FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

NOTE 18. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

        The Company adopted the provisions of the standard on fair value measurements and disclosures as of January 1, 2008. This standard defines fair value, establishes a consistent framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosures for each major asset and liability category measured at fair value on either a recurring or nonrecurring basis. The standard clarifies that fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. As a basis for considering such assumptions, the standard establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:

Level 1	—	observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities;
Level 2	—	observable inputs such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, other inputs that are observable, or can be corroborated by observable market data; and
Level 3	—	unobservable inputs for which there are little or no market data, which require the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions.

        The following table presents the Company's financial assets and liabilities that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2011 by level within the fair value hierarchy:

	Fair Value Measurements Using
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
	(in thousands)
Other long-term assets	$	—	$	2,699	$	—

        The following table presents the Company's financial assets and liabilities that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2010 by level within the fair value hierarchy:

	Fair Value Measurements Using
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
	(in thousands)
Other long-term assets	$	—	$	2,577	$	—
Other current liabilities	$	—	$	4,395	$	—
Other long-term liabilities	$	3,034	$	3,074	$	—

        Other long-term assets classified as Level 2 consist of assets related to the Company's non-qualified deferred compensation plan. The assets related to these plans are adjusted based on changes in the fair value of the underlying investments. Since the fair value of the investments is based on quoted prices of similar items in active markets, the assets are classified within Level 2 on the fair value hierarchy. Other current liabilities and long-term liabilities classified as Level 2 consist of the Company's interest rate swaps. The derivatives are a pay-variable, receive-fixed interest rate swaps based on LIBOR. Fair value is based on a model-derived valuation using LIBOR, which is an observable input in an active market. Therefore, the Company's derivative is classified as Level 2 on the fair value hierarchy as part of the Refinancing derivatives that were settled during 2011.

        In addition to the above table, the Company's financial instruments also consist of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and long-term debt. The Company did not elect to value its long-term debt with the fair value option in accordance with the standard on Financial Instruments. The Company believes that the recorded values of all of its other financial instruments approximate their fair values because of their nature and respective durations.