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Stock Plans
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Stock Plans [Abstract]  
Stock Plans
(11) Stock Plans:
At March 31, 2012, we had five stock-based compensation plans under which grants were made and awards remained outstanding.  No further awards may be granted under three of the plans: the 1996 Equity Incentive Plan, the Amended and Restated 2000 Equity Incentive Plan (collectively, together with the 2009 Equity Incentive Plan, the EIP) and the Deferred Fee Plan. At March 31, 2012, there were 12,540,761 shares authorized for grant under these plans and 3,274,997 shares available for grant under two of the plans.  

Performance Shares
On February 15, 2012, the Company's Compensation Committee, in consultation with the other non-management directors of the Company's Board of Directors and the Committee's independent executive compensation consultant, adopted the new Frontier Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "LTIP"). LTIP awards will be granted in the form of performance shares.  The LTIP is offered under the Company's 2009 Equity Incentive Plan and participants consist of senior vice presidents and above. The LTIP awards have performance, market and time-vesting conditions.
 
Beginning in 2012, during the first 90 days of a three-year performance period (a "Measurement Period"), a target number of performance shares are awarded to each LTIP participant with respect to the Measurement Period.  The performance metrics under the LTIP are (1) annual targets for operating cash flow based on a goal set during the first 90 days of each year in the three-year Measurement Period and (2) an overall performance "modifier" set during the first 90 days of the Measurement Period, based on the Company's total return to stockholders (i.e., Total Shareholder Return or "TSR") relative to the Diversified Telecommunications Services Group (GICS Code 501010) for the three-year Measurement Period.  LTIP awards will be paid out in the form of common stock shortly following the end of the three-year Measurement Period.  Operating cash flow performance will be determined at the end of each year and the annual results will be averaged at the end of the three-year Measurement Period to determine the preliminary number of shares earned under the LTIP award.
 
On February 15, 2012, the Compensation Committee granted 930,020 performance shares under the LTIP for the 2012-2014 Measurement Period and set the operating cash flow performance goal for the first year in that Measurement Period and the TSR modifier for the three-year Measurement Period.  Actual amounts earned will be subject to increase or decrease (including forfeiture of the entire award).  An executive must maintain a satisfactory performance rating during the Measurement Period and must be employed by the Company at the end of the three-year Measurement Period in order for the award to vest.  The Compensation Committee will determine the number of shares earned for the 2012-2014 Measurement Period in February 2015.
 
Restricted Stock
The following summary presents information regarding unvested restricted stock as of March 31, 2012 and changes during the three months then ended with regard to restricted stock under the EIP:

Weighted
Average
 Number of
 Grant Date
Aggregate
 Shares
 Fair Value
Fair Value
Balance at January 1, 2012
4,847,000
$
8.40
$
24,962,000
Restricted stock granted
3,667,000
$
4.22
$
15,291,000
Restricted stock vested
(1,131,000)
$
9.04
$
4,716,000
Restricted stock forfeited
(13,000)
$
7.64
Balance at March 31, 2012
7,370,000
$
6.23
$
30,732,000

For purposes of determining compensation expense, the fair value of each restricted stock grant is estimated based on the average of the high and low market price of a share of our common stock on the date of grant.  Total remaining unrecognized compensation cost associated with unvested restricted stock awards at March 31, 2012 was $37.3 million and the weighted average period over which this cost is expected to be recognized is approximately two years.

Shares granted during the first three months of 2011 totaled 1,679,000.  The total fair value of shares granted and vested during the three months ended March 31, 2011 was approximately $13.8 million and $7.5 million, respectively.  The total fair value of unvested restricted stock at March 31, 2011 was $42.4 million. The weighted average grant date fair value of restricted shares granted during the three months ended March 31, 2011 was $9.40.

Stock Options
The following summary presents information regarding outstanding stock options as of March 31, 2012 and changes during the three months then ended with regard to options under the EIP:

Weighted
Weighted
Shares
Average
Average
Aggregate
 Subject to
 Option Price
 Remaining
Intrinsic
 Option
 Per Share
 Life in Years
 Value
Balance at January 1, 2012
895,000
$
9.94
1.3
$
-
Options granted
-
$
-
-
Options exercised
-
$
-
-
$
-
Options canceled, forfeited or lapsed
-
$
-
-
Balance at March 31, 2012
895,000
$
9.94
1.1
$
-
Exercisable at March 31, 2012
895,000
$
9.94
1.1
$
-
There were no options granted during the first three months of 2011.  Cash received upon the exercise of options during the first three months of 2011 was $0.1 million.  The intrinsic value of the stock options outstanding and exercisable at March 31, 2011 was $11,000.