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SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Principles Of Consolidation – The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries, all of which are 100% owned by the Company. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company also considers the applicability of any variable interest entities (“VIEs”) that are required to be consolidated by the primary beneficiary. From time to time, the Company may enter into a TBA in connection with a pending acquisition or disposition of radio stations and the requirement to consolidate a VIE may apply, depending on the facts and circumstances related to each transaction. As of December 31, 2014, the consolidation requirements as a VIE did not apply to a pending acquisition with Lincoln as described in Note 20, Contingencies And Commitments. The Company expects, however, that the VIE will apply to the Lincoln acquisition in the reporting period in which the time brokerage agreement (“TBA”) commences.

Reportable Segment

Reportable Segment - The Company operates under one reportable business segment, radio broadcasting, for which segment disclosure is consistent with the management decision-making process that determines the allocation of resources and the measuring of performance. Radio stations serving the same geographic area, which may be comprised of a city or combination of cities, are referred to as markets or as distinct operating segments. The Company has 23 operating segments. These operating segments are aggregated to create one reportable segment.

Management's Use Of Estimates

Management’s Use Of Estimates – The preparation of consolidated financial statements, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, as of the date of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates and assumptions are used for, but not limited to: (1) asset impairments, including broadcasting licenses and goodwill; (2) income tax valuation allowances for deferred tax assets; (3) allowance for doubtful accounts; (4) self-insurance reserves; (5) fair value of equity awards; (6) estimated lives for tangible and intangible assets; (7) contingency and litigation reserves; (8) fair value measurements,; and (9) uncertain tax positions. The Company’s accounting estimates require the use of judgment as future events and the effect of these events cannot be predicted with certainty. The accounting estimates may change as new events occur, as more experience is acquired and as more information is obtained. The Company evaluates and updates assumptions and estimates on an ongoing basis and may use outside experts to assist in the Company’s evaluation, as considered necessary. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes – The Company applies the liability method to the accounting for deferred income taxes. Deferred income taxes are recognized for all temporary differences between the tax and financial reporting bases of the Company’s assets and liabilities based on enacted tax laws and statutory tax rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. A valuation allowance is recorded for a net deferred tax asset balance when it is more likely than not that the benefits of the tax asset will not be realized. The Company reviews on a continuing basis the need for a deferred tax asset valuation allowance in the jurisdictions in which it operates. Any adjustment to the deferred tax asset valuation allowance is recorded in the consolidated statements of operations in the period that such an adjustment is required.

The Company applies the guidance for income taxes and intra-period allocation to the recognition of uncertain tax positions. This guidance clarifies the recognition, de-recognition and measurement in financial statements of income tax positions taken in previously filed tax returns or tax positions expected to be taken in tax returns, including a decision whether to file or not to file in a particular jurisdiction. The guidance requires that any liability created for unrecognized tax benefits is disclosed. The application of this guidance may also affect the tax bases of assets and liabilities and therefore may change or create deferred tax liabilities or assets. This guidance also clarifies the method to allocate income taxes (benefit) to the different components of income (loss), such as: (1) income (loss) from continuing operations; (2) income (loss) from discontinued operations; (3) extraordinary items; (4) other comprehensive income (loss); (5) the cumulative effects of accounting changes; and (6) other charges or credits recorded directly to shareholders’ equity. See Note 14 for a further discussion of income taxes.

Property And Equipment

Property And Equipment – Property and equipment are carried at cost. Major additions or improvements are capitalized, including interest expense when material, while repairs and maintenance are charged to expense when incurred. Upon sale or retirement, the related cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts, and any gain or loss is recognized in the statement of operations. Depreciation expense on property and equipment is determined on a straight-line basis.

Depreciation expense for property and equipment is reflected in the following table:

	Property And Equipment
	Years Ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
	(amounts in thousands)

Depreciation expense	$	6,748	$	7,543	$	9,903

As of December 31, 2014, the Company had construction commitments outstanding of $2.5 million.

During the current year, the Company wrote off a significant amount of unused and obsolete assets that primarily consisted of fully depreciated assets.

