PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, INTANGIBLE ASSETS AND GOODWILL

Property, Plant and Equipment

The Company’s property, plant and equipment consisted of the following classes of assets as of December 31, 2019 (Successor) and 2018 (Predecessor), respectively:



(In thousands)	Successor Company		Predecessor Company
	December 31, 2019		December 31, 2018
Land, buildings and improvements	$	385,017	$	427,501
Towers, transmitters and studio equipment	156,739		365,991
Furniture and other equipment	361,527		591,601
Construction in progress	21,287		43,809
	924,570		1,428,902
Less: accumulated depreciation	77,694		926,700
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	846,876	$	502,202

In connection with the Company's emergence from bankruptcy and in accordance with ASC 852, the Company applied the provisions of fresh start accounting to its Consolidated Financial Statements on the Effective Date. As a result, the Company adjusted Property, plant and equipment to their respective fair values at the Effective Date (see Note 3, Fresh Start Accounting).

Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets

The Company’s indefinite-lived intangible assets consist of FCC broadcast licenses. FCC broadcast licenses are granted to radio stations for up to eight years under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (the “Act”). The Act requires the FCC to renew a broadcast license if the FCC finds that the station has served the public interest, convenience and necessity, there have been no serious violations of either the Communications Act of 1934 or the FCC’s rules and regulations by the licensee, and there have been no other serious violations which taken together constitute a pattern of abuse. The licenses may be renewed indefinitely at little or no cost. The Company does not believe that the technology of wireless broadcasting will be replaced in the foreseeable future. In connection with the Company's emergence from bankruptcy and in accordance with ASC 852, the Company applied the provisions of fresh start accounting to its Consolidated Financial Statements on the Effective Date. As a result, the Company adjusted its FCC licenses to their respective estimated fair values as of the Effective Date of $2,281.7 million (see Note 3, Fresh Start Accounting).

Annual Impairment Test on Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets

The Company performs its annual impairment test on indefinite-lived intangible assets as of July 1 of each year. The Company also tests indefinite-lived intangible assets at interim dates if events or changes in circumstances indicate that indefinite-lived intangible assets might be impaired.

In connection with emergence from bankruptcy, the Company qualified for and adopted fresh start accounting on the Effective Date. As of May 1, 2019, the Company allocated its estimated enterprise fair value to its individual assets and liabilities based on their estimated fair values in conformity with ASC 805, "Business Combinations." Generally, the annual impairment test for indefinite-lived intangible assets includes a full quantitative assessment, which involves the preparation of fair value estimates for the company’s FCC licenses within each geographic market. The assessment is based upon a direct valuation method as prescribed by ASC 350 and incorporates third party market data, other market and industry factors including data derived from peer companies, and the application of an industry WACC to determine the assets’ fair values. As a result of the recent fair value exercise applied in connection with fresh start accounting, the Company opted to use a qualitative assessment for its annual indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment test as of July 1, 2019 in lieu of performing the full quantitative assessment, as permitted by ASC 350, "Intangibles - Goodwill and Other".

The qualitative impairment assessment performed for indefinite-lived intangible assets considered the general macroeconomic environment, industry and market specific conditions, financial performance, including changes in costs and actual versus forecasted results, as well other issues or events specific to the Audio segment.

Based on this assessment and the totality of facts and circumstances, including the business environment in the third and fourth quarters of 2019, the Company determined that it was not more likely than not that the fair value of the Company's indefinite-lived FCC licenses were less than their respective carrying amounts. As such, the Company concluded no indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment was required for the period from May 2, 2019 through December 31, 2019. During the period from January 1, 2019 through May 1, 2019, the Predecessor Company recognized non-cash impairment charges of $91.4 million in relation to indefinite-lived FCC licenses as a result of an increase in the WACC used in performing the annual impairment test. The Predecessor Company recognized impairment charges related to its indefinite-lived intangible assets within several iHM radio markets of $33.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2018. During 2017, the Company recognized an impairment charge of $6.0 million related to its indefinite-lived intangible assets in one market.

Other Intangible Assets

Other intangible assets include definite-lived intangible assets. The Company’s definite-lived intangible assets primarily include customer and advertiser relationships, talent and representation contracts, trademarks and tradenames and other contractual rights, all of which are amortized over the shorter of either the respective lives of the agreements or over the period of time the assets are expected to contribute directly or indirectly to the Company’s future cash flows. The Company periodically reviews the appropriateness of the amortization periods related to its definite-lived intangible assets. These assets are recorded at amortized cost. In connection with the Company's emergence from bankruptcy and in accordance with ASC 852, the Company applied the provisions of fresh start accounting to its Consolidated Financial Statements on the Effective Date. As a result, the Company adjusted Other intangible assets to their respective fair values at the Effective Date (see Note 3, Fresh Start Accounting).

