LONG-TERM DEBT

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Debt Disclosure Text Block

7.LONG-TERM DEBT(A) Senior Debt

The Credit Facility

On November 17, 2017, in connection with the Merger, the Company refinanced its previously outstanding indebtedness and also assumed CBS Radio’s outstanding indebtedness. As a result of the refinancing activity and the Merger, the Company’s outstanding credit facility (the “Credit Facility”) is comprised of the Revolver and a term loan component (the “Term B-1 Loan”).

The $250.0 million Revolver has a maturity date of November 17, 2022. The amount available under the Revolver, which includes the impact of outstanding letters of credit, was $110.1 million as of September 30, 2019.

The Term B-1 Loan has a maturity date of November 17, 2024. The Term B-1 Loan amortizes: (i) with equal quarterly installments of principal in annual amounts equal to 1.0% of the original principal amount of the Term B-1 Loan; and (ii) mandatory yearly prepayments based upon a percentage of Excess Cash Flow as defined in the agreement.

The Term B-1 Loan requires mandatory prepayments equal to a percentage of Excess Cash Flow, as defined within the agreement, subject to incremental step-downs, depending on the Consolidated Net First Lien Leverage Ratio as defined in the agreement. The Excess Cash Flow payment, if any, is due in the first quarter of each year, and is based on the Excess Cash Flow and Consolidated Net First Lien Leverage Ratio for the prior year. Because the Company made voluntary prepayments against the Term B-1 Loan in 2018, which may be applied toward the Excess Cash Flow payment, no Excess Cash Flow payment was due in the first quarter of 2019.

The Company expects to use the Revolver to: (i) provide for working capital; and (ii) provide for general corporate purposes, including capital expenditures and any or all of the following (subject to certain restrictions): repurchase of Class A common stock, dividends, investments and acquisitions. In addition, the Credit Facility is secured by a lien on substantially all of the assets (including material real property) of Entercom Media Corp. and its subsidiaries with limited exclusions. All of the Company’s subsidiaries, jointly and severally guaranteed the Credit Facility. The assets securing the Credit Facility are subject to customary release provisions which would enable the Company to sell such assets free and clear of encumbrance, subject to certain conditions and exceptions.

The Credit Facility has usual and customary covenants including, but not limited to, a net first lien leverage ratio, restricted payments and the incurrence of additional debt. Specifically, the Credit Facility requires the Company to comply with a certain financial covenant which is a defined term within the agreement, including a maximum Consolidated Net First Lien Leverage Ratio that cannot exceed 4.0 times at September 30, 2019. In certain circumstances, if the Company consummates additional acquisition activity permitted under the terms of the Credit Facility, the Consolidated Net First Lien Leverage Ratio will be increased to 4.5 times for a one year period following the consummation of such permitted acquisition. As of September 30, 2019, the Company’s Consolidated Net First Lien Leverage Ratio was 2.7 times.

Failure to comply with the Company’s financial covenant or other terms of its Credit Facility and any subsequent failure to negotiate and obtain any required relief from its lenders could result in a default under the Company’s Credit Facility. Any event of default could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and financial condition. The acceleration of the Company’s debt repayment could have a material adverse effect on its business. The Company may seek from time to time to amend its Credit Facility or obtain other funding or additional funding, which may result in higher interest rates.

Management believes that over the next 12 months, the Company can continue to maintain compliance with its financial covenant. The Company’s operating cash flow is positive, and management believes that it is adequate to fund the Company’s operating needs and mandatory debt repayments under the Company’s Credit Facility. As of September 30, 2019, the Company is in compliance with the financial covenant and all other terms of the Credit Facility in all material respects. The Company’s ability to maintain compliance with its covenant is highly dependent on its results of operations.

Management believes that cash on hand, borrowing capacity from the Revolver and cash from operating activities will be sufficient to permit the Company to meet its liquidity requirements over the next 12 months, including its debt repayments. The cash available from the Revolver is dependent on the Company’s Consolidated Net First Lien Leverage Ratio at the time of such borrowing.

