Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2016

Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Seasonality and Cyclicality

Broadcast advertising revenues are generally highest in the second and fourth quarters each year. This seasonality results partly from increases in consumer advertising in the spring and retail advertising in the period leading up to and including the holiday season. Broadcast advertising revenues are also typically higher in even-numbered years due to increased spending by political candidates, political parties and special interest groups in advance of elections. This political spending typically is heaviest during the fourth quarter.

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires our management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements. Our actual results could differ materially from these estimates. The most significant estimates we make relate to our allowance for doubtful accounts in receivables, valuation of goodwill and intangible assets, amortization of program broadcast rights and intangible assets, share-based compensation, pension costs, income taxes, employee medical insurance claims, useful lives of property and equipment and contingencies.

Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Earnings Per Share

We compute basic earnings per share by dividing net income attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the relevant period. The weighted-average number of common shares outstanding does not include restricted shares. These shares, although classified as issued and outstanding, are considered contingently returnable until the restrictions lapse and, in accordance with U.S. GAAP, are not included in the basic earnings per share calculation until the shares vest. Diluted earnings per share is computed by including all potentially dilutive common shares, including restricted shares and shares underlying stock options, in the denominator of the diluted weighted-average shares outstanding calculation, unless their inclusion would be anti-dilutive. In the three-months ended September 30, 2016, we reported a net loss and therefore all common stock equivalents are excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share for that period, since their inclusion would be anti-dilutive.

The following table reconciles basic weighted-average shares outstanding to diluted weighted-average shares outstanding for the three-month and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
	September 30,				September 30,
	2016		2015		2016		2015

Weighted-average shares outstanding-basic		71,879		71,638		71,850		67,215
Common stock equivalents for stock options and restricted stock		-		703		873		609
Weighted-average shares outstanding-diluted		71,879		72,341		72,723		67,824

Comprehensive Income, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

Our accumulated other comprehensive loss balances as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015 consist of adjustments to our pension liability and the related income tax benefit. Our comprehensive (loss) income for the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 consisted entirely of net (loss) income. Therefore the consolidated statement of comprehensive (loss) income is not presented for the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2016 or 2015.

Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are carried at cost. Depreciation is computed principally by the straight-line method. Maintenance, repairs and minor replacements are charged to operations as incurred; major replacements and betterments are capitalized. The cost of any assets sold or retired and the related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts at the time of disposition, and any resulting profit or loss is reflected in income or expense for the period. In the nine-months ended September 30, 2016, our total property and equipment balance, before accumulated depreciation, increased approximately $102.7 million as a result of property and equipment acquired in connection with recent acquisitions of television stations, and decreased approximately $3.7 million as a result of the disposition of one television station. In the nine-months ended September 30, 2015, our total property and equipment balance, before accumulated depreciation, increased approximately $16.0 million as a result of property and equipment acquired in connection with acquisitions of television stations. The remaining changes in the balances in the nine-months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 were due to routine property and equipment purchases and retirements. The following table lists the components of property and equipment by major category (dollars in thousands):

							Estimated
	September 30,			December 31,			Useful Lives
	2016			2015			(in years)
Property and equipment:
Land	$	45,306		$	36,529
Buildings and improvements		135,208			85,626			7	to	40
Equipment		468,692			420,380			3	to	20
		649,206			542,535
Accumulated depreciation		(320,577	)		(308,060	)
Total property and equipment, net	$	328,629		$	234,475

Loans and Leases Receivable, Allowance for Loan Losses Policy [Policy Text Block]

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Our allowance for doubtful accounts is equal to at least 85% of our receivable balances that are 120 days old or older. We may provide allowances for certain receivable balances that are less than 120 days old when warranted by specific facts and circumstances. We generally write-off accounts receivable balances when the customer files for bankruptcy or when all commonly used methods of collection have been exhausted.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). ASU 2014-09 provides new guidance on revenue recognition for revenue from contracts with customers and will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance when it becomes effective. This guidance requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The standard is intended to improve comparability of revenue recognition practices across entities and provide more useful information through improved financial statement disclosures. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606):

Deferral of the Effective Date

. ASU 2015-14 deferred the effective date of ASU 2014-09 by one year to interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and permitted early adoption of the standard, but not before the original effective date of December 15, 2016. The standard permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606):

Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing

. This ASU amends the guidance of ASU 2014-09 to clarify the identification of performance obligations and to provide additional licensing implementation guidance. In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606):

Narrow Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients

. This ASU was issued to provide guidance in assessing collectibility, presentation of sales taxes, noncash consideration, and completed contracts and contract modifications at transition, in order to reduce the potential for diversity in practice at initial application, and to reduce the cost and complexity of applying the standard. We are currently evaluating the expected impact of the requirements of these ASUs on our financial statements.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740) –

Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes

. ASU 2015-17 requires a “noncurrent” presentation of all deferred income taxes. Entities with publicly traded securities are required to apply the new guidance beginning in the annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods thereafter. We expect that the affected amounts on our balance sheets will be reclassified within our balance sheets to conform to this standard.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10) -

Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities

. ASU 2016-01 amends the guidance in U.S. GAAP regarding the classification and measurement of financial instruments. The new standard significantly revises an entity’s accounting related to the classification and measurement of investments in equity securities and the presentation of certain fair value changes for financial liabilities measured at fair value. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. We do not expect that the adoption of this ASU will have a material impact on our financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). ASU 2016-02 will supersede Topic 840,

Leases

, and thus will supersede nearly all existing lease guidance by requiring the reclassification of lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and requiring disclosure of key information about leasing arrangements. The standard will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. We are currently evaluating the expected impact that this ASU will have on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718) -

Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.

ASU 2016-09 amends the guidance in U.S. GAAP with the intent of simplifying several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. We do not expect that the adoption of this ASU will have a material impact on our financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) –

Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments

. ASU 2016-15 amends the guidance of U.S. GAAP with the intent of addressing eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice. One or more of these eight issues are applicable to our financial statements. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. We do not expect that the adoption of this ASU will have a material impact on our financial statements.

Reclassification, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Reclassifications

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30) -

Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs.

ASU 2015-03 amended previous guidance to require that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs were not affected by the amendments in this ASU. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-15, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30) -

Presentation and Subsequent Measurement of Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Line-of-Credit Arrangements- Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to Staff Announcement at June 18, 2015 EITF Meeting.

ASU 2015-15 amended previous guidance to codify the June 18, 2015 Staff Announcement that the SEC staff would not object to the deferral and presentation as an asset, and subsequent amortization of such asset, of deferred debt issuance costs related to line of credit arrangements. We adopted these standards as of January 1, 2016. In accordance with these standards, we have reclassified our deferred loan costs as a reduction in the balance of our long-term debt in our balance sheets as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015. Our deferred loan costs were previously presented as a non-current asset. In addition, certain other current and non-current liabilities have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.