the Executive commits any breach of a covenant under this Section 6 or threatens to commit any such breach, the Company shall have the right (in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other right or remedy that may be available to it) to temporary and permanent injunctive relief from a court of competent jurisdiction, without posting any bond or other security and without the necessity of proof of actual damage; provided, in the case of a breach of the noncompetition covenant of Section 6(d): (A) such injunctive relief shall be available only for a breach occurring during Executive’s employment and for one year following the Date of Termination of Executive’s employment and (B) without limiting any foregoing provision of this paragraph, the Executive shall forfeit any amounts payable under this Agreement during that part of the Restricted Period occurring after the period provided in the foregoing clause (A).

             7.       Successors. This Agreement is personal to the Executive and without the prior written consent of the Company shall not be assignable by the Executive otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Executive’s legal representatives. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company and its successors and assigns.

             8.       Indemnification. Executive shall be indemnified by the Company during his employment, and after the Date of Termination during all periods within any applicable statute of limitations or other period in which an action may be brought against Executive for his acts or omissions during his employment with the Company, to the same extent as the Company indemnifies other senior executives of the Company.

             9.       Arbitration. Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or the breach thereof, shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the Rules of the American Arbitration Association then pertaining in Chicago, Illinois and judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator or arbitrators may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. The arbitrator or arbitrators shall be deemed to possess the powers to issue mandatory orders and restraining orders in connection with such arbitration; provided, however, that nothing in this Section 9 shall be construed so as to deny the Company’s right and power to seek and obtain injunctive relief in a court of equity for any breach or threatened breach of Executive of any of his covenants contained in Section 6 hereof. The Executive and the Company shall each bear one-half of the costs and fees charged by the American Arbitration Association (including, without limitation, the arbitrator’s(s’) fees). The parties shall each be responsible for his or its own professional fees and costs, subject to any award of professional fees and costs in the discretion of the arbitrator or arbitrators.

             10.       Miscellaneous.

             (a)       This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois, without reference to principles of conflict of laws. The parties hereto irrevocably agree to submit to the jurisdiction and venue of the courts of the State of Illinois, in any action or proceeding brought with respect to or in connection with this Agreement. The captions of this Agreement are not part of the provisions hereof and shall have no force or effect. This Agreement may not be amended or modified otherwise than by a written agreement executed by the parties hereto or their respective successors and legal representatives.

             (b)       All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be given by hand delivery to the other party or by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:

      If to the Executive:

      At the most recent address on file for the Executive at the Company;

      If to the Company:

      Bally Total Fitness Holding Corporation
      8700 West Bryn Mawr Avenue
      Chicago, Illinois 60631

      Attention:    President, Chief Executive Officer

or to such other address as either party shall have furnished to the other in writing in accordance herewith. Notice and communications shall be considered delivered when actually received by the addressee.

             (c)       The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement.

             (d)       The Company may withhold from any amounts payable under this Agreement such Federal, state, or local taxes as shall be required to be withheld pursuant to any applicable law or regulation.

             (e)       The Executive’s or the Company’s failure to insist upon strict compliance with any provision of this Agreement or the failure to assert any right the Executive or the Company may have hereunder shall not be deemed to be a waiver of such provision or right or any other provision or right of this Agreement.

             (f)       From and after the Effective Date, this Agreement shall supersede any other employment agreement, severance agreement and change of control agreement, and the Company’s Employment Dispute Resolution Procedure (“EDRP”), between the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement unless, after the Effective Date, the parties enter into such agreement or adopt the EDRP with a specific provision, in writing, that such agreement or the EDRP shall supersede this Section 10(f); provided that the terms of any stock option or other long-term incentive award shall remain in full force and effect to the extent not otherwise specifically provided in this Agreement.

       IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Executive has set his hand and, pursuant to the authorization from its Board of Directors, the Company has caused this Agreement to be executed in its name and on their behalf, all as of the day and year first above written.

  
  
  [Name of Executive]  

  
  
  [Signature]  

  BALLY TOTAL FITNESS HOLDING CORPORATION.  


  By
  
  Its:   President, Chief Executive Officer  


  By
  
  Chairperson, Compensation Committee  

Source: OneCLE Business Contracts.