Long-term debt was comprised of the following:

			Long-Term Debt
			September 30,		December 31,
			2019		2018
				(amounts in thousands)
	Credit Facility
		Revolver, due November 17, 2022	$	134,000	$	180,000
		Term B-1 Loan, due November 17, 2024		866,700		1,291,700
		Plus unamortized premium		2,040		2,470
				1,002,740		1,474,170
	Notes
		6.500% notes due May 1, 2027		325,000		-
				325,000		-
	Senior Notes
		7.250% senior unsecured notes, due October 17, 2024		400,000		400,000
		Plus unamortized premium		12,338		14,158
				412,338		414,158
		Other debt		881		912
Total debt before deferred financing costs				1,740,959		1,889,240
		Deferred financing costs (excludes the revolving credit)		(17,003)		(17,037)
Total long-term debt			$	1,723,956	$	1,872,203
Outstanding standby letters of credit			$	5,862	$	5,862

(B) Senior Unsecured Debt

The Senior Notes

Simultaneously with entering into the Merger and assuming the Credit Facility on November 17, 2017, the Company also assumed the 7.250% unsecured senior notes (the “Senior Notes”) that were subsequently modified and mature on October 17, 2024 in the amount of $400.0 million. The Senior Notes were originally issued by CBS Radio (now Entercom Media Corp) on October 17, 2016. The deferred financing costs and debt premium on the Senior Notes will be amortized over the term under the effective interest rate method. As of any reporting period, the amount of any unamortized debt finance costs and debt premium costs are reflected on the balance sheet as a subtraction and an addition to the $400.0 million liability, respectively.

Interest on the Senior Notes accrues at the rate of 7.250% per annum and is payable semi-annually in arrears on May 1 and November 1 of each year.

(C) Senior Secured Debt

On April 30, 2019, the Company’s finance subsidiary, Entercom Media Corp, issued $325.0 million in aggregate principal amount of senior secured second-lien notes due 2027 (the “Notes”) under an Indenture dated April 30, 2019 (the “Indenture”).

Interest on the Notes accrues at the rate of 6.500% per annum and is payable semi-annually in arrears on May 1 and November 1 of each year. Until May 1, 2022, only a portion of the Notes may be redeemed at a price of 106.500% of their principal amount plus accrued interest. On or after May 1, 2022, the Notes may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at a price of 104.875% of their principal amount plus accrued interest. The prepayment premiums continue to decrease over time on May 1 of each year, as described in the Indenture.

The Company used net proceeds of the offering, along with cash on hand and $89.0 million under its Revolver to repay $425.0 million of existing indebtedness under its Term B-1 Loan.

In connection with the refinancing activity described above, during the second quarter of 2019, the Company: (i) wrote off $1.6 million of unamortized deferred financing costs associated with the Term B-1 Loan; and (ii) recorded $3.9 million of new deferred financing costs which will be amortized over the term of the Notes under the effective interest rate method.

The Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior secured second-lien basis by each direct and indirect subsidiary of Entercom Media Corp. The Notes and the related guarantees are secured on a second-priority basis by liens on substantially all of the assets of Entercom Media Corp. and the guarantors. The Notes are not a registered security and there are no plans to register the Notes as a security in the future.

On April 30, 2019, Entercom Media Corp. amended the financial covenant in its Senior Secured Credit Agreement such that the calculation of Consolidated Net First Lien Leverage Ratio only includes first lien secured debt.

(D) Net Interest Expense

The components of net interest expense are as follows:

	Net Interest Expense
	Nine Months Ended
	September 30,
	2019		2018
	(amounts in thousands)
Interest expense	$	76,190	$	74,870
Amortization of deferred financing costs		2,227		2,389
Amortization of original issue discount (premium) of senior notes		(2,248)		(2,147)
Interest income and other investment income		(749)		(79)
Total net interest expense	$	75,420	$	75,033

	Net Interest Expense
	Three Months Ended
	September 30,
	2019		2018
		(amounts in thousands)
Interest expense	$	25,203	$	25,911
Amortization of deferred financing costs		755		798
Amortization of original issue discount (premium) of senior notes		(678)		(715)
Interest income and other investment income		(24)		(71)
Total net interest expense	$	25,256	$	25,923

(E) Interest Rate Transactions

The Company from time to time enters into interest rate transactions with different lenders to diversify its risk associated with interest rate fluctuations of its variable-rate debt. Under these transactions, the Company agrees with other parties to exchange, at specified intervals, the difference between fixed rate and floating rate interest amounts calculated by reference to an agreed notional principal amount against the variable-rate debt.

During the quarter ended June 30, 2019, the Company entered into an interest rate collar transaction in the notional amount of $560.0 million to hedge the Company’s exposure to fluctuations in interest rates on its variable-rate debt. Refer to Note 8, Derivative and Hedging Activities, for additional information.