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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 1996 Commission file number: 0-26076
SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP, INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
---------------------
Maryland 52-1494660
(State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
incorporation or organization)
2000 WEST 41ST STREET
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21211
(ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)
(410) 467-5005
(REGISTRANT'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 (b) of the Act: None
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 (g) of the Act:
Class A Common Stock, par value $.01 per share
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required
to be filed by Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant
was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing
requirements for the past 90 days. Yes [X] No [ ]
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent files pursuant to Item 405 of
Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best
of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements
incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this
Form 10-K. [ ]
Based on the closing sale price of $25.25 per share as of February 24, 1997, the
aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the
Registrant was approximately $174.0 million.
As of February 25, 1997, there were 6,911,880 shares of Class A Common Stock,
$.01 par value, 27,850,581 shares of Class B Common Stock, $.01 par value and
1,138,318 shares of Series B Preferred Stock, $.01 par value, of the Registrant
issued and outstanding.
PART I
The matters discussed in this Form 10-K include forward-looking statements.
Such statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, such as the
impact of changes in national and regional economies, successful integration of
acquired television and radio stations (including achievement of synergies and
cost reductions), pricing fluctuations in local and national advertising and
volatility in programming costs. Additional risk factors regarding the Company
are set forth in the Company's registration statement on Form S-3 filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on November 7, 1996 (as amended).
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
The Company is a diversified broadcasting company that owns or provides
programming services to more television stations than any other commercial
broadcasting group in the United States. The Company currently owns or provides
programming services to 28 television stations and has agreed to acquire one
additional television station. The Company believes it is also one of the top 20
radio groups in the United States, when measured by the total number of radio
stations owned, programmed or with which the Company has Joint Sales Agreements
("JSAs"). (For a description of JSAs see - Federal Regulation of Television and
Radio Broadcasting - Ownership Matters - Radio - Local Marketing Agreements.)
The Company owns or provides programming services to 23 radio stations, has
pending acquisitions of two radio stations (with both of which it has JSAs), has
a JSA with one additional radio station and has options to acquire an additional
seven radio stations.
The 28 television stations the Company owns or programs pursuant to Local
Marketing Agreements ("LMAs") are located in 20 geographically diverse markets,
with 23 of the stations in the top 51 television Designated Market Areas
("DMAs") in the United States. (For a description of LMAs see - Federal
Regulation of Television and Radio Broadcasting - Ownership Matters - Local
Marketing Agreements. A DMA is one of 211 generally-recognized television market
areas.) The Company's television station group is diverse in network affiliation
with ten stations affiliated with Fox, 11 with UPN, two with ABC, two with
Warner Brothers and one with CBS. Two stations operate as Independents.
The Company's radio station group is also geographically diverse with a
variety of programming formats including country, urban, news/talk/sports,
album/progressive rock and adult contemporary. Of the 26 stations owned,
programmed or with which the Company has a JSA, 12 broadcast on the AM band and
14 on the FM band. The Company owns or programs from two to seven stations in
all but one of the radio markets it serves.
The Company has undergone rapid and significant growth over the course of the
last six years. Beginning with the acquisition of WPGH in Pittsburgh in 1991,
the Company has increased the number of television stations it owns or programs
from three to 28. From 1991 to 1996, net broadcast revenues and operating cash
flow increased from $39.7 million to $346.5 million, and from $15.5 million to
$180.3 million. Pro forma for the acquisitions described below, 1996 net
broadcasting revenue and operating cash flow would have been $445.0 million and
$206.5 million, respectively.
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TELEVISION BROADCASTING
The Company owns and operates, provides programming services to, or has
agreed to acquire the following television stations:
NUMBER OF
COMMERCIAL EXPIRATION
MARKET STATIONS IN STATION DATE OF
MARKET RANK(A) STATIONS STATUS(B) CHANNEL AFFILIATION THE MARKET(C) RANK(D) FCC LICENSE
- ----------------------- -------- ---------- ----------- --------- ------------- -------------- --------- --------------
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania......... 19 WPGH O&O 53 FOX 6 4 8/1/99
WPTT LMA 22 UPN 5 8/1/99
St. Louis, Missouri ... 20 KDNL LMA(e) 30 ABC 7 5 2/1/98
Sacramento,
California........... 21 KOVR LMA(e) 13 CBS 8 3 2/1/99
Baltimore, Maryland ... 23 WBFF O&O 45 FOX 5 4 10/1/01
WNUV LMA 54 UPN 5 10/1/01
Indianapolis, Indiana.. 25 WTTV LMA(e) 4 UPN 8 4 8/1/97
WTTK LMA(e)(f) 29 UPN 4 8/1/97
Cincinnati, Ohio....... 29 WSTR O&O 64 UPN 5 5 10/1/97
Raleigh-Durham,
North Carolina....... 30 WLFL O&O 22 FOX 7 3 12/1/01
WRDC LMA 28 UPN 5 12/1/01
Milwaukee, Wisconsin .. 31 WCGV O&O 24 UPN 6 4 12/1/97
WVTV LMA 18 WB 5 12/1/97
Kansas City, Missouri . 32 KSMO O&O 62 UPN 7 5 2/1/98
Columbus, Ohio......... 34 WTTE O&O 28 FOX 5 4 10/1/97
Asheville, North
Carolina and
Greenville/
Spartanburg/Anderson,
South Carolina....... 35 WFBC LMA(g) 40 IND(i) 6 5 12/1/01
WLOS LMA(e) 13 ABC 6 3 12/0/01
San Antonio, Texas .... 37 KABB LMA(e) 29 FOX 7 4 8/1/98
KRRT LMA(h) 35 UPN 6 8/1/98
Norfolk, Virginia...... 40 WTVZ O&O 33 FOX 6 4 10/1/01
Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma............. 43 KOCB O&O 34 UPN 7 5 6/1/98
Birmingham, Alabama ... 51 WTTO O&O 21 WB 5 4 4/1/97
WABM LMA 68 UPN 5 4/1/97
Flint/Saginaw/Bay
City, Michigan....... 60 WSMH O&O 66 FOX 5 4 10/1/97
Las Vegas, Nevada...... 64 KUPN Pending 21 UPN 8 5 10/1/98
Lexington, Kentucky ... 68 WDKY O&O 56 FOX 5 4 8/1/97
Des Moines, Iowa....... 72 KDSM LMA(e) 17 FOX 4 4 2/1/98
Peoria/Bloomington,
Illinois............. 109 WYZZ O&O 43 FOX 4 4 12/1/97
Tuscaloosa, Alabama ... 187 WDBB LMA 17 IND(i) 2 2 4/1/97
- ----------
(a) Rankings are based on the relative size of a station's DMA among the 211
generally recognized DMAs in the United States as estimated by Nielsen.
(b) "O&O" refers to stations owned and operated by the Company, "LMA" refers to
stations to which the Company provides programming services pursuant to an
LMA and "Pending" refers to stations the Company has agreed to acquire.
(c) Represents the number of television stations designed by Nielsen as "local"
to the DMA, excluding public television stations and stations which do not
meet the minimum Nielsen reporting standards (weekly cumulative audience of
at least 2.5%) for the Sunday- Saturday, 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. time period.
(Footnotes continued on following page)
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(d) The rank of each station in its market is based upon the November 1996
Nielsen estimates of the percentage of persons tuned to each station in the
market from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., Sunday-Saturday.
(e) Non-License Assets (as defined herein) acquired from River City
Broadcasting, L.P. and its controlled entities and option exercised to
acquire License Assets (as defined herein). Will become owned and operated
upon FCC approval of transfer of License Assets and closing of acquisition
of License Assets.
(f) WTTK currently simulcasts all of the programming aired on WTTV and the
station rank applies to the combined viewership of these stations.
(g) Non-License Assets acquired from River City. License Assets to be acquired
by Glencairn, Ltd., subject to the Company's LMA, upon FCC approval of
transfer of License Assets.
(h) River City provided programming to this station pursuant to an LMA. The
Company acquired River City's rights under the LMA from River City and the
Non-License Assets from the owners of this station. The License Assets are
to be transferred to Glencairn upon FCC approval of transfer of assets.
(i) "IND" or "Independent" refers to a station that is not affiliated with any
of ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, UPN or Warner Brothers.
OPERATING STRATEGY
The Company's television operating strategy includes the following key
elements.
ATTRACTING VIEWERSHIP
Popular Programming. The Company believes that an important factor in
attracting viewership to its stations is their network affiliations with Fox,
UPN, ABC, CBS and WB. These affiliations enable the Company to attract viewers
by virtue of the quality first-run original programming provided by these
networks and the networks' promotion of such programming. The Company also seeks
to obtain, at attractive prices, popular syndicated programming that is
complementary to the station's network affiliation. Examples of popular
syndicated programming obtained by the Company for broadcast on its Fox, WB and
UPN affiliates and independent stations are "Mad About You," "Frasier," "The
Simpsons," "Home Improvement" and "Seinfeld." In addition to network
programming, the Company's ABC and CBS affiliates broadcast news magazine, talk
show, and game show programming such as "Hard Copy," "Entertainment Tonight,"
"Regis and Kathie Lee," "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy."
Children's Programming. The Company seeks to be a leader in children's
programming in each of its respective DMAs. The Company's nationally recognized
"Kids Club" was the forerunner and model for the Fox network-wide marketing
efforts promoting children's programming. Sinclair carries the Fox Children's
Network ("FCN") and UPN's childrens' programming, both of which include
significant amounts of animated programming throughout the week. In those
markets where the Company owns or programs ABC or CBS affiliates, the Company
broadcasts those networks' animated programming during weekends. In addition to
this animated programming, the Company broadcasts other forms of children's
programming, which may be produced by the Company or by an affiliated network.
Counter-Programming. The Company's programming strategy on its Fox, UPN and
Independent stations also includes "counter-programming," which consists of
broadcasting programs that are alternatives to the types of programs being shown
concurrently on competing stations. This strategy is designed to attract
additional audience share in demographic groups not served by concurrent
programming on competing stations. The Company believes that implementation of
this strategy enables its stations to achieve competitive rankings in households
in the 18-49 and 25-54 demographics and to offer greater diversity of
programming in each of its DMAs.