The following table presents the gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization for each major class of other intangible assets as of December 31, 2019 (Successor) and December 31, 2018 (Predecessor), respectively:



(In thousands)	Successor Company					Predecessor Company
	December 31, 2019					December 31, 2018
	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization			Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization
Customer / advertiser relationships	$	1,629,236	$	(114,280	)	$	1,326,636	$	(1,278,885	)
Talent and other contracts	375,399		(33,739		)	164,933		(148,578		)
Trademarks and tradenames	321,977		(21,661		)	—		—
Other	21,394		(1,786		)	376,978		(240,662		)
Total	$	2,348,006	$	(171,466	)	$	1,868,547	$	(1,668,125	)

Total amortization expense related to definite-lived intangible assets for the Successor Company for the period from May 2, 2019 through December 31, 2019 was $171.5 million. Total amortization expense related to definite-lived intangible assets for the Predecessor Company for the period from January 1, 2019 through May 1, 2019, the year ended December 31, 2018 and the year ended December 31, 2017 was $12.7 million, $110.9 million and $169.3 million, respectively.

As acquisitions and dispositions occur in the future, amortization expense may vary. The following table presents the Company’s estimate of amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years for definite-lived intangible assets:



(In thousands)
2020	$	257,053
2021	256,655
2022	255,874
2023	247,522
2024	246,832

Annual Impairment Test to Goodwill

The Company performs its annual impairment test on goodwill as of July 1 of each year. The Company also tests goodwill at interim dates if events or changes in circumstances indicate that goodwill might be impaired.

Generally, the Company's annual impairment test includes a full quantitative assessment, which involves the preparation of a fair value estimate for each reporting unit based on the most recent projected financial results, market and industry factors, including comparison to peer companies and the application of the Company's current estimated WACC. However, in connection with emergence from bankruptcy, the Company qualified for and adopted fresh start accounting on the Effective Date. As of May 1, 2019, the Company allocated its estimated enterprise fair value to its individual assets and liabilities based on their estimated fair values in conformity with ASC 805, "Business Combinations."

Upon application of fresh start accounting in accordance with ASC 852 in connection with the emergence from bankruptcy, the Company recorded goodwill of $3.3 billion, which represented the excess of Reorganization Value over the estimated fair value of the Company's assets and liabilities. Goodwill was further allocated to reporting units based on the relative fair values of the Company's reporting units as of May 1, 2019.

As a result of the recent fair value exercise applied in connection with fresh start accounting, the Company opted to use a qualitative assessment for its annual goodwill impairment test as of July 1, 2019 in lieu of performing the full quantitative assessment, as permitted by ASC 350, "Intangibles - Goodwill and Other".

As of July 1, 2019, the qualitative impairment assessment performed for goodwill considered the general macroeconomic environment, industry and market specific conditions for each reporting unit, financial performance, including changes in costs and actual versus forecasted results, as well other issues or events specific to each reporting unit. In addition, the Company evaluated the impact of changes in the Company's stock price and the trading values of its publicly-traded debt from May 1, 2019 to July 1, 2019 to determine whether or not any changes would indicate a potential impairment of goodwill allocated to its reporting units.

The following table presents the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill:



(In thousands)	Audio			Audio & Media Services			Consolidated
Balance as of December 31, 2017 (Predecessor)	$	3,255,208		$	81,831		$	3,337,039
Acquisitions	77,320			—			77,320
Dispositions	(1,606		)	—			(1,606		)
Balance as of December 31, 2018 (Predecessor)	$	3,330,922		$	81,831		$	3,412,753
Acquisitions	—			2,767			2,767
Foreign currency	—			(28		)	(28		)
Balance as of May 1, 2019 (Predecessor)	$	3,330,922		$	84,570		$	3,415,492
Impact of fresh start accounting	(111,712		)	19,585			(92,127		)


Balance as of May 2, 2019 (Successor)	$	3,219,210		$	104,155		$	3,323,365
Acquisitions	4,637			—			4,637
Dispositions	(9,466		)	—			(9,466		)
Foreign currency	—			(1		)	(1		)
Other	7,087			—			7,087
Balance as of December 31, 2019 (Successor)	$	3,221,468		$	104,154		$	3,325,622

The balance at December 31, 2017 (Predecessor) is net of cumulative impairments of $3.5 billion and $212.0 million in the Company’s iHM and Audio and Media Service segments, respectively.