The following is a summary of the categories of property and equipment along with the range of estimated useful lives used for depreciation purposes:

	Depreciation Period		Property And Equipment
	In Years		December 31,
	From	To	2014		2013
			(amounts in thousands)

Land, land easements and land improvements	-	15	$	12,020	$	12,750
Buildings	20	40		21,836		22,660
Equipment	3	40		97,509		118,180
Furniture and fixtures	5	10		9,906		13,945
Leasehold improvements	shorter of economic life
	or lease term			21,245		21,442
				162,516		188,977
Accumulated depreciation				(118,667)		(145,193)
				43,849		43,784
Capital improvements in progress				813		655
Net property and equipment			$	44,662	$	44,439

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition – The Company generates revenue from the sale to advertisers of various services and products, including but not limited to: (1) commercial broadcast time; (2) internet banner ads or pre-video rolls; (3) promotional events; (4) e-commerce where an advertiser’s goods and services are sold through our websites; and (5) stations’ digital marketing solutions utilizing SmartReach Digital.

Revenue from services and products is recognized when delivered.

Advertiser payments received in advance of when the products or services are delivered are recorded on the Company’s balance sheet as unearned revenue.

Revenues presented in the consolidated financial statements are reflected on a net basis, after the deduction of advertising agency fees by the advertising agencies. The Company also evaluates when it is appropriate to recognize revenue based on the gross amount invoiced to the customer or the net amount retained by the Company if a third party is involved.

The following table presents the amounts of unearned revenues as of the periods indicated:

		Unearned Revenues
		December 31,
	Balance Sheet Location	2014		2013
		(amounts in thousands)

Current	Accrued compensation and other current liabilities	$	191	$	317
Long-term	Other long-term liabilities	$	10	$	43

Concentration Of Credit Risk

Concentration Of Credit Risk – The Company’s revenues and accounts receivable relate primarily to the sale of advertising within its radio stations’ broadcast areas. Credit is extended based on an evaluation of the customers’ financial condition and, generally, collateral is not required. Credit losses are provided for in the financial statements and consistently have been within management’s expectations. The Company also maintains deposit accounts with financial institutions. At times, such deposits may exceed FDIC insurance limits.

Long-Lived Assets

Long-Lived Assets - The Company evaluates the recoverability of its long-lived assets, which include property and equipment, broadcasting licenses (subject to an eight-year renewal cycle), goodwill, deferred charges, and other assets. See Note 4 for further discussion. If events or changes in circumstances were to indicate that an asset’s carrying value is not recoverable, a write-down of the asset would be recorded through a charge to operations. The determination and measurement of the fair value of long-lived assets requires the use of significant judgments and estimates. Future events may impact these judgments and estimates.

During the second quarter of 2013, the Company conducted an evaluation of useful lives for longer-lived assets, such as broadcast towers and buildings. As a result of this review, which was based upon current facts and circumstances, the Company determined that future acquisitions may warrant the use of longer lives anywhere between 15 years and 40 years.

Debt Issuance Costs And Original Issue Discount

Debt Issuance Costs And Original Issue Discount – The costs related to the issuance of debt are capitalized and amortized over the lives of the related debt and such amortization is accounted for as interest expense. The Company modified its outstanding debt in December 2013 and in November 2012 and recorded deferred debt issuance costs that were in addition to those costs initially incurred prior to the modifications. See Note 8 for further discussion for the amount of deferred financing expense and original issue discount that was included in interest expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

Extinguishment Of Debt

Extinguishment Of Debt –The Company may amend, append or replace, in part or in full, its outstanding debt. The Company reviews its unamortized financing costs associated with its outstanding debt to determine the amount subject to extinguishment under the accounting provisions for an exchange of debt instruments with substantially different terms or changes in a line-of-credit or revolving-debt arrangement. In connection with the Company’s November 2012 debt modification, the Company recorded debt extinguishment costs. See Note 8 for a discussion of any debt extinguishments associated with the Company’s long-term debt.

Corporate General And Administrative Expense

Corporate General And Administrative Expense – Corporate general and administrative expense consists of corporate overhead costs and non-cash compensation expense. Included in corporate general and administrative expenses are those costs not specifically allocable to any of the Company’s individual business properties.

Time Brokerage Agreement (Income) Fees

Time Brokerage Agreement (Income) Fees – TBA fees or income consist of fees paid or received under agreements which permit an acquirer to program and market stations prior to an acquisition. The Company sometimes enters into a TBA prior to the consummation of station acquisitions and dispositions. The Company may also enter into a Joint Sales Agreement (“JSA”) to market, but not to program, a station for a defined period of time. See Note 20, Contingencies And Commitments, for a discussion of a TBA in connection with the pending Lincoln acquisition.