Local News. The Company believes that the production and broadcasting of
local news can be an important link to the community and an aid to the station's
efforts to expand its viewership. In addition, local news programming can
provide access to advertising sources targeted specifically to local news. The
Company carefully assesses the anticipated benefits and costs of producing local
news prior to introduction at a Company station because a significant investment
in capital equipment is required and substantial operating expenses are incurred
in introducing, developing and producing local news programming. The Company
currently provides local news programming at WBFF in Baltimore, WLFL in
Raleigh/Durham, KDNL in St. Louis, KABB in San Antonio, KOVR in Sacramento, WPGH
in Pittsburgh and WLOS in Asheville. The Company also broadcasts news programs
on WDKY in Lexington, which are produced in part by the Company and in part
through the purchase of production services from an independent third party and
on
4
WTTV in Indianapolis, which are produced by a third party in exchange for a
limited number of advertising spots. River City Broadcasting, L.P. and its
controlled entities (collectively, "River City") provide the Company news
production services with respect to the production of news programming and on
air talent on WTTE. Pursuant to an agreement, River City provides certain
services to the Company in return for a fee equal to approximately $416,000 per
year. The possible introduction of local news at the other Company stations is
reviewed periodically. The Company's policy is to institute local news
programming at a specific station only if the expected benefits of local news
programming at the station are believed to exceed the associated costs after an
appropriate start-up period.
Popular Sporting Events. The Company attempts to capture a portion of
advertising dollars designated to sports programming in selected DMAs. The
Company's independent and UPN affiliated stations generally face fewer
restrictions on broadcasting live local sporting events than do their
competitors that are affiliates of the major networks and Fox since affiliates
of the major networks are subject to prohibitions against preemptions of network
programming. The Company has been able to acquire the local television broadcast
rights for certain sporting events, such as NBA basketball, Major League
Baseball, NFL football, NHL hockey, ACC basketball, Big Ten football and
basketball, and SEC football. The Company seeks to expand its sports
broadcasting in DMAs as profitable opportunities arise. In addition, the
Company's stations that are affiliated with Fox broadcast certain Major League
Baseball games, NFL football games and NHL hockey games.
INNOVATIVE LOCAL SALES AND MARKETING
The Company believes that it is able to attract new advertisers to its
stations and increase its share of existing customers' advertising budgets by
creating a sense of partnership with those advertisers. The Company develops
such relationships by training its sales forces to offer new marketing ideas and
campaigns to advertisers. These campaigns often involve the sponsorship by
advertisers of local promotional events that capitalize on the station's local
identity and programming franchises. For example, several of the Company's
stations stage local Kids Fairs which allow station advertisers to reinforce
their on-air advertising with their target audience. Through its strong local
sales and marketing focus, the Company seeks to capture an increasing share of
its revenues from local sources, which are generally more stable than national
advertising.
CONTROL OF OPERATING AND PROGRAMMING COSTS
By employing a disciplined approach to managing programming acquisition and
other costs, the Company has been able to achieve operating margins that the
Company believes are among the highest in the television broadcast industry. The
Company has sought in the past and will continue to seek to acquire quality
programming for prices at or below prices paid in the past. As an owner or
provider of programming services to 28 stations in 20 DMAs reaching
approximately 14% of U.S. television households, the Company believes that it is
able to negotiate favorable terms for the acquisition of programming. Moreover,
the Company emphasizes control of each of its stations' programming and
operating costs through program-specific profit analysis, detailed budgeting,
tight control over staffing levels and detailed long-term planning models.
ATTRACT AND RETAIN HIGH QUALITY MANAGEMENT
The Company believes that much of its success is due to its ability to
attract and retain highly skilled and motivated managers, both at the corporate
and local station levels. A portion of the compensation provided to general
managers, sales managers and other station managers is based on their achieving
certain operating results. The Company also provides its corporate and station
managers with deferred compensation plans offering options to acquire Class A
Common Stock.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Each of the Company's stations actively participates in various community
activities and offers many community services. The Company's activities include
broadcasting programming of local interest and sponsorship of community and
charitable events. The Company also encourages its station employees to become
5
active members of their communities and to promote involvement in community and
charitable affairs. The Company believes that active community involvement by
its stations provides its stations with increased exposure in their respective
DMAs and ultimately increases viewership and advertising support.
ESTABLISH LMAS
- --------------
The Company believes that it can attain significant growth in operating cash
flow through the utilization of LMAs. By expanding its presence in a market in
which it owns a station, the Company can improve its competitive position with
respect to a demographic sector. In addition, by providing programming services
to an additional station in a market, the Company is able to realize significant
economies of scale in marketing, programming, overhead and capital expenditures.
The Company provides programming services pursuant to an LMA to an additional
station in seven of its 20 television markets.
PROGRAMMING AND AFFILIATIONS
The Company continually reviews its existing programming inventory and seeks
to purchase the most profitable and cost-effective syndicated programs available
for each time period. In developing its selection of syndicated programming, the
Company balances the cost of available syndicated programs with their potential
to increase advertising revenue and the risk of their reduced popularity during
the term of the program contract. The Company seeks to purchase only those
programs with contractual periods that permit programming flexibility and which
complement a station's overall programming strategy and counter-programming
strategy. Programs that can perform successfully in more than one time period
are more attractive due to the long lead time and multi-year commitments
inherent in program purchasing.
Twenty-six of the 28 television stations owned or provided programming
services by the Company operate as affiliates of Fox (ten stations), UPN (eleven
stations), ABC (two stations), WB (two stations) and CBS (one station). The
networks produce and distribute programming in exchange for each station's
commitment to air the programming at specified times and for commercial
announcement time during the programming. In addition, networks other than Fox
and UPN pay each affiliated station a fee for each network-sponsored program
broadcast by the stations.
On August 21, 1996, the Company entered into an agreement with Fox (the "Fox
Agreement") which, among other things, provides that the affiliation agreements
between Fox and eight stations owned or provided programming services by the
Company (except as noted below) would be amended to have new five-year terms
commencing on the date of the Fox Agreement. Fox has the option to extend the
affiliation agreements for an additional five-year term and must extend all of
the affiliation agreements if it extends any (except that Fox may selectively
renew affiliation agreements if any station has breached its affiliation
agreement). The Fox Agreement also provides that the Company will have the right
to purchase, for fair market value, any station Fox acquires in a market
currently served by a Company owned Fox affiliate (other than the Norfolk and
Raleigh-Durham markets) if Fox determines to terminate the affiliation agreement
with the Company's station in that market and operate the station acquired by
Fox as a Fox affiliate. The agreement confirmed that the affiliation agreement
for WTTO (Birmingham, Alabama) would terminate on September 1, 1996, and that
affiliation agreements for WTVZ (Norfolk, Virginia) and WLFL (Raleigh, North
Carolina) will terminate August 31, 1998. The Fox Agreement also includes
provisions limiting the ability of the Company to preempt Fox programming except
where it has existing programming conflicts or where the Company preempts to
serve a public purpose.
The Company's affiliation agreement with ABC for WLOS in Asheville has a term
which expires in September 1998 but which automatically renews for two-year
periods unless either party elects to terminate on six months notice, and its
affiliation agreement with CBS for KOVR in Sacramento has a 10-year term
expiring in 2005. Each of the Company's UPN affiliation agreements is for three
years, and expires in January 1998.
Each of the affiliation agreements relating to stations involved in the
Company's acquisition, agreed to on April 10, 1996, of certain assets of River
City ( the "River City Acquisition") (other than River City's Fox affiliates) is
terminable by the network upon transfer of the License Assets (as defined
herein) of the station. In addition, KDNL (St. Louis) is being operated as an
ABC
6
affiliate pursuant to terms negotiated with ABC, but no affiliation agreement
has been signed and ABC is not paying affiliation fees, and WLOS (Asheville) is
being operated pursuant to terms negotiated with ABC to replace an existing
agreement, but the new agreement has not been signed and ABC is paying the lower
affiliation fees called for under the old agreement.
RADIO BROADCASTING
The following table sets forth certain information regarding the radio
stations (i) programmed by the Company, (ii) with which the Company has JSAs,
(iii) or which the Company has an option to acquire. Except as indicated, the
Company owns the Non-License Assets (as defined herein) of the following
stations, and the Company programs these stations pursuant to an LMA with River
City.
RANKING OF STATION RANK EXPIRATION
GEOGRAPHIC STATION'S STATION PRIMARY IN PRIMARY DATE OF
MARKET MARKET BY PROGRAMMING DEMOGRAPHIC DEMOGRAPHIC FCC
SERVED(A) REVENUE(B) FORMAT TARGET(C) TARGET(D) LICENSE
- ---------------- ------------ ------------------------- -------------- -------------- -------------
Los Angeles 2
KBLA-AM (e) Korean NA N/A 12/1/97
St. Louis 17
KPNT-FM Alternative Rock Adults 18-34 4 2/1/04
WVRV-FM Modern Adult
Contemporary Adults 18-34 7 12/1/03
New Orleans 38
WLMG-FM Adult Contemporary Women 25-54 2 6/1/03
KMEZ-FM Urban Oldies Women 25-54 6 6/1/03
WWL-AM News/Talk/Sports Adults 35-64 1 6/1/03
WSMB-AM Talk/Sports Adults 35-64 19 6/1/03
Buffalo 40
WMJQ-FM Adult Contemporary Women 25-54 2 6/1/98
WKSE-FM Contemporary Hit Radio Women 18-49 1 6/1/98
WBEN-AM News/Talk/Sports Adults 35-64 1 6/1/98
WWKB-AM Country Adults 35-64 16 6/1/98
WGR-AM(f)(g) Sports Adults 25-54 10 6/1/98
WWWS-AM(f)(g) Urban Oldies Women 25-54 12 6/1/98
Memphis 43
WRVR-FM Soft Adult Contemporary Women 25-54 3 8/1/03
WJCE-AM Urban Oldies Women 25-54 11 8/1/03
WOGY-FM Country Adults 25-54 10 8/1/03
Nashville 44
WLAC-FM Adult Contemporary Women 25-54 6 8/1/03
WJZC-FM Smooth Jazz Women 25-54 9 8/1/03
WLAC-AM News/Talk/Sports Adults 35-64 11 8/1/03
Greenville/
Spartanburg 59
WFBC-FM (h) Contemporary Hit Radio Women 18-49 6 12/1/02
WORD-AM (h) News/Talk Adults 35-64 9 12/1/02
WFBC-AM (h) News/Talk Adults 35-64 9 12/1/02
WSPA-AM(h) Full Service/Talk Adults 35-64 15 12/1/02
WSPA-FM(h) Soft Adult Contemporary Women 25-54 2 12/1/02
WOLI-FM(h)(i) Oldies Adults 25-54 9 12/1/02
WOLT-FM(h)(j) Oldies Adults 25-54 10 12/1/02
Wilkes-Barre/
Scranton 61
WKRZ-FM Contemporary Hit Radio Adults 18-49 1 8/1/98
WGGY-FM Country Adults 25-54 3 8/1/98
WILK-AM (k) News/Talk/Sports Adults 35-64 6 8/1/98
WGBI-AM(k) News/Talk/Sports Adults 35-64 31 8/1/98
WWSH-FM(f Soft Hits Women 25-54 7 8/1/98
WILP-AM(l) News/Talk/Sports Adults 35-64 31 8/1/98
WWFH-FM(m) Soft Hits Women 25-54 17 8/1/98
(Footnotes on following page)
7
- ----------
(a) Actual city of license may differ from the geographic market served.
