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Description of Business and Basis of Presentation
9 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

News Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, “News Corporation,” “News Corp,” the “Company,” “we,” or “us”) is a global diversified media and information services company comprised of businesses across a range of media, including: news and information services, book publishing, digital real estate services, cable network programming in Australia and pay-TV distribution in Australia.

During the first quarter of fiscal 2016, management approved a plan to dispose of the Company’s digital education business. As a result of the plan and the discontinuation of further significant business activities in the Digital Education segment, the assets and liabilities of this segment were classified as held for sale and the results of operations have been classified as discontinued operations for all periods presented. Unless indicated otherwise, the information in the notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements relates to the Company’s continuing operations. (See Note 3—Discontinued Operations).

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company, which are referred to herein as the “Consolidated Financial Statements,” have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. In the opinion of management, all adjustments consisting only of normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation have been reflected in these Consolidated Financial Statements. Operating results for the interim period presented are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017. The preparation of the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts that are reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying disclosures. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. Equity investments in which the Company exercises significant influence but does not exercise control and is not the primary beneficiary are accounted for using the equity method. Investments in which the Company is not able to exercise significant influence over the investee are designated as available-for-sale if readily determinable fair values are available. If an investment’s fair value is not readily determinable, the Company accounts for its investment under the cost method.

The consolidated statements of operations are referred to herein as the “Statements of Operations.” The consolidated balance sheets are referred to herein as the “Balance Sheets.” The consolidated statements of cash flows are referred to herein as the “Statements of Cash Flows.”

The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on August 12, 2016 (the “2016 Form 10-K”).

Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior period consolidated financial statements to conform to the current year presentation. Specifically, the Company reclassified its listing revenues generated primarily from agents, brokers and developers from advertising revenue to real estate revenue for all periods presented to better reflect the Company’s revenue mix and how management reviews the performance of the Digital Real Estate Services segment. In the third quarter of fiscal 2017, the Company also revised the Statements of Cash Flows to present cash flow activities from discontinued operations within each of the operating, investing and financing activities categories.

 

