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Acquisitions
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Business Combinations [Abstract]  
Acquisitions
Acquisitions

Midroll Media

On July 22, 2015, we acquired Midroll Media, a Los Angeles-based company that creates original podcasts and operates a network that generates advertising revenue for more than 200 shows. The purchase price was $50 million in cash, plus a $10 million earnout payable over three years. We estimated the fair value of the earnout to be $7 million at the acquisition date.

The following table summarizes the final fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed:
(in thousands)
 
 
 
 
 
Assets:
 
 
Cash
 
$
635

Accounts receivable
 
2,925

Other assets
 
482

Intangible assets
 
10,700

Goodwill
 
45,586

Total assets acquired
 
60,328

Current liabilities
 
3,365

Net purchase price
 
$
56,963



Of the $11 million allocated to intangible assets, $7 million was allocated to advertiser relationships with an estimated amortization period of 5 years and the balance of $4 million was allocated to various other intangible assets.

The goodwill of $46 million arising from the transaction consists largely of the benefit we will derive from being able to enter the podcast market with an established business. We allocated the goodwill to our digital segment. We treated the transaction as an asset acquisition for income tax purposes with a step-up in the assets acquired. The goodwill is deductible for income tax purposes.

From the acquisition date of July 22, 2015 through December 31, 2015, revenues from the acquired Midroll operations were $4.6 million.

Journal Communications Broadcast Group

On April 1, 2015, we acquired the broadcast group owned by Journal Communications, Inc. ("Journal") as part of the transactions described in Note 21. The businesses acquired include 12 television stations and 34 radio stations. We issued 26.4 million Class A Common shares to the Journal shareholders in exchange for their interest in Journal resulting in a purchase price of $636 million. The fair value of the shares issued was determined on the basis of the closing market price of our Class A Common shares on April 1, 2015, the acquisition date.

The following table summarizes the final fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed:
(in thousands)
 
 
 
 
 
Assets:
 
 
Cash
 
$
2,529

Accounts receivable
 
47,978

Other current assets
 
2,236

Property, plant and equipment
 
123,264

Intangible assets
 
294,800

Goodwill
 
456,440

Other long-term assets
 
6,350

Assets held for sale
 
14,500

Total assets acquired
 
948,097

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
 
38,107

Employee benefit obligations
 
85,261

Deferred tax liability
 
57,112

Long-term debt
 
126,873

Other long-term liabilities
 
4,744

Net purchase price
 
$
636,000



Of the $295 million allocated to intangible assets, $112 million was for FCC licenses which we determined to have an indefinite life and, therefore, are not amortized. The remaining balance of $183 million was allocated to television network affiliation relationships and advertiser relationships with estimated amortization periods of 10 to 20 years.

The goodwill of $456 million arising from the transaction consists largely of synergies and economies of scale and other benefits of a larger broadcast footprint. The goodwill was allocated to our television ($395 million), radio ($41 million) and digital ($20 million) segments. We treated the transaction as a stock acquisition for income tax purposes resulting in no step-up in the assets acquired. The goodwill is not deductible for income tax purposes.

Concurrent with the acquisition of the Journal television stations, due to FCC conflict ownership rules, Journal was required to dispose of KNIN, the Fox affiliate located in Boise, ID. The station was placed in a divestiture trust for our benefit and was sold to Raycom Media, Inc. on October 1, 2015 for $14.5 million. The sale did not result in a gain or loss.

From the acquisition date of April 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015, revenues from the acquired Journal operations were $200 million.

Granite Broadcasting

On June 16, 2014, we closed our acquisition of two television stations owned by Granite Broadcasting Corporation — the Detroit MyNetworkTV affiliate WMYD-TV and the Buffalo, N.Y. ABC affiliate WKBW-TV ("acquired Granite stations") — for $110 million in cash. The acquisition of WMYD-TV creates a duopoly with our Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ-TV.