(b) Ranking of the principal radio market served by the station among all U.S.
radio markets by 1995 aggregate gross radio broadcast revenue according to
1996 Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook.
(c) Due to variations that may exist within programming formats, the primary
demographic target of stations with the same programming format may be
different.
(d) ll information concerning ratings and audience listening information is
derived from the Fall 1996 Arbitron Metro Area Ratings Survey (the "Fall
1996 Arbitron"). Arbitron is the generally accepted industry source for
statistical information concerning audience ratings. Due to the nature of
listener surveys, other radio ratings services may report different
rankings; however, the Company does not believe that any radio ratings
service other than Arbitron is accorded significant weight in the radio
broadcast industry. "Station Rank in Primary Demographic Target" is the
ranking of the station among all radio stations in its market that are
ranked in its target demographic group and is based on the station's average
persons share in the primary demographic target in the applicable Metro
Survey Area. Source: Average Quarter Hour Estimates, Monday through Sunday,
6:00 a.m. to midnight, Fall 1996 Arbitron.
(e) Programming is provided to this station by a third party pursuant to an LMA.
(f) The Company sells advertising time on these stations pursuant to a JSA.
(g) The Company has agreed to acquire these stations, subject to FCC approval of
the transfer of the related licenses.
(h) The Company has an option to acquire Keymarket of South Carolina, Inc.,
which owns and operates WFBC-AM, WORD-AM and WFBC-FM, has an option to
acquire and provides programming services pursuant to an LMA to WSPA-AM and
WSPA-FM, and provides sales services pursuant to a JSA and has an option to
acquire WOLI-FM and WOLT-FM.
(i) WOLI-FM was formerly WXWX-FM.
(j) WOLT-FM was formerly WXWZ-FM.
(k) WILK-AM and WGBI-AM simulcast their programming.
(l) WILP-AM was formerly WXPX-AM.
(m) WWFH-FM was formerly WQEQ-FM.
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Radio Operating Strategy
The Company's radio strategy is to operate a cluster of radio stations in
each of a variety of geographic markets throughout the country. In each
geographic market, the Company employs broadly diversified programming formats
to appeal to a variety of demographic groups within the market. The Company
seeks to strengthen the identity of each of its stations through its programming
and promotional efforts, and emphasizes that identity to a far greater degree
than the identity of any local radio personality.
The Company believes that its strategy of appealing to diverse demographic
groups in a variety of geographic markets allows it to reach a larger share of
the overall advertising market while realizing economies of scale and avoiding
dependence on one demographic or geographic market. The Company realizes
economies of scale by combining sales and marketing forces, back office
operations and general management in each geographic market. At the same time,
the geographic diversity of its portfolio of radio stations helps lessen the
potential impact of economic downturns in specific markets and the diversity of
target audiences served helps lessen the impact of changes in listening
preferences. In addition, the geographic and demographic diversity allows the
Company to avoid dependence on any one or any small group of advertisers.
The Company's group of radio stations includes the top billing station group
in two markets and one of the top three billing station groups in each of its
markets other than Los Angeles, St. Louis and Nashville. Through ownership or
LMAs, the group also includes duopolies in six of its seven markets and, upon
exercise of options to acquire stations in the Greenville/Spartanburg market,
the Company will have duopolies in seven of its eight markets.
Depending on the programming format of a particular station, there are a
predetermined number of advertisements broadcast each hour. The Company
determines the optimum number of advertisements available for sale during each
hour without jeopardizing listening levels (and the resulting ratings). Although
there may be shifts from time to time in the number of advertisements available
for sale during a particular time of day, the total number of advertisements
available for sale on a particular station normally does not vary significantly.
Any change in net radio broadcasting revenue, with the exception of those
instances where stations are acquired or sold, is generally the result of
pricing adjustments made to ensure that the station effectively uses advertising
time available for sale, an increase in the number of commercials sold or a
combination of these two factors.
Large, well-trained local sales forces are maintained by the Company in each
of its radio markets. The Company's principal goal in its sales efforts is to
develop long-standing customer relationships through frequent direct contacts,
which the Company believes provides it with a competitive advantage.
Additionally, in some radio markets, duopolies permit the Company to offer
creative advertising packages to local, regional and national advertisers. Each
radio station programmed by the Company also engages a national independent
sales representative to assist it in obtaining national advertising revenues.
These representatives obtain advertising through national advertising agencies
and receive a commission from the radio station based on its gross revenue from
the advertising obtained.
BROADCASTING ACQUISITION STRATEGY
On February 8, 1996, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (the "1996 Act") was
signed into law. The 1996 Act represents the most sweeping overhaul of the
country's telecommunications laws since the Communications Act of 1934 (as
amended, the "Communicatons Act"). The 1996 Act relaxes the broadcast ownership
rules and simplifies the process for renewal of broadcast station licenses.
The Company believes that the enactment of the 1996 Act presents a unique
opportunity to build a larger and more diversified broadcasting company.
Additionally, the Company expects that the opportunity to act as one of the
consolidators of the industry will enable the Company to gain additional
influence with program suppliers, television networks, other vendors, and
alternative delivery media. The Company also believes that the additions to its
management team as a result of the River City Acquisition will give it
additional resources to take advantage of these developments.
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In implementing its acquisition strategy, the Company seeks to identify and
pursue favorable station or group acquisition opportunities primarily in the
15th to 75th largest DMAs and Metro Survey Areas as defined by the audience
measuring service Arbitron ("MSAs"). In assessing potential acquisitions, the
Company examines opportunities to improve revenue share, audience share and/or
cost control. Additional factors considered by the Company in a potential
acquisition include geographic location, demographic characteristics and
competitive dynamics of the market.
In furtherance of its acquisition strategy, the Company routinely reviews,
and conducts investigations of, potential television and radio station
acquisitions. When the Company believes a favorable opportunity exists, the
Company seeks to enter into discussions with the owners of such stations
regarding the possibility of an acquisition by the Company. At any given time,
the Company may be in discussions with one or more such station owners.
Since the 1996 Act became effective, the Company has acquired, obtained
options to acquire or has acquired the right to program or provide sales
services to 16 television and 33 radio stations for an aggregate consideration
of approximately $1.3 billion. Certain terms of these acquisitions are described
below.
River City Acquisition. On May 31, 1996, pursuant to the Amended and Restated
Asset Purchase Agreement, the Company acquired all of the Non-License Assets of
River City other than the assets relating to WSYX-TV in Columbus, Ohio.
Simultaneously, the Company entered into a 10-year LMA with River City with
respect to all of River City's License Assets (with the exception of the License
Assets relating to WSYX) and was granted: (i) a 10-year option (the "License
Assets Option") to acquire River City's License Assets (with the exception of
the License Assets relating to WSYX); and (ii) a three-year option to acquire
the assets relating to WSYX-TV (both the License and Non-License Assets,
collectively the "Columbus Option"). The exercise price for the License Assets
Option is $20 million and the Company is required to pay an extension fee with
respect to the License Assets Option as follows: (1) 8% of $20 million for the
first year following the closing of the River City Acquisition; (2) 15% of $20
million for the second year following such closing; and (3) 25% of $20 million
for each following year. The Non-License Assets acquired from River City relate
to eight television stations and 21 radio stations owned and operated by River
City. In addition, the Company acquired from another party the Non-License
Assets relating to one additional television station (KRRT) to which River City
provided programming pursuant to an LMA. The Company assigned its option to
acquire the License Assets of one television station (WFBC) to Glencairn, and
Glencairn also acquired the option to acquire the License Assets of KRRT. The
Company also acquired River City's rights under LMAs with respect to KRRT and
four radio stations to which River City provided programming or sales services.
The Company has exercised the License Assets Option and has acquired the License
Assets of all but the two radio stations in the St. Louis market. Acquisition of
the remaining License Assets is now subject to FCC approval of transfer of such
License Assets. There can be no assurance that this approval will be obtained.
Applications for transfer of the License Assets were filed in July and August
1996, except application for transfer of the License Assets relating to WTTV and
WTTK which was filed in November 1996. The applications with respect to the two
radio stations in the St. Louis market are pending, and require a special waiver
because of the Company's pending acquisition of a television station (KDNL) in
the market.
The Company paid an aggregate of approximately $1.0 billion for the
Non-License Assets and the License Assets Option consisting of $847.6 million in
cash and 1,150,000 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock of the Company
and 1,382,435 stock options. The Series A Convertible Preferred Stock has been
exchanged for 1,150,000 shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock of the
Company, which at issuance had an aggregate liquidation value of $115 million,
and are convertible at any time, at the option of the holders, into an aggregate
of 4,181,818 shares of Class A Common Stock of the Company (which had a market
value on May 31, 1996 of approximately $125.1 million). The exercise price for
the Columbus Option is approximately $130 million plus the amount of
indebtedness secured by the WSYX assets on the date of exercise (not to exceed
the amount outstanding on the date of closing of $105 million) and the Company
is required to pay an extension fee with respect to the Columbus Option as
follows: (1) 8% of $130 million for the first year following the closing of the
River City Acquisition; (2) 15% of $130 million for the second year following
the closing; and (3) 25% of $130 million for each
10
following year. The extension fee accrues beginning on the date of closing, and
is payable (beginning December 31, 1996) at the end of each calendar quarter
until such time as the option is exercised or River City sells WSYX to a third
party. The Company paid the extension fee due December 31, 1996. Pursuant to the
LMAs with River City and the owner of KRRT, the Company is required to provide
at least 166 hours per week of programming to each television and radio station
and, subject to certain exceptions, River City and the owner of KRRT are
required to broadcast all programming provided by the Company. The Company is
required to pay River City and the owner of KRRT monthly fees under the LMAs in
an amount sufficient to cover specified expenses of operating the stations,
which are currently approximately $134,000 per month for all River City
television and radio stations the Company programs (including KRRT). The Company
has the right to sell advertising time on the stations during the hours
programmed by the Company.
The Company and River City filed notification under the Hart-Scott-Rodino
Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the "HSR Act"), with respect to
the Company's acquisition of all River City assets prior to closing the
acquisition. After the United States Justice Department ("DOJ") indicated that
it would request additional information regarding the antitrust implications of
the acquisition of WSYX by the Company in light of the Company's ownership of
WTTE, the Company and River City agreed to submit separate notifications with
respect to the WSYX assets and the other River City assets. The DOJ then granted
early termination of the waiting period with respect to the transfer of the
River City assets other than WSYX, permitting the acquisition of those assets to
proceed. The Company and River City agreed to notify the DOJ 30 days before
entering into an LMA or similar agreement with respect to WSYX and agreed not to
enter into such an agreement until 20 days after substantially complying with
any request for information from DOJ regarding the transaction. The Company is
in the process of preparing a submission to the DOJ regarding the competitive
effects of entering into an LMA arrangement in Columbus. The Company has agreed
to sell the License Assets of WTTE to Glencairn and to enter into an LMA with
Glencairn to provide programming services to WTTE, but the Company does not
believe that this transaction will be completed unless the Company acquires
WSYX.