The Company’s fiscal year ends on the Sunday closest to June 30. Fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2016 include 52 and 53 weeks, respectively. All references to the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 relate to the three months ended April 2, 2017 and March 27, 2016, respectively. For convenience purposes, the Company continues to date its consolidated financial statements as of March 31.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” (“ASU 2014-09”). ASU 2014-09 removes inconsistencies and differences in existing revenue requirements between GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) and requires a company to recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Once effective, ASU 2014-09 can be applied retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initial adoption recognized at the date of initial application. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-08, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net)” (“ASU 2016-08”). The amendments in ASU 2016-08 clarify the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations. In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-10, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing” (“ASU 2016-10”). The amendments in ASU 2016-10 clarify aspects relating to the identification of performance obligations and improve the operability and understandability of the licensing implementation guidance. In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-12, “Update 2016-12—Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients” (“ASU 2016-12”). The amendments in ASU 2016-12address certain issues identified on assessing collectability, presentation of sales taxes, noncash consideration, and completed contracts and contract modifications at transition. The effective date for all ASUs noted above is annual and interim reporting periods beginning July 1, 2018.  The Company is currently evaluating the impact these ASUs will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, “Financial Instruments—Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities” (“ASU 2016-01”). The amendments in ASU 2016-01 address certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments. ASU 2016-01 is effective for the Company for annual and interim reporting periods beginning July 1, 2018. As of March 31, 2017, the Company has $100 million in available-for-sale securities with net unrealized gains of $2 million. The cumulative net unrealized gains (losses) contained within Accumulated other comprehensive loss will be reclassified through Retained earnings as of July 1, 2018. Changes in the fair value of available-for-sale securities will be recorded in the Company’s Statement of Operations beginning July 1, 2018.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” (“ASU 2016-02”). The amendments in ASU 2016-02 address certain aspects in lease accounting, with the most significant impact for lessees. The amendments in ASU 2016-02 require lessees to recognize all leases on the balance sheet by recording a right-of-use asset and a lease liability, and lessor accounting has been updated to align with the new requirements for lessees. The new standard also provides changes to the existing sale-leaseback guidance. ASU 2016-02 is effective for the Company for annual and interim reporting periods beginning July 1, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the impact ASU 2016-02 will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, “Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting” (“ASU 2016-09”). The amendments in ASU 2016-09 address several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 is effective for the Company for annual and interim reporting periods beginning July 1, 2017. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2016-09 to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, “Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” (“ASU 2016-13”). The amendments in ASU 2016-13 require a financial asset (or a group of financial assets) measured at amortized cost basis to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected. ASU 2016-13 is effective for the Company for annual and interim reporting periods beginning July 1, 2020. The Company is currently evaluating the impact ASU 2016-13 will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force)” (“ASU 2016-15”). The amendments in ASU 2016-15 address eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows under Topic 230, Statement of Cash Flows, and other Topics. ASU 2016-15 is effective for the Company for annual and interim reporting periods beginning July 1, 2018. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2016-15 to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory” (“ASU 2016-16”). The amendments in ASU 2016-16 require an entity to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. The amendments in ASU 2016-16 eliminate the exception for an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory. ASU 2016-16 is effective for the Company for annual and interim reporting periods beginning July 1, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact ASU 2016-16 will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-17, “Consolidation (Topic 810): Interests Held through Related Parties That Are under Common Control” (“ASU 2016-17”). The amendments in ASU 2016-17 require that if a reporting entity satisfies the first condition of a primary beneficiary in a variable interest entity (“VIE”), a reporting entity should include all of its direct variable interests in a VIE and, on a proportionate basis, its indirect variable interests in a VIE held through related parties, including related parties that are under common control with the reporting entity, when assessing whether it satisfies the second characteristic of a primary beneficiary If, after performing that assessment, a reporting entity that is the single decision maker of a VIE concludes that it does not have the characteristics of a primary beneficiary, the amendments continue to require that reporting entity to evaluate whether it and one or more of its related parties under common control, as a group, have the characteristics of a primary beneficiary. If the single decision maker and its related parties that are under common control, as a group, have the characteristics of a primary beneficiary, then the party within the related party group that is most closely associated with the VIE is the primary beneficiary. ASU 2016-17 is effective for the Company for annual and interim reporting periods beginning July 1, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact ASU 2016-17 will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force)” (“ASU 2016-18”). The amendments in ASU 2016-18 require that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. Therefore, amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-18 is effective for the Company for annual and interim reporting periods beginning July 1, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact ASU 2016-18 will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, “Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business” (“ASU 2017-01”). The amendments in ASU 2017-01 provide a screen to determine when a set of assets and activities is not a business. Under the screen, when substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets, the set is not a business. ASU 2017-01 is effective for the Company for annual and interim reporting periods beginning July 1, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact ASU 2017-01 will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, “Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment” (“ASU 2017-04”). The amendments in ASU 2017-04 eliminate Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test and instead require an entity to perform its annual, or interim, goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount and to recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. The loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. As permitted by ASU 2017-04, the Company early-adopted this standard and applied it prospectively to reduce the complexity and costs of evaluating goodwill for impairment.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, “Compensation—Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost” (“ASU 2017-07”). The amendments in ASU 2017-07 require that an employer report the service cost component in the same line item or items as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by the pertinent employees during the period. The other components of net benefit cost as defined in paragraphs 715-30-35-4 and 715-60-35-9 are required to be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of income from operations, if one is presented. If a separate line item or items are used to present the other components of net benefit cost, that line item or items must be appropriately described. If a separate line item or items are not used, the line item or items used in the income statement to present the other components of net benefit cost must be disclosed. ASU 2017-07 is effective for the Company for annual and interim reporting periods beginning July 1, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact ASU 2017-07 will have on its consolidated financial statements.