The following table summarizes the final fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed:
(in thousands)
 
 
 
 
 
Assets:
 
 
Property, plant and equipment
 
$
12,025

Intangible assets
 
53,500

Goodwill
 
44,715

Total assets acquired
 
110,240

Current liabilities
 
240

Net purchase price
 
$
110,000



Of the $54 million allocated to intangible assets, $34 million was for FCC licenses which we have determined to have an indefinite life and, therefore, will not be amortized. The remaining balance of $19 million was allocated to television network affiliation relationships and advertiser relationships with estimated amortization periods of 10 to 20 years.

The goodwill of $45 million arising from the transaction consists largely of synergies and economies of scale and other benefits of a larger broadcast footprint, as well as synergies from being able to create a duopoly in our Detroit market. We allocated the goodwill to our television segment. We treated this purchase as an asset acquisition for income tax purposes resulting in a step-up in the assets acquired. The goodwill is deductible for income tax purposes.

Media Convergence Group

On January 1, 2014 we completed our acquisition of Media Convergence Group, Inc., which operates as Newsy, an over-the-top video news provider, for $35 million in cash, plus a working capital adjustment of $0.2 million.

The following table summarizes the final fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed:
(in thousands)
 
 
 
 
 
Assets:
 
 
Accounts receivable
 
$
640

Other assets
 
74

Equipment and software
 
631

Intangible assets
 
5,900

Goodwill
 
28,983

Total assets acquired
 
36,228

Current liabilities
 
116

Long-term deferred tax liability
 
890

Net purchase price
 
$
35,222



Of the $6 million allocated to intangible assets, $4 million was allocated to customer relationships with an estimated amortization period of 5 years and the balance of $2 million was allocated to various other intangible assets.

The goodwill of $29 million arising from the transaction consists largely of the benefit we will derive from being able to enter the digital video market with an established business. We allocated the goodwill to our digital segment. We treated the transaction as a purchase of stock for income tax purposes resulting in no step-up in the basis of the assets acquired. The goodwill is not deductible for income tax purposes.

Geoterrestrial

On September 16, 2014, we completed our acquisition of Geoterrestrial, Inc. ("WeatherSphere") for $4 million. WeatherSphere is a provider of weather-related mobile apps. The stock purchase agreement includes an earnout provision, whereby up to an additional $2.5 million may be payable over a three year period. We estimated the fair value of the earnout to be $1.2 million. We are not presenting any pro forma results of operations since the impact of the acquisition is not material to prior periods results of operations.
Pro forma results of operations

Pro forma results of operations, assuming the Granite and Journal transactions (collectively the "Acquired Stations") had taken place at the beginning of 2013 and 2014, respectively, are included in the following table. The pro forma results do not include Midroll, Newsy or Weathersphere as the impact of these acquisitions, individually or in the aggregate, are not material to prior year results of operations. The pro forma information includes the historical results of operations of Scripps and the Acquired Stations and adjustments for additional depreciation and amortization of the assets acquired, additional interest expense related to the financing of the transaction and reflecting the transaction costs incurred in 2015 as if they were incurred in the first quarter of 2014. The weighted average shares utilized in calculating the earnings per share assumes that the shares issued to the Journal shareholders were issued on January 1, 2014. The pro forma information does not include efficiencies, cost reductions or synergies expected to result from the acquisition. The unaudited pro forma financial information is not necessarily indicative of the results that actually would have occurred had the acquisition been completed at the beginning of the period.
 
 
For the years ended 
 December 31,
(in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited)
 
2015
 
2014
 
 
 
 
 
Operating revenues
 
$
778,118

 
$
792,718

(Loss) income from continuing operations attributable to the shareholders of The E. W. Scripps Company
 
(37,452
)
 
12,079

(Loss) income per share from operations attributable to the shareholders of The E. W. Scripps Company:
 
 
 
 
          Basic
 
$
(0.45
)
 
$
0.14

          Diluted
 
(0.45
)
 
0.14