In the River City Acquisition, the Company also acquired an option held by
River City to purchase either (i) all of the assets of Keymarket of South
Carolina, Inc. ("KSC") for the forgiveness of debt held by the Company in an
aggregate principal amount of approximately $7.4 million as of August 22, 1996,
plus payment of approximately $1,000,000 less certain adjustments or (ii) all of
the stock of KSC for $1,000,000 less certain adjustments. KSC owns and operates
three radio stations in the Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina MSA (WFBC-FM,
WFBC-AM and WORD-AM). The options to acquire the assets and stock of KSC expire
on December 31, 1997. KSC also holds an option to acquire from Spartan
Radiocasting, Inc. certain assets relating to two additional stations (WSPA-AM
and WSPA-FM) in the Greenville/Spartanburg MSA and which KSC currently programs
pursuant to an LMA. KSC's option to acquire these assets is exercisable for
$5.15 million and expires in January 2000, subject to extension to the extent
the applicable LMA is extended beyond that date. KSC also has an option to
acquire assets of Palm Broadcasting Company, L.P., which owns two additional
stations in the Greenville/Spartanburg MSA (WOLI-FM and WOLT-FM) in an amount
equal to the outstanding debt of Palm Broadcasting Company, L.P. to the Company,
which was approximately $3.0 million as of June 30, 1996. This option expires in
April 2001. KSC has a JSA with Palm Broadcasting Company, L.P., but does not
provide programming for WOLI or WOLT.
Superior Acquisition. On May 8, 1996, the Company acquired WDKY-TV
(Lexington, Kentucky) and KOCB-TV (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) by acquiring the
stock of Superior Communications, Inc. for approximately $63.5 million.
Flint Acquisition. On February 27, 1996 the Company acquired the assets of
WSMH-TV (Flint, Michigan) for approximately $35.8 million by exercising options
granted in 1995.
Cincinnati/Kansas City Acquisitions. On July 1, 1996, the Company acquired
the assets of KSMO-TV (Kansas City, Missouri) and on August 1, 1996, it acquired
the assets of WSTR-TV (Cincinnati, Ohio) for approximately $34.2 million.
Peoria/Bloomington Acquisition. On July 1, 1996, the Company acquired the
assets of WYZZ-TV (Peoria/Bloomington, Illinois) for approximately $21.2
million.
11
1997 ACQUISITIONS
Since the end of 1996, the Company has entered into agreements to acquire one
television station and two radio stations, and has completed the acquisition of
two radio stations. On January 30, 1997, the Company entered into an agreement
to acquire the assets of KUPN-TV, the UPN affiliate in Las Vegas, Nevada, for
$87.0 million. The Company also entered into an agreement on January 29, 1997 to
acquire the assets of WGR-AM and WWWS-AM in Buffalo, New York for $1.5 million.
The Company's acquisition of these stations is subject to FCC approval of
applications to assign the licenses of these stations. The Company currently
sells the commercial air time of WGR-AM and WWWS-AM pursuant to a JSA. On
January 31, 1997, the Company completed the acquisition of the assets of WWSH-FM
and WILP-AM, each in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, for aggregate consideration of
approximately $773,000.
LOCAL MARKETING AGREEMENTS
The Company generally enters into LMAs and similar arrangements with stations
located in markets in which the Company already owns and operates a station, and
in connection with acquisitions, pending regulatory approval of transfer of
License Assets. Under the terms of the LMAs the Company makes specified periodic
payments to the owner-operator in exchange for the grant to the Company of the
right to program and sell advertising on a specified portion of the station's
inventory of broadcast time. Nevertheless, as the holder of the FCC license, the
owner-operator retains full control and responsibility for the operation of the
station, including control over all programming broadcast on the station.
The Company currently has LMA arrangements with stations in five markets in
which it owns a television station: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (WPTT), Baltimore,
Maryland (WNUV), Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina (WRDC), Milwaukee, Wisconsin
(WVTV) and Birmingham, Alabama (WABM). The Company also has LMA arrangements in
two markets (San Antonio and Asheville/Greenville/Spartanburg) in which the
Company will own a station upon completion of the acquisition of License Assets
from River City. In addition, the Company has an LMA arrangement with a station
in the Tuscaloosa, Alabama market (WDBB), which is adjacent to Birmingham. In
each of these markets, other than Pittsburgh and Tuscaloosa, the LMA arrangement
is (or will be after transfer of License Assets from River City) with Glencairn
and the Company owns the Non-License Assets (as defined below) of the stations.
The Company owns the assets of one radio station (KBLA-AM in Los Angeles) which
an independent third party programs pursuant to an LMA.
The Company believes that it is able to increase its revenues and improve its
margins by providing programming services to stations in selected DMAs and MSAs
where the Company already owns a station. In certain instances, single station
operators and stations operated by smaller ownership groups do not have the
management expertise or the operating efficiencies available to the Company as a
multi-station broadcaster. The Company seeks to identify such stations in
selected markets and to provide such stations with programming services pursuant
to LMAs. In addition to providing the Company with additional revenue
opportunities, the Company believes that these LMA arrangements have assisted
certain stations whose operations may have been marginally profitable to
continue to air popular programming and contribute to diversity of programming
in their respective DMAs and MSAs.
In cases where the Company enters into LMA arrangements in connection with a
station whose acquisition by the Company is pending FCC approval, the Company
(i) obtains an option to acquire the station assets essential for broadcasting a
television or radio signal in compliance with regulatory guidelines, generally
consisting of the FCC license, transmitter, transmission lines, technical
equipment, call letters and trademarks, and certain furniture, fixtures and
equipment (the "License Assets") and (ii) acquires the remaining assets (the
"Non-License Assets") at the time it enters into the option. Following
acquisition of the Non-License Assets, the License Assets continue to be owned
by the owner-operator and holder of the FCC license, which enters into an LMA
with the Company. After FCC approval for transfer of the License Assets is
obtained, the Company exercises its option to acquire the License Assets and
become the owner-operator of the station, and the LMA arrangement is terminated.
In connection with the River City Acquisition, the Company entered into an
LMA in the form of time brokerage agreements ("TBAs") with River City and the
owner of KRRT with respect to each of the nine television (including KDSM-TV)
and 21 radio stations with respect to which the Company
12
acquired Non-License Assets. The TBAs are for a ten-year term, which corresponds
with the term of the option the Company holds to acquire the related River City
License Assets. Pursuant to the TBA, the Company pays River City and the owner
of KRRT fees in return for which the Company acquires all of the inventory of
broadcast time of the stations and the right to sell 100% of each station's
inventory of advertising time. The Company has filed applications with respect
to the transfer of the License Assets of seven of the nine television stations
and the 21 radio stations with respect to which the Company acquired Non-License
Assets in the River City Acquisition. Such applications have been granted with
respect to 19 of the 21 radio stations, and the Company has acquired the license
assets of each of the 19 radio stations. Upon grant of FCC approval of the
transfer of License Assets with respect to the remaining stations, the Company
intends to acquire the License Assets, and thereafter the LMAs will terminate
and the Company will operate the stations. With respect to the remaining two
television stations, Glencairn has applied for transfer of the License Assets of
these stations, and the Company intends to program these stations under LMAs
with Glencairn upon FCC approval of the transfer of the License Assets to
Glencairn. Petitions to deny or informal objections have been filed against
these applications by third parties.
In addition to its LMAs, the Company sells commercial air time for (but does
not provide programming to) three radio stations pursuant to JSAs in MSAs in
which it has interests in other radio stations. Under the Company's JSAs, the
Company has obtained the right, for a fee paid to the owner and operator of the
station, to sell substantially all of the commercial advertising on the station.
FEDERAL REGULATION OF TELEVISION AND RADIO BROADCASTING
The ownership, operation and sale of television and radio stations are
subject to the jurisdiction of the FCC, which acts under authority granted by
the Communications Act. Among other things, the FCC assigns frequency bands for
broadcasting; determines the particular frequencies, locations and operating
power of stations; issues, renews, revokes and modifies station licenses;
regulates equipment used by stations; adopts and implements regulations and
policies that directly or indirectly affect the ownership, operation and
employment practices of stations; and has the power to impose penalties for
violations of its rules or the Communications Act.
The following is a brief summary of certain provisions of the Communications
Act, the recently-enacted 1996 Act and specific FCC regulations and policies.
Reference should be made to the Communications Act, FCC rules and the public
notices and rulings of the FCC for further information concerning the nature and
extent of federal regulation of broadcast stations.
License Grant and Renewal. Television stations operate pursuant to
broadcasting licenses that formerly were granted by the FCC for maximum terms of
five years, and radio stations operate pursuant to broadcasting licenses that
formerly were granted by the FCC for maximum terms of seven years. The 1996 Act
authorizes the FCC to grant all broadcast licenses (both television and radio)
for maximum terms of eight years, and the FCC has issued an order directing its
staff to implement this statutory change.
Television and radio station licenses are subject to renewal upon application
to the FCC. During certain periods when renewal applications are pending,
competing applicants may file for the radio or television frequency being used
by the renewal applicant. During the same periods, petitions to deny license
renewal applications may be filed by interested parties, including members of
the public. Prior to the 1996 Act, the FCC was generally required to hold
hearings on renewal applications if a competing application against a renewal
application was filed, if the FCC was unable to determine that renewal of a
license would serve the public interest, convenience and necessity, or if a
petition to deny raised a "substantial and material question of fact" as to
whether the grant of the renewal application would be prima facie consistent
with the public interest, convenience and necessity.
The 1996 Act does not prohibit either the filing of petitions to deny license
renewals or the filing of competing applications. Under the 1996 Act, the FCC is
still required to hold hearings on renewal applications if it is unable to
determine that renewal of a license would serve the public interest, convenience
or necessity, or if a petition to deny raises a "substantial and material
question of fact" as to whether the grant of the renewal application would be
prima facie inconsistent with the public interest,
13
convenience and necessity. Pursuant to the 1996 Act, however, the FCC is
prohibited from considering competing applications for a renewal applicant's
frequency, and is required to grant the renewal application, if the FCC finds
(i) that the station has served the public interest, convenience and necessity;
(ii) that there have been no serious violations by the licensee of the
Communications Act or the rules and regulations of the FCC; and (iii) there have
been no other violations by the licensee of the Communications Act or the rules
and regulations of the FCC that, when taken together, would constitute a pattern
of abuse.