Barter Transactions

Barter Transactions – The Company provides advertising broadcast time in exchange for certain products, supplies and services. The terms of the exchanges generally permit the Company to preempt such broadcast time in favor of advertisers who purchase time on regular terms. The Company includes the value of such exchanges in both broadcasting net revenues and station operating expenses. Barter valuation is based upon management’s estimate of the fair value of the products, supplies and services received. See Note 15, Supplemental Cash Flow Disclosures On Non-Cash Investing And Financing Activities, for a summary of the Company’s barter transactions.

Business Combinations

Business Combinations – Accounting guidance for business combinations provides the criteria to recognize intangible assets apart from goodwill. Other than goodwill, the Company uses a direct value method to determine the fair value of all intangible assets required to be recognized for business combinations. For a discussion of impairment testing of those assets acquired in a business combination, including goodwill, see Note 4.

Asset Retirement Obligations

Asset Retirement Obligations – The Company reasonably estimates the fair value of an asset retirement obligation. For an asset retirement obligation that is conditional (uncertainty about the timing and/or method of settlement), the Company factors into its fair value measurement a probability factor as the obligation depends upon a future event that may or may not be within the control of the Company. The Company’s asset retirement obligations are not significant when compared to its net outstanding property and equipment.

Accrued Compensation

Accrued Compensation – Certain types of employee compensation, which amounts are included in the balance sheets under accrued compensation and other current liabilities, are paid in subsequent periods. See Note 6 for amounts reflected in the balance sheets.

Cash And Cash Equivalents

Cash And Cash Equivalents – Cash consists primarily of amounts held on deposit with financial institutions. From time to time, the Company may invest in cash equivalents, which consists of investments in immediately available money market accounts and all highly liquid debt instruments with initial maturities of three months or less.

Derivative Financial Instruments

Derivative Financial Instruments – The Company follows accounting guidance for its derivative financial instruments that it enters into from time to time, including certain derivative instruments embedded in other contracts, and hedging activities.

Leases

Leases – The Company follows accounting guidance for its leases, which includes the recognition of escalated rents on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease agreement, as described further in Note 7.

Share-Based Compensation

Share-Based Compensation – The Company records compensation expense for all share-based payment awards made to employees and directors, at estimated fair value. The Company also uses the simplified method in developing an estimate of the expected term of certain stock options. For further discussion of share-based compensation, see Note 12.

Investments

Investments – For those investments in which the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence over the operating and financial policies of the investee, the investment is accounted for under the equity method. For those investments in which the Company does not have such significant influence, the Company applies the accounting guidance for certain investments in debt and equity securities. An investment is classified into one of three categories: held-to-maturity, available-for-sale, or trading securities, and, depending upon the classification, is carried at fair value based upon quoted market prices or historical cost when quoted market prices are unavailable.

The Company also provides certain quantitative and qualitative disclosures for those investments that are impaired (other than temporarily) at the balance sheet date and for those investments for which an impairment has not been recognized.

Advertising And Promotion Costs

Advertising And Promotion Costs – Costs of media advertising and associated production costs are expensed when incurred.

Insurance And Self-Insurance Liabilities

Insurance And Self-Insurance Liabilities – The Company uses a combination of insurance and self-insurance mechanisms to provide for the potential liabilities for workers’ compensation, general liability, property, director and officers’ liability, vehicle liability and employee health care benefits. Liabilities associated with the risks that are retained by the Company are estimated, in part, by considering claims experience, demographic factors, severity factors, outside expertise and other actuarial assumptions. For any legal costs expected to be incurred in connection with a loss contingency, the Company recognizes the expense as incurred.

Recognition Of Insurance Recoveries

Recognition Of Insurance Recoveries – The Company recognizes insurance recoveries when all of the contingencies related to the insurance claims have been satisfied.

Sports Programming Costs

Sports Programming Costs – Programming costs which are for a specified number of events are amortized on an event-by-event basis, and programming costs which are for a specified season are amortized over the season on a straight-line basis. The Company allocates that portion of sports programming costs that are related to sponsorship and marketing activities to sales and marketing expenses on a straight-line basis over the term of the agreement.

