INTANGIBLE ASSETS AND GOODWILL (Block)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

Goodwil And Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Goodwill And Intangible Assets Disclosure Text Block

2. INTANGIBLE ASSETS AND GOODWILL

Goodwill and certain intangible assets are not amortized for book purposes. They may be, however, amortized for tax purposes. The Company accounts for its acquired broadcasting licenses as indefinite-lived intangible assets and, similar to goodwill, these assets are reviewed at least annually for impairment. At the time of each review, if the fair value is less than the carrying value of goodwill and certain intangibles (such as broadcasting licenses), then a charge is recorded to the results of operations.

There was no material change in the carrying value of broadcasting licenses or goodwill since the year ended December 31, 2016, other than as described below.

The Company recorded a $13.5 million loss in the first quarter of 2017 in net gain/loss on sale or disposal of assets as a result of the Company permanently discontinuing the operation of one of its stations and returning the station’s license to the FCC for cancellation, in order to facilitate the Merger.

Additionally, the carrying value of the broadcasting licenses at December 31, 2016, included the broadcasting licenses of a consolidated Variable Interest Entity (“VIE”) of approximately $15.7 million. These consolidated assets and liabilities of the VIE related to a pending acquisition of four radio stations in Charlotte, North Carolina. On October 17, 2016, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreement and a time brokerage agreement (“TBA”) to operate three of the four radio stations that were held in a trust (“Charlotte Trust”). As such, the amounts of the consolidated VIE at December 31, 2016, represented only the assets and liabilities of the three stations held in the Charlotte Trust.

Upon the completion of this transaction on January 6, 2017, the Company deconsolidated the amount of broadcasting licenses attributable to the VIE and recorded broadcasting licenses of all four radio stations based upon the preliminary purchase price allocation. Refer to Note 9, Business Combinations, for additional information.

	Broadcasting Licenses
	Carrying Amount
	March 31,		December 31,
	2017		2016
	(amounts in thousands)

Beginning of period balance as of January 1,	$	823,195	$	807,381
Disposition of FCC broadcasting license		(13,500)		-
Consolidation (deconsolidation) of a VIE		(15,738)		15,738
Acquisition of radio stations		17,174		-
Acquisitions - other		-		112
Disposition of radio stations previously reflected as held for sale		-		(36)
Ending period balance	$	811,131	$	823,195

Broadcasting Licenses Impairment Test

The Company performs its annual broadcasting license impairment test during the second quarter of each year by evaluating its broadcasting licenses for impairment at the market level using the direct method.

There were no events or circumstances since the Company’s prior year second quarter annual broadcasting licenses test that required the Company to re-test the carrying value of its broadcasting licenses.

Goodwill Impairment Test

The Company performs its annual goodwill impairment test during the second quarter of each year by assessing goodwill in each of the Company’s markets after determining that a radio market is a reporting unit.

There were no events or circumstances since the Company’s prior year second quarter annual goodwill test that required the Company to re-test the carrying value of its goodwill.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the aggregate amount of goodwill and a description of intangible assets, which may include (a) for amortizable intangible assets (also referred to as finite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, the amount of any significant residual value, and the weighted-average amortization period, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization (also referred to as indefinite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, and (c) the amount of research and development assets acquired and written off in the period, including the line item in the income statement in which the amounts written off are aggregated, if not readily apparent from the income statement. Also discloses (a) for amortizable intangibles assets in total and by major class, the gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization, the total amortization expense for the period, and the estimated aggregate amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization the carrying amount in total and by major class, and (c) for goodwill, in total and for each reportable segment, the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the period (including the aggregate amount of goodwill acquired, the aggregate amount of impairment losses recognized, and the amount of goodwill included in the gain (loss) on disposal of a reporting unit). If any part of goodwill has not been allocated to a reportable segment, discloses the unallocated amount and the reasons for not allocating. For each impairment loss recognized related to an intangible asset (excluding goodwill), discloses: (a) a description of the impaired intangible asset and the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method for determining fair value, (c) the caption in the income statement or the statement of activities in which the impairment loss is aggregated, and (d) the segment in which the impaired intangible asset is reported. For each goodwill impairment loss recognized, discloses: (a) a description of the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method of determining the fair value of the associated reporting unit, and (c) if a recognized impairment loss is an estimate not finalized and the reasons why the estimate is not final. May also disclose the nature and amount of any significant adjustments made to a previous estimate of an impairment loss.

+ References + Details