All of the stations that the Company (i) owns and operates; (ii) intends to
acquire pursuant to the River City Acquisition and other acquisitions; (iii)
currently provides programming services to pursuant to an LMA or (iv) currently
sells commercial air time pursuant to a JSA, are presently operating under
regular licenses, which expire as to each station on the dates set forth under
"Television Broadcasting" and "Radio Broadcasting," above. Although renewal of
license is granted in the vast majority of cases even when petitions to deny are
filed, there can be no assurance that the licenses of such stations will be
renewed.
OWNERSHIP MATTERS
General
The Communications Act prohibits the assignment of a broadcast license or the
transfer of control of a broadcast licensee without the prior approval of the
FCC. In determining whether to permit the assignment or transfer, or the grant
or renewal of, a broadcast license, the FCC considers a number of factors
pertaining to the licensee, including compliance with various rules limiting
common ownership of media properties, the "character" of the licensee and those
persons holding "attributable" interests therein, and compliance with the
Communications Act's limitations on Alien (as defined herein) ownership.
To obtain the FCC's prior consent to assign or transfer a broadcast license,
appropriate applications must be filed with the FCC. If the application involves
the assignment of the license or a "substantial change" in ownership or control
(i.e., the transfer of more than 50% of the voting stock), the application must
be placed on public notice for a period of approximately 30 days during which
petitions to deny the application may be filed by interested parties, including
members of the public. If an assignment application does not involve new
parties, or if a transfer application does not involve a "substantial change" in
ownership or control, it is a "pro forma" application. The "pro forma"
application is nevertheless subject to having informal objections filed against
it. If the FCC grants an assignment or transfer application, interested parties
have approximately 30 days from public notice of the grant to seek
reconsideration of that grant. Generally, parties that do not file initial
petitions to deny or informal objections against the application face a high
hurdle in seeking reconsideration of the grant. The FCC normally has
approximately an additional 10 days to set aside such grant on its own motion.
When passing on an assignment or transfer application, the FCC is prohibited
from considering whether the public interest might be served by an assignment or
transfer to any party other than the assignee or transferee specified in the
application.
The FCC generally applies its ownership limits to "attributable" interests
held by an individual, corporation, partnership or other association. In the
case of corporations holding, or through subsidiaries controlling, broadcast
licenses, the interests of officers, directors and those who, directly or
indirectly, have the right to vote 5% or more of the corporation's stock (or 10%
or more of such stock in the case of insurance companies, investment companies
and bank trust departments that are passive investors) are generally
attributable, except that, in general, no minority voting stock interest will be
attributable if there is a single holder of more than 50% of the outstanding
voting power of the corporation. The FCC has a pending rulemaking proceeding
that, among other things, seeks comment on whether the FCC should modify its
attribution rules by, among other things, (i) raising the attribution stock
benchmark from 5% to 10%; (ii) raising the attribution stock benchmark for
passive investors from 10% to 20%; (iii) restricting the availability of the
single majority shareholder exemption; and (iv) attributing certain interests
such as non-voting stock, debt and certain holdings by limited liability
corporations in certain circumstances. More recently, the FCC has solicited
comment on proposed rules that would (i) treat an
14
otherwise nonattributable equity or debt interest in a licensee as an
attributable interest where the interest holder is a program supplier or the
owner of a broadcast station in the same market and the equity and/or debt
holding is greater than a specified benchmark; (ii) treat a licensee of a
television station which, under an LMA, brokers more than 15% of the time on
another television station serving the same market, as having an attributable
interest in the brokered station; and (iii) in certain circumstances, treat the
licensee of a broadcast station that sells advertising time on another station
in the same market pursuant to a JSA as having an attributable interest in the
station whose advertising is being sold.
The Controlling Stockholders hold attributable interests in two entities
owning media properties, namely: Channel 63, Inc., licensee of WIIB-TV, a UHF
television station in Bloomington, Indiana, and Bay Television, Inc., licensee
of WTTA-TV, a UHF television station in St. Petersburg, Florida. All of the
issued and outstanding shares of Channel 63, Inc. are owned by the Controlling
Stockholders. All the issued and outstanding shares of Bay Television, Inc. are
owned by the Controlling Stockholders (75%) and Robert L. Simmons (25%), a
former stockholder of the Company. The Controlling Stockholders have agreed to
divest their attributable interests in Channel 63, Inc. and the Company believes
that, after doing so, such holdings will not materially restrict its ability to
acquire or program additional broadcast stations.
Under its "cross-interest" policy, the FCC considers certain "meaningful"
relationships among competing media outlets in the same market, even if the
ownership rules do not specifically prohibit the relationship. Under this
policy, the FCC may consider significant equity interests combined with an
attributable interest in a media outlet in the same market, joint ventures, and
common key employees among competitors. The cross-interest policy does not
necessarily prohibit all of these interests, but requires that the FCC consider
whether, in a particular market, the "meaningful" relationships between
competitors could have a significant adverse effect upon economic competition
and program diversity. Heretofore, the FCC has not applied its cross-interest
policy to LMAs and JSAs between broadcast stations. In its ongoing rulemaking
proceeding concerning the attribution rules, the FCC has sought comment on,
among other things, (i) whether the cross-interest policy should be applied only
in smaller markets, and (ii) whether non-equity financial relationships such as
debt, when combined with multiple business interrelationships such as LMAs and
JSAs, raise concerns under the cross-interest policy. Moreover, in its most
recent proposals in its ongoing attribution rulemaking proceeding, the FCC has
proposed treating television LMAs, JSAs, and debt or equity interests as
attributable interests in certain circumstances without regard to the
cross-interest policy.
The Communications Act prohibits the issuance of broadcast licenses to, or
the holding of a broadcast license by, any corporation of which more than 20% of
the capital stock is owned of record or voted by non-U.S. citizens or their
representatives or by a foreign government or a representative thereof, or by
any corporation organized under the laws of a foreign country (collectively,
"Aliens"). The Communications Act also authorizes the FCC, if the FCC determines
that it would be in the public interest, to prohibit the issuance of a broadcast
license to, or the holding of a broadcast license by, any corporation directly
or indirectly controlled by any other corporation of which more than 25% of the
capital stock is owned of record or voted by Aliens. The Company has been
advised that the FCC staff has interpreted this provision to require a finding
that such grant or holding would be in the public interest before a broadcast
license may be granted to or held by any such corporation and that the FCC staff
has made such a finding only in limited circumstances. The FCC has issued
interpretations of existing law under which these restrictions in modified form
apply to other forms of business organizations, including partnerships. As a
result of these provisions, the licenses granted to subsidiaries of the Company
by the FCC could be rescinded if, among other restrictions imposed by the FCC,
more than 25% of the Company's stock were owned or voted by Aliens. The Company
and the subsidiaries are domestic corporations, and the Controlling Stockholders
are all United States citizens. The Amended and Restated Articles of
Incorporation of the Company (the "Amended Certificate") contains limitations on
Alien ownership and control that are substantially similar to those contained in
the Communications Act. Pursuant to the Amended Certificate, the Company has the
right to repurchase Alien-owned shares at their fair market value to the extent
necessary, in the judgment of the Board of Directors, to comply with the Alien
ownership restrictions.
15
TELEVISION
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National Ownership Rule. Prior to the 1996 Act, FCC rules generally
prohibited an individual or entity from having an attributable interest in more
than 12 television stations nationwide, or in television stations reaching more
than 25% of the national television viewing audience. Pursuant to the 1996 Act,
the FCC has modified its rules to eliminate any limitation on the number of
television stations an individual or entity may own nationwide, subject to the
restriction that no individual or entity may have an attributable interest in
television stations reaching more than 35% of the national television viewing
audience. Historically, VHF stations have shared a larger portion of the market
than UHF stations. Therefore, only half of the households in the market area of
any UHF station are included when calculating whether an entity or individual
owns television stations reaching more than 35% of the national television
viewing audience. All but three of the stations owned and operated by the
Company, or to which the Company provides programming services, are UHF.
Duopoly Rule. On a local level, the television "duopoly" rule generally
prohibits a single individual or entity from having an attributable interest in
two or more television stations with overlapping Grade B service areas. While
the 1996 Act has not eliminated the TV duopoly rule, it does direct the FCC to
initiate a rulemaking proceeding to determine whether to retain, modify, or
eliminate the rule. The FCC has pending a rulemaking proceeding in which it has
proposed to modify the television duopoly rule to permit the common ownership of
television stations in different DMAs, so long as the Grade A signal contours of
the stations do not overlap. Pending resolution of its rulemaking proceeding,
the FCC has adopted an interim waiver policy that permits the common ownership
of television stations in different DMAs with no overlapping Grade A signal
contours, conditioned on the final outcome of the rulemaking proceeding. The FCC
has also sought comment on whether common ownership of two television stations
in a market should be permitted (i) where one or more of the commonly owned
stations is UHF, (ii) where one of the stations is in bankruptcy or has been off
the air for a substantial period of time and (iii) where the commonly owned
stations have very small audience or advertising shares, are located in a very
large market, and/or a specified number of independently owned media voices
would remain after the acquisition.
Local Marketing Agreements. Over the past few years, a number of television
stations, including certain of the Company's stations, have entered into what
have commonly been referred to as LMAs. While these agreements may take varying
forms, pursuant to a typical LMA, separately owned and licensed television
stations agree to enter into cooperative arrangements of varying sorts, subject
to compliance with the requirements of antitrust laws and with the FCC's rules
and policies. Under these types of arrangements, separately-owned stations could
agree to function cooperatively in terms of programming, advertising sales,
etc., subject to the requirement that the licensee of each station shall
maintain independent control over the programming and operations of its own
station. One typical type of LMA is a programming agreement between two
separately-owned television stations serving a common service area, whereby the
licensee of one station programs substantial portions of the broadcast day on
the other licensee's station, subject to ultimate editorial and other controls
being exercised by the latter licensee, and sells advertising time during such
program segments. Such arrangements are an extension of the concept of "time
brokerage" agreements, under which a licensee of a station sells blocks of time
on its station to an entity or entities which program the blocks of time and
which sell their own commercial advertising announcements during the time
periods in question. Over the past few years, the staff of the FCC's Mass Media
Bureau has held that LMAs are not contrary to the Communications Act, provided
that the licensee of the station which is being substantially programmed by
another entity maintains complete responsibility for and control over
programming and operations of its broadcast station and assures compliance with
applicable FCC rules and policies.
At present, FCC rules permit television station LMAs, and the licensee of a
television station brokering time on another television station is not
considered to have an attributable interest in the brokered station. However, in
connection with its ongoing rulemaking proceeding regarding the television
duopoly rule, the FCC has proposed to adopt rules providing that the licensee of
a television station which brokers more than 15% of the time on another
television station serving the same market would be deemed to have an
attributable interest in the brokered station for purposes of the national and
local multiple ownership rules.