Accrued Litigation

Accrued Litigation - The Company evaluates the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome in legal or regulatory proceedings to which it is a party and records a loss contingency when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. These judgments are subjective, based on the status of such legal or regulatory proceedings, the merits of the Company’s defenses and consultation with corporate and external legal counsel. Actual outcomes of these legal and regulatory proceedings may materially differ from the Company’s estimates. The Company expenses legal costs as incurred in professional fees. See Note 20, Contingencies And Commitments.

Software Costs

Software Costs – The Company capitalizes direct internal and external costs incurred to develop internal-use software during the application development state. Internal-use software includes website development activities such as the planning and design of additional functionality and features for existing sites and/or the planning and design of new sites. Costs related to the maintenance, content development and training of internal-use software are expensed as incurred. Capitalized costs are amortized over the estimated useful life of three years using the straight-line method.

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

All new accounting pronouncements that are in effect that may impact the Company’s financial statements have been implemented. The Company does not believe that there are any other new accounting pronouncements that have been issued, other than for a few of those as listed below, that might have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

Extraordinary Items

In January 2015, the accounting guidance was updated to eliminate the concept of an extraordinary item and the requirement to consider whether an underlying event or transaction is extraordinary. If an item is considered extraordinary, it is presented in the income statement net of tax, after income from continuing operations. Eliminating the concept of extraordinary removes the uncertainty for the preparer as to whether the item had been treated properly. This guidance is effective for the Company as of January 1, 2016. The Company is currently evaluating this guidance, but does not anticipate it will have a material impact on its financial statements.

Derivatives And Hedging

In November 2014, the accounting guidance was updated for determining whether the host contract in a hybrid financial instrument issued in the form of a share is more akin to debt or to equity. This update does not change the current criteria for determining when separation of certain embedded derivative features in a hybrid financial instrument is required, but clarifies how current accounting guidance should be interpreted in the evaluation of the economic characteristics and risks of a host contract in a hybrid financial instrument that is issued in the form of a share, reducing existing diversity in practice. The Company is currently evaluating this guidance, but does not anticipate it will have a material impact on its financial statements. This guidance could, however, have an impact on the issuance of the Company’s preferred stock (see Note 20, Contingencies and Commitments). This guidance is effective for the Company as of January 1, 2016.

Stock-Based Performance Awards

In June 2014, accounting guidance was updated for stock-based awards when the terms of an award provide that a performance target that affects vesting could be achieved after the requisite service period. The current accounting standard for stock-based compensation as it applies to awards with performance conditions should be applied. This guidance is effective for the Company as of January 1, 2016. The Company is currently evaluating this guidance, but does not anticipate it will have a material impact on its financial statements.

Revenue From Contracts With Customers

In May 2014, the accounting guidance was updated for revenue recognition from contracts with customers. Along with the update, most industry-specific revenue guidance was eliminated. The new guidance is based on the principle that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. The guidance will be applied using one of two retrospective methods. The guidance is effective for the Company as of January 1, 2017. The Company has not determined the potential effects of this guidance on its financial statements.

Reporting Discontinued Operations

In April 2014, the criteria for reporting discontinued operations, including enhanced disclosures, was modified under new accounting guidance. Under the new guidance, only disposals that have a major effect through a strategic shift on an organization’s operations and financial results should be presented as discontinued operations. In addition, the new guidance requires expanded disclosures that will provide financial statement users with more information about the assets, liabilities, income, and expenses of discontinued operations. The guidance is effective for the Company as of January 1, 2016. The Company expects that this new guidance will reduce the number of transactions that will qualify for reporting discontinued operations.

Netting Of Unrecognized Tax Benefits Against Tax Assets

In June 2013, the accounting guidance was modified to require the netting of unrecognized tax benefits against a deferred tax asset for a loss or other carryforward that would apply in the settlement of uncertain tax positions. This guidance was effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2014. The adoption of this guidance did not have any effect on the presentation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements as the Company’s current and prior presentation conforms to this new guidance.

Obligations Resulting From Joint And Several Liability Arrangements

In February 2013, the accounting guidance was amended for obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements for which the total amount of the obligation is fixed at the reporting date. The amendments provide guidance on the recognition, measurement, and disclosure of obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements, including debt arrangements, other contractual obligations, and settled litigation and judicial rulings, for which the total amount of the obligation is fixed at the reporting date. The amendment was effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2014 and was applied retrospectively. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material effect on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.