16
The 1996 Act provides that nothing therein "shall be construed to prohibit
the origination, continuation, or renewal of any television local marketing
agreement that is in compliance with the regulations of the [FCC]." The
legislative history of the 1996 Act reflects that this provision was intended to
grandfather television LMAs that were in existence upon enactment of the 1996
Act, and to allow television LMAs consistent with the FCC's rules subsequent to
enactment of the 1996 Act. In its pending rulemaking proceeding regarding the
television duopoly rule, the FCC has proposed to adopt a grandfathering policy
providing that, in the event that television LMAs become attributable interests,
LMAs that are in compliance with existing FCC rules and policies and were
entered into before November 5, 1996, would be permitted to continue in force
until the original term of the LMA expires. Under the FCC's proposal, television
LMAs that are entered into or renewed after November 5, 1996 would have to be
terminated if LMAs are made attributable interests and the LMA in question
resulted in a violation of the television multiple ownership rules. The
Company's LMAs with television stations WPTT in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, WNUV
in Baltimore, Maryland, WVTV in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, WRDC in Raleigh/Durham,
North Carolina, WABM in Birmingham, Alabama, and WDBB in Tuscaloosa, Alabama,
were in existence on both the date of enactment of the 1996 Act and November 5,
1996. The Company's LMAs with television stations KDNL in St. Louis, Missouri,
KOVR in Sacramento, California, WTTV and WTTK in Indianapolis, Indiana, WLOS in
Asheville, North Carolina, WFBC in Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, KABB
in San Antonio, Texas, and KDSM in Des Moines, Iowa, were entered into
subsequent to the date of enactment of the 1996 Act but prior to November 5,
1996. The Company's LMA with television station KRRT in Kerrville, Texas was in
existence on the date of enactment of the 1996 Act, but was assumed by the
Company subsequent to that date but prior to November 5, 1996.
The TV duopoly rule currently prevents the Company from acquiring the
licenses of television stations with which it has LMAs in those markets where
the Company owns a television station. As a result, if the FCC were to decide
that the provider of programming services under a television LMA should be
treated as having an attributable interest in the brokered station, and if it
did not relax its television duopoly rule, the Company could be required to
modify or terminate those of its LMAs that were not in existence on the date of
enactment of the 1996 Act or on November 5, 1996. Furthermore, if the FCC adopts
its present proposal with respect to the grandfathering of television LMAs, the
Company could be required to terminate even those LMAs that were in effect prior
to the date of enactment of the 1996 Act or prior to November 5, 1996, after the
initial term of the LMA or upon assignment of the LMA. In such an event, the
Company could be required to pay termination penalties under certain of such
LMAs. Further, if the FCC were to find, in connection with any of the Company's
LMAs, that the owners/licensees of the stations with which the Company has LMAs
failed to maintain control over their operations as required by FCC rules and
policies, the licensee of the LMA station and/or the Company could be fined or
set for hearing, the outcome of which could be a monetary forfeiture or, under
certain circumstances, loss of the applicable FCC license. The Company is unable
to predict the ultimate outcome of possible changes to these FCC rules and the
impact such FCC rules may have on its broadcasting operations.
On June 1, 1995, the Chief of the FCC's Mass Media Bureau released a Public
Notice concerning the processing of television assignment and transfer
applications proposing LMAs. Due to the pendency of the ongoing rulemaking
proceeding concerning attribution of ownership, the Mass Media Bureau has placed
certain restrictions on the types of television assignment and transfer
applications involving LMAs that it will approve during the pendency of the
rulemaking. Specifically, the Mass Media Bureau has stated that it will not
approve arrangements where a time broker seeks to finance a station acquisition
and hold an option to purchase the station in the future. The Company believes
that none of the Company's LMAs or TBAs fall within the ambit of this Public
Notice.
RADIO
National Ownership Rule. Prior to the 1996 Act, the FCC's rules limited an
individual or entity from holding attributable interests in more than 20 AM and
20 FM radio stations nationwide. Pursuant to the 1996 Act, the FCC has modified
its rules to eliminate any limitation on the number of radio stations a single
individual or entity may own nationwide.
17
Local Ownership Rule. Prior to the 1996 Act, the FCC's rules generally
permitted an individual or entity to hold attributable interests in no more than
four radio stations in a local market (no more than two of which could be in the
same service (AM or FM)), and then only if the aggregate audience share of the
commonly owned stations did not exceed 25%. In markets with fewer than 15
commercial radio stations, an individual or entity could hold an attributable
interest in no more than three radio stations in the market (no more than two of
which could be in the same service), and then only if the number of the commonly
owned stations did not exceed 50% of the total number of commercial radio
stations in the market.
Pursuant to the 1996 Act, the limits on the number of radio stations one
entity may own locally have been increased as follows: (i) in a market with 45
or more commercial radio stations, an entity may own up to eight commercial
radio stations, not more than five of which are in the same service (AM or FM);
(ii) in a market with between 30 and 44 (inclusive) commercial radio stations,
an entity may own up to seven commercial radio stations, not more than four of
which are in the same service; (iii) in a market with between 15 and 29
(inclusive) commercial radio stations, an entity may own up to six commercial
radio stations, not more than four of which are in the same service; and (iv) in
a market with 14 or fewer commercial radio stations, an entity may own up to
five commercial radio stations, not more than three of which are in the same
service, except that an entity may not own more than 50% of the stations in such
market. These numerical limits apply regardless of the aggregate audience share
of the stations sought to be commonly owned. FCC ownership rules continue to
permit an entity to own one FM and one AM station in a local market regardless
of market size. Irrespective of FCC rules governing radio ownership, however,
the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission have the authority to
determine, and in certain recent radio transactions not involving the Company
have determined, that a particular transaction presents antitrust concerns.
Local Marketing Agreements. As in television, a number of radio stations have
entered into LMAs. The Company has entered into LMAs with certain radio stations
in connection with the River City Acquisition.
The FCC's multiple ownership rules specifically permit radio station LMAs to
be entered into and implemented, so long as the licensee of the station which is
being programmed under the LMA maintains complete responsibility for and control
over programming and operations of its broadcast station and assures compliance
with applicable FCC rules and policies. For the purposes of the multiple
ownership rules, in general, a radio station being programmed pursuant to an LMA
by an entity is not considered an attributable ownership interest of that entity
unless that entity already owns a radio station in the same market. However, a
licensee that owns a radio station in a market, and brokers more than 15% of the
time on another station serving the same market, is considered to have an
attributable ownership interest in the brokered station for purposes of the
FCC's multiple ownership rules. As a result, in a market in which the Company
owns a radio station, the Company would not be permitted to enter into an LMA
with another local radio station which it could not own under the local
ownership rules, unless the Company's programming constituted 15% or less of the
other local station's programming time on a weekly basis. The FCC's rules also
prohibit a broadcast licensee from simulcasting more than 25% of its programming
on another station in the same broadcast service (i.e., AM-AM or FM-FM) through
a time brokerage or LMA arrangement where the brokered and brokering stations
serve substantially the same area.
Joint Sales Agreements. Over the past few years, a number of radio (and
television) stations have entered into cooperative arrangements commonly known
as joint sales agreements, or JSAs. While these agreements may take varying
forms, under the typical JSA, a station licensee obtains, for a fee, the right
to sell substantially all of the commercial advertising on a separately-owned
and licensed station in the same market. The typical JSA also customarily
involves the provision by the selling licensee of certain sales, accounting, and
"back office" services to the station whose advertising is being sold. The
typical JSA is distinct from an LMA in that a JSA (unlike an LMA) normally does
not involve programming. In connection with the River City Acquisition, the
Company has assumed River City's rights under JSAs with three radio stations.
18
The FCC has determined that issues of joint advertising sales should be left
to enforcement by antitrust authorities, and therefore does not generally
regulate joint sales practices between stations. Currently, stations for which a
licensee sells time under a JSA are not deemed by the FCC to be attributable
interests of that licensee. However, in connection with its ongoing rulemaking
proceeding concerning the attribution rules, the FCC is considering whether JSAs
should be considered attributable interests or within the scope of the FCC's
cross-interest policy, particularly when JSAs contain provisions for the supply
of programming services and/or other elements typically associated with LMAs. If
JSAs become attributable interests as a result of changes in the FCC rules, the
Company may be required to terminate any JSA it might have with a radio station
which the Company could not own under the FCC's multiple ownership rules.
OTHER OWNERSHIP MATTERS
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There remain in place after the 1996 Act a number of additional
cross-ownership rules and prohibitions pertaining to licensees of television and
radio stations. FCC rules, the Communications Act, or both generally prohibit an
individual or entity from having an attributable interest in both a television
station and a radio station, a daily newspaper, or a cable television system
that is located in or serves the same market area.
Antitrust Regulation.The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade
Commission have recently increased their scrutiny of the television and radio
industry, and have indicated their intention to review matters related to the
concentration of ownership within markets (including LMAs and JSAs) even when
the ownership or LMA or JSA in question is permitted under the laws administered
by the FCC or by FCC rules and regulations.
Radio/Television Cross-Ownership Rule. The FCC's radio/television
cross-ownership rule (the "one to a market" rule) generally prohibits a single
individual or entity from having an attributable interest in a television
station and a radio station serving the same market. However, in each of the 25
largest local markets in the United States, provided that there are at least 30
separately owned stations in the particular market, the FCC has traditionally
employed a policy that presumptively allows waivers of the one to a market rule
to permit the common ownership of one AM, one FM and one TV station in the
market. The 1996 Act directs the FCC to extend this policy to each of the top 50
markets. Moreover, the FCC has pending a rulemaking proceeding in which it has
solicited comment on whether the one to a market rule should be eliminated
altogether.
However, the FCC does not apply its presumptive waiver policy in cases
involving the common ownership of one television station, and two or more radio
stations in the same service (AM or FM), in the same market. Pending its ongoing
rulemaking proceeding to reexamine the one to a market rule, the FCC has stated
that it will consider waivers of the rule in such instances on a case-by-case
basis, considering (i) the public service benefits that will arise from the
joint operation of the facilities such as economies of scale, cost savings and
programming and service benefits; (ii) the types of facilities involved; (iii)
the number of media outlets owned by the applicant in the relevant market; (iv)
the financial difficulties of the stations involved; and (v) the nature of the
relevant market in light of the level of competition and diversity after joint
operation is implemented. The FCC has stated that it expects that any such
waivers that are granted will be conditioned on the outcome of the rulemaking
proceeding. The Company has applied for such a waiver with respect to ownership
of a television station and radio stations in the St. Louis market, and there
can be no assurance that this waiver will be granted.
In its ongoing rulemaking proceeding to reexamine the one to a market rule,
the FCC has proposed the following options for modifying the rule in the event
it is not eliminated: (i) extending the presumptive waiver policy to any
television market in which a specified number of independently owned voices
would remain after common ownership of a television station and one or more
radio stations is effectuated; (ii) extending the presumptive waiver policy to
entities that seek to own more than one FM and/or one AM radio station; (iii)
reducing the minimum number of independently owned voices that must remain after
a transaction is effectuated; and (iv) modifying the five-factor case-by-case
test for waivers.
Local Television/Cable Cross-Ownership Rule. While the 1996 Act eliminates a
previous statutory prohibition against the common ownership of a television
broadcast station and a cable system that
19
serve the same local market, the 1996 Act leaves the current FCC rule in place.
The legislative history of the Act indicates that the repeal of the statutory
ban should not prejudge the outcome of any FCC review of the rule.
Broadcast Network/Cable Cross-Ownership Rule. The 1996 Act directs the FCC to
eliminate its rules which formerly prohibited the common ownership of a
broadcast network and a cable system, subject to the provision that the FCC
revise its rules as necessary to ensure carriage, channel positioning, and
non-discriminatory treatment of non-affiliated broadcast stations by cable
systems affiliated with a broadcast network. In March 1996, the FCC issued an
order implementing this legislative change.
Broadcast/Daily Newspaper Cross-Ownership Rule. The FCC's rules prohibit the
common ownership of a radio or television broadcast station and a daily
newspaper in the same market. The 1996 Act does not eliminate or modify this
prohibition. In October 1996, however, the FCC initiated a rulemaking proceeding
to determine whether it should liberalize its waiver policy with respect to
cross-ownership of a daily newspaper and one or more radio stations in the same
market.
Dual Network Rule. The 1996 Act directs the FCC to repeal its rule which
formerly prohibited an entity from operating more than one television network.
In March 1996, the FCC issued an order implementing this legislative change.
Under the modified rule, a network entity is permitted to operate more than one
television network, provided, however, that ABC, CBS, NBC, and/or Fox are
prohibited from merging with each other or with another network television
entity such as UPN or Warner Brothers.
Expansion of the Company's broadcast operations on both a local and national
level will continue to be subject to the FCC's ownership rules and any changes
the FCC or Congress may adopt. Concomitantly, any further relaxation of the
FCC's ownership rules may increase the level of competition in one or more of
the markets in which the Company's stations are located, more specifically to
the extent that any of the Company's competitors may have greater resources and
thereby be in a superior position to take advantage of such changes.
MUST-CARRY/RETRANSMISSION CONSENT
Pursuant to the Cable Act of 1992, television broadcasters are required to
make triennial elections to exercise either certain "must-carry" or
"retransmission consent" rights in connection with their carriage by cable
systems in each broadcaster's local market. By electing the must-carry rights, a
broadcaster demands carriage on a specified channel on cable systems within its
Area of Dominant Influence, in general as defined by the Arbitron 1991-92
Television Market Guide. These must-carry rights are not absolute, and their
exercise is dependent on variables such as (i) the number of activated channels
on a cable system; (ii) the location and size of a cable system; and (iii) the
amount of programming on a broadcast station that duplicates the programming of
another broadcast station carried by the cable system. Therefore, under certain
circumstances, a cable system may decline to carry a given station.
Alternatively, if a broadcaster chooses to exercise retransmission consent
rights, it can prohibit cable systems from carrying its signal or grant the
appropriate cable system the authority to retransmit the broadcast signal for a
fee or other consideration. In October 1996, the Company elected must-carry or
retransmission consent with respect to each of its markets based on its
evaluation of the respective markets and the position of the Company's station
within the market. The Company's stations continue to be carried on all
pertinent cable systems, and the Company does not believe that its election has
resulted in the shifting of its stations to less desirable cable channel
locations. Certain of the Company's stations affiliated with Fox are required to
elect retransmission consent, because Fox's retransmission consent negotiations
on behalf of the Company resulted in agreements which extend into 1998.
Therefore, the Company will need to negotiate retransmission consent agreements
for these Fox-affiliated stations to attain carriage on those relevant cable
systems for the balance of this triennial period (i.e., through December 31,
1999). For subsequent elections beginning with the election to be made by
October 1, 1999, the must-carry market will be the station's DMA, in general as
defined by the Nielsen DMA Market and Demographic Rank Report of the prior year.
The must-carry rules have been subject to judicial scrutiny. In April 1993,
the United States District Court for the District of Columbia summarily upheld
the constitutionality of the legislative must-carry provisions under a First
Amendment challenge. However, in June 1994, the Supreme Court remanded the case
to the lower court with instructions to test the constitutionality of the
must-carry rules under an
20
"intermediate scrutiny" standard. In a decision issued in December 1995, a
closely divided three-judge District Court panel ruled that the record showed
that there was substantial evidence before Congress from which it could draw the
reasonable inferences that (1) the must-carry rules were necessary to protect
the local broadcast industry; and (2) the burdens on cable systems with rapidly
increasing channel capacity would be quite small. Accordingly, the District
Court panel ruled that Congress had not violated the First Amendment in enacting
the "must-carry" provisions. The case is once again on appeal to the Supreme
Court, which heard oral arguments in October 1996. The Company cannot predict
the final outcome of the Supreme Court case or how it may affect the Company's
cable contracts.
SYNDICATED EXCLUSIVITY/TERRITORIAL EXCLUSIVITY
The FCC has imposed syndicated exclusivity rules and expanded existing
network nonduplication rules. The syndicated exclusivity rules allow local
broadcast television stations to demand that cable operators black out
syndicated non-network programming carried on "distant signals" (i.e., signals
of broadcast stations, including so-called "superstations," which serve areas
substantially removed from the cable system's local community). The network
non-duplication rules allow local broadcast network television affiliates to
require that cable operators black out duplicating network programming carried
on distant signals. However, in a number of markets in which the Company owns or
programs stations affiliated with a network, a station that is affiliated with
the same network in a nearby market is carried on cable systems in the Company's
market. This is not in violation of the FCC's syndicated exclusivity rules.
However, the carriage of two network stations on the same cable system could
result in a decline of viewership adversely affecting the revenues of the
Company owned or programmed station.
RESTRICTIONS ON BROADCAST ADVERTISING
Advertising of cigarettes and certain other tobacco products on broadcast
stations has been banned for many years. Various states restrict the advertising
of alcoholic beverages. Congressional committees have recently examined
legislation proposals which may eliminate or severely restrict the advertising
of beer and wine. Although no prediction can be made as to whether any or all of
the present proposals will be enacted into law, the elimination of all beer and
wine advertising would have an adverse effect upon the revenues of the Company's
stations, as well as the revenues of other stations which carry beer and wine
advertising.
The FCC has imposed commercial time limitations in children's television
programming pursuant to legislation. In television programs designed for viewing
by children of 12 years of age and under, commercial matter is limited to 12
minutes per hour on weekdays and 10.5 minutes per hour on weekends. In granting
renewal of the license for WBFF-TV, the FCC imposed a fine of $10,000 on the
Company alleging that the station had exceeded these limitations.
The Communications Act and FCC rules also place restrictions on the
broadcasting of advertisements by legally qualified candidates for elective
office. Among other things, (i) stations must provide "reasonable access" for
the purchase of time by legally qualified candidates for federal office; (ii)
stations must provide "equal opportunities" for the purchase of equivalent
amounts of comparable broadcast time by opposing candidates for the same
elective office; and (iii) during the 45 days preceding a primary or primary
run-off election and during the 60 days preceding a general or special election,
legally qualified candidates for elective office may be charged no more than the
station's "lowest unit charge" for the same class of advertisement, length of
advertisement, and daypart.
PROGRAMMING AND OPERATION
General. The Communications Act requires broadcasters to serve the "public
interest." The FCC gradually has relaxed or eliminated many of the more
formalized procedures it had developed in the past to promote the broadcast of
certain types of programming responsive to the needs of a station's community of
license. FCC licensees continue to be required, however, to present programming
that is responsive to community issues, and to maintain certain records
demonstrating such responsiveness. Complaints from viewers concerning a
station's programming often will be considered by the FCC when it evaluates
renewal applications of a licensee, although such complaints may be filed at any
time and
21
generally may be considered by the FCC at any time. Stations also must pay
regulatory and application fees, and follow various rules promulgated under the
Communications Act that regulate, among other things, political advertising,
sponsorship identifications, the advertisement of contests and lotteries,
obscene and indecent broadcasts, and technical operations, including limits on
radiofrequency radiation. In addition, licensees must develop and implement
affirmative action programs designed to promote equal employment opportunities,
and must submit reports to the FCC with respect to these matters on an annual
basis and in connection with a renewal application. Failure to observe these or
other rules and policies can result in the imposition of various sanctions,
including monetary forfeitures, or the grant of a "short" (i.e., less than the
full) renewal term or, for particularly egregious violations, the denial of a
license renewal application or the revocation of a license.
Children's Television Programming. Pursuant to legislation enacted in 1991,
all television stations have been required to broadcast some television
programming designed to meet the educational and informational needs of children
16 years of age and under. In August 1996, the FCC adopted new rules setting
forth more stringent children's programming requirements. Specifically, as of
September 1, 1997, television stations will be required to broadcast a minimum
of three hours per week of "core" children's educational programming, which the
FCC defines as programming that (i) has serving the educational and
informational needs of children 16 years of age and under as a significant
purpose; (ii) is regularly scheduled, weekly and at least 30 minutes in
duration; and (iii) is aired between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Furthermore, since January 2, 1997, "core" children's educational programs, in
order to qualify as such, are required to be identified as educational and
informational programs over the air at the time they are broadcast, and are
required to be identified in the children's programming reports required to be
placed in stations' public inspection files. Additionally, since January 2,
1997, television stations are required to identify and provide information
concerning "core" children's programming to publishers of program guides and
listings.
Television Violence. The 1996 Act contains a number of provisions relating to
television violence. First, pursuant to the 1996 Act, the television industry
has developed a ratings system, and the FCC has recently solicited public
comment on that system. Furthermore, the 1996 Act provides that all television
sets larger than 13 inches that are manufactured one year after enactment of the
1996 Act must include the so-called "V-chip," a computer chip that allows
blocking of rated programming. In addition, the 1996 Act requires that all
television license renewal applications filed after May 1, 1995 contain
summaries of written comments and suggestions received by the station from the
public regarding violent programming.
Closed Captioning. The 1996 Act directs the FCC to adopt rules requiring
closed captioning of all broadcast television programming, except where
captioning would be "economically burdensome." The FCC has recently instituted a
rulemaking proceeding to implement such rules.
PROPOSED CHANGES
The Congress and the FCC have under consideration, and in the future may
consider and adopt, new laws, regulations and policies regarding a wide variety
of matters that could affect, directly or indirectly, the operation, ownership
and profitability of the Company's broadcast stations, result in the loss of
audience share and advertising revenues for the Company's broadcast stations,
and affect the ability of the Company to acquire additional broadcast stations
or finance such acquisitions. In addition to the changes and proposed changes
noted above, such matters include, for example, the license renewal process,
spectrum use fees, political advertising rates, potential restrictions on the
advertising of certain products (beer, wine and hard liquor, for example), and
the rules and policies to be applied in enforcing the FCC's equal employment
opportunity regulations. Other matters that could affect the Company's broadcast
properties include technological innovations and developments generally
affecting competition in the mass communications industry, such as direct radio
and television broadcast satellite service, the continued establishment of
wireless cable systems and low power television stations, digital television and
radio technologies, and the advent of telephone company participation in the
provision of video programming service.
22
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
The foregoing summary does not purport to be a complete discussion of all
provisions of the Communications Act or other congressional acts or of the
regulations and policies of the FCC. For further information, reference should
be made to the Communications Act, other congressional acts, and regulations and
public notices promulgated from time to time by the FCC. There are additional
regulations and policies of the FCC and other federal agencies that govern
political broadcasts, public affairs programming, equal employment opportunity,
and other matters affecting the Company's business and operations.
ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION
Prior to the Company's ownership or operation of its facilities, substances
or waste that are or might be considered hazardous under applicable
environmental laws may have been generated, used, stored or disposed of at
certain of those facilities. In addition, environmental conditions relating to
the soil and groundwater at or under the Company's facilities may be affected by
the proximity of nearby properties that have generated, used, stored or disposed
of hazardous substances. As a result, it is possible that the Company could
become subject to environmental liabilities in the future in connection with
these facilities under applicable environmental laws and regulations. Although
the Company believes that it is in substantial compliance with such
environmental requirements, and has not in the past been required to incur
significant costs in connection therewith, there can be no assurance that the
Company's costs to comply with such requirements will not increase in the
future. The Company presently believes that none of its properties have any
condition that is likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company's
financial condition or results of operations.
COMPETITION
The Company's television and radio stations compete for audience share and
advertising revenue with other television and radio stations in their respective
DMAs, as well as with other advertising media, such as newspapers, magazines,
outdoor advertising, transit advertising, yellow page directories, direct mail
and local cable and wireless cable systems. Some competitors are part of larger
organizations with substantially greater financial, technical and other
resources than the Company.
Television Competition. Competition in the television broadcasting industry
occurs primarily in individual DMAs. Generally, a television broadcasting
station in one DMA does not compete with stations in other DMAs. The Company's
television stations are located in highly competitive DMAs. In addition, certain
of the Company's DMAs are overlapped by both over-the-air and cable carriage of
stations in adjacent DMAs, which tends to spread viewership and advertising
expenditures over a larger number of television stations.
Broadcast television stations compete for advertising revenues primarily with
other broadcast television stations, radio stations and cable system operators
serving the same market. Major Network programming generally achieves higher
household audience levels than Fox, UPN and WB programming and syndicated
programming aired by independent stations. This can be attributed to a
combination of factors, including the Major Networks' efforts to reach a broader
audience, generally better signal carriage available when broadcasting over VHF
channels 2 through 13 versus broadcasting over UHF channels 14 through 69 and
the higher number of hours of Major Network programming being broadcast weekly.
However, greater amounts of advertising time are available for sale during Fox,
UPN and WB programming and non-network syndicated programming, and as a result
the Company believes that the Company's programming typically achieves a share
of television market advertising revenues greater than its share of the market's
audience.
Television stations compete for audience share primarily on the basis of
program popularity, which has a direct effect on advertising rates. A large
amount of the Company's prime time programming is supplied by Fox and to a
lesser extent UPN, WB, ABC and CBS. In those periods, the Company's affiliated
stations are totally dependent upon the performance of the networks'
23
programs in attracting viewers. Non-network time periods are programmed by the
station primarily with syndicated programs purchased for cash, cash and barter,
or barter-only, and also through self-produced news, public affairs and other
entertainment programming.
Television advertising rates are based upon factors which include the size of
the DMA in which the station operates, a program's popularity among the viewers
that an advertiser wishes to attract, the number of advertisers competing for
the available time, the demographic makeup of the DMA served by the station, the
availability of alternative advertising media in the DMA (including radio and
cable), the aggressiveness and knowledge of sales forces in the DMA and
development of projects, features and programs that tie advertiser messages to
programming. The Company believes that its sales and programming strategies
allow it to compete effectively for advertising within its DMAs.
Other factors that are material to a television station's competitive
position include signal coverage, local program acceptance, network affiliation,
audience characteristics and assigned broadcast frequency. Historically, the
Company's UHF broadcast stations have suffered a competitive disadvantage in
comparison to stations with VHF broadcast frequencies. This historic
disadvantage has gradually declined through (i) carriage on cable systems, (ii)
improvement in television receivers, (iii) improvement in television
transmitters, (iv) wider use of all channel antennae, (v) increased availability
of programming, and (vi) the development of new networks such as Fox, UPN and
WB.
The broadcasting industry is continuously faced with technical changes and
innovations, the popularity of competing entertainment and communications media,
changes in labor conditions, and governmental restrictions or actions of Federal
regulatory bodies, including the FCC, any of which could possibly have a
material effect on a television station's operations and profits. There are
sources of video service other than conventional television stations, the most
common being cable television, which can increase competition for a broadcast
television station by bringing into its market distant broadcasting signals not
otherwise available to the station's audience, serving as a distribution system
for national satellite-delivered programming and other non-broadcast programming
originated on a cable system and selling advertising time to local advertisers.
Other principal sources of competition include home video exhibition,
direct-to-home broadcast satellite television ("DBS") entertainment services and
multichannel multipoint distribution services ("MMDS"). Moreover, technology
advances and regulatory changes affecting programming delivery through fiber
optic telephone lines and video compression could lower entry barriers for new
video channels and encourage the development of increasingly specialized "niche"
programming. The 1996 Act permits telephone companies to provide video
distribution services via radio communication, on a common carrier basis, as
"cable systems" or as "open video systems," each pursuant to different
regulatory schemes. The Company is unable to predict the effect that
technological and regulatory changes will have on the broadcast television
industry and on the future profitability and value of a particular broadcast
television station.
The FCC authorizes DBS services throughout the United States. Currently, two
FCC permitees, DirecTV and United States Satellite Broadcasting, provide
subscription DBS services via high-power communications satellites and small
dish receivers, and other companies provide direct-to-home video service using
lower powered satellites and larger receivers. Additional companies are expected
to commence direct-to-home operations in the near future. DBS and MMDS, as well
as other new technologies, will further increase competition in the delivery of
video programming.
The Company cannot predict what other matters might be considered in the
future, nor can it judge in advance what impact, if any, the implementation of
any of these proposals or changes might have on its business.
The Company is exploring ways in which it might take advantage of new
technology, including the delivery of additional content and services via the
broadcast spectrum. There can be no assurance that any such efforts will result
in the development of technology or services that are commercially successful.
The Company also competes for programming, which involves negotiating with
national program distributors or syndicators that sell first-run and rerun
packages of programming. The Company's stations compete for exclusive access to
those programs against in-market broadcast station competitors for syndicated
products. Cable systems generally do not compete with local stations for
programming, al
24
though various national cable networks from time to time have acquired programs
that would have otherwise been offered to local television stations. Public
broadcasting stations generally compete with commercial broadcasters for viewers
but not for advertising dollars.
Historically, the cost of programming had increased because of an increase in
the number of new Independent stations and a shortage of quality programming.
However, the Company believes that over the past five years program prices have
stabilized and, in some instances, have declined as a result of recent increases
in the supply of programming and the failure of some Independent stations.
The Company believes it competes favorably against other television stations
because of its management skill and experience, the ability of the Company
historically to generate revenue share greater than its audience share, the
network affiliations and its local program acceptance. In addition, the Company
believes that it benefits from the operation of multiple broadcast properties,
affording it certain nonquantifiable economies of scale and competitive
advantages in the purchase of programming.
Radio Competition. Radio broadcasting is a highly competitive business, and
each of the radio stations operated by the Company competes for audience share
and advertising revenue directly with other radio stations in its geographic
market, as well as with other media, including television, cable television,
newspapers, magazines, direct mail and billboard advertising. The audience
ratings and advertising revenue of each of such stations are subject to change,
and any adverse change in a particular market could have a material adverse
effect on the revenue of such radio stations located in that market. There can
be no assurance that any one of the Company's radio stations will be able to
maintain or increase its current audience ratings and radio advertising revenue
market share.
The Company will attempt to improve each radio station's competitive position
with promotional campaigns designed to enhance and reinforce its identities with
the listening public. Extensive market research is conducted in order to
identify specific demographic groups and design a programming format for those
groups. The Company seeks to build a strong listener base composed of specific
demographic groups in each market, and thereby attract advertisers seeking to
reach these listeners. Aside from building its stations' identities and
targeting its programming at specific demographic groups, management believes
that the Company also obtains a competitive advantage by operating duopolies or
multiple stations in the nation's larger mid-size markets.
The radio broadcasting industry is also subject to competition from new media
technologies that are being developed or introduced, such as the delivery of
audio programming by cable television systems and by digital audio broadcasting
("DAB"). DAB may provide a medium for the delivery by satellite or terrestrial
means of multiple new audio programming formats to local and national audiences.
Historically, the radio broadcasting industry has grown in terms of total
revenues despite the introduction of new technologies for the delivery of
entertainment and information, such as television broadcasting, cable
television, audio tapes and compact disks. There can be no assurance, however,
that the development or introduction in the future of any new media technology
will not have an adverse effect on the radio broadcast industry.
EMPLOYEES
As of December 31, 1996, the Company had approximately 2,359 employees. With
the exception of certain of the employees of KOVR-TV, KDNL-TV, WBEN-AM and
WWL-AM, none of the employees are represented by labor unions under any
collective bargaining agreement. No significant labor problems have been
experienced by the Company, and the Company considers its overall labor
relations to be good.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Generally, each of the Company's stations has facilities consisting of
offices, studios and tower sites. Transmitter and tower sites are located to
provide maximum signal coverage of the stations' markets. The following table
generally describes the Company's principal owned and leased real property in
each of its markets of operation:
25
APPROXIMATE
TELEVISION PROPERTIES TYPE OF FACILITY AND USE OWNED OR LEASED(A) SIZE (SQ. FEET)
- ---------------------- -------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ----------------
Pittsburgh Market Station Site for WPTT Owned 30,000
Station Site for WPGH Leased (expires 10/01/2028) 25,500
Space on WPGH Tower Site Leased (expires 02/23/2039) On site of station
Baltimore Market Old WBFF Studio Leased (month to month) 2,000
WBFF Studio and Company Offices Leased (expires 09/01/2011) 39,000
WBFF Parking Lot Leased (month to month) N/A
Space on Main WBFF Tower for Antenna Leased (expires 04/01/2007) N/A
Space on Main WBFF Tower for Transmission Disks Leased (expires 04/01/2011) N/A
Space on Main WBFF Tower for Rec