Segment Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Segment Information [Abstract]

Segment Information

16. Segment Information

We determine our business segments based upon our management and internal reporting structure. Our reportable segments are strategic businesses that offer different products and services.

Television includes ten ABC affiliates, three NBC affiliates, one independent station and five Azteca affiliates. Our television stations reach approximately 13% of the nation’s television households. Television stations earn revenue primarily from the sale of advertising time to local and national advertisers.

Our newspaper business segment includes daily and community newspapers in 13 markets in the U.S. Newspapers earn revenue primarily from the sale of advertising space to local and national advertisers and from the sale of newspapers to readers.

Syndication and other primarily include syndication of news features and comics and other features for the newspaper industry.

We allocate a portion of certain corporate costs and expenses, including information technology, pensions and other employee benefits, and other shared services, to our business segments. The allocations are generally amounts agreed upon by management, which may differ from an arms-length amount. Corporate assets are primarily cash, cash equivalents and other short-term investments, property and equipment primarily used for corporate purposes, and deferred income taxes.

Our chief operating decision maker evaluates the operating performance of our business segments and makes decisions about the allocation of resources to our business segments using a measure called segment profit. Segment profit excludes interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, divested operating units, restructuring activities, investment results and certain other items that are included in net income (loss) determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Information regarding our business segments is as follows:

	For the years ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2011			2010			2009
Segment operating revenues:
Television	$	300,598		$	321,148		$	255,220
Newspapers		414,289			434,988			455,166
Syndication and other		13,773			20,754			22,012
Total operating revenues	$	728,660		$	776,890		$	732,398
Segment profit (loss):
Television	$	49,631		$	74,890		$	20,168
Newspapers		21,455			52,480			49,249
JOA and newspaper partnerships		—			—			(211	)
Syndication and other		(1,363	)		(2,767	)		(1,352	)
Corporate and shared services		(31,429	)		(34,235	)		(27,313	)
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles		(40,069	)		(44,894	)		(44,360	)
Impairment of goodwill, indefinite and long-lived assets		(9,000	)		—			(216,413	)
Gains (losses), net on disposal of property, plant and equipment		124			(1,218	)		444
Interest expense		(1,640	)		(3,666	)		(2,554	)
Acquisition costs		(2,787	)		—			—
Separation and restructuring costs		(9,935	)		(12,678	)		(9,935	)
Miscellaneous, net		(675	)		1,798			962
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	$	(25,688	)	$	29,710		$	(231,315	)
Depreciation:
Television	$	16,579		$	17,195		$	17,837
Newspapers		20,914			25,261			23,365
Syndication and other		138			458			592
Corporate and shared services		1,191			603			736
Total depreciation	$	38,822		$	43,517		$	42,530
Amortization of intangibles:
Television	$	318		$	378		$	335
Newspapers		929			999			1,495
Total amortization of intangibles	$	1,247		$	1,377		$	1,830

	For the years ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2011		2010		2009
Additions to property, plant and equipment:
Television	$	10,215	$	14,165	$	6,844
Newspapers		1,793		2,346		34,254
JOA and newspaper partnerships		—		—		26
Syndication and other		362		207		250
Corporate and shared services		273		526		485
Total additions to property, plant and equipment	$	12,643	$	17,244	$	41,859

	As of December 31,
(in thousands)	2011		2010		2009
Assets:
Television	$	432,584	$	213,776	$	210,949
Newspapers		296,414		321,518		350,865
JOA and newspaper partnerships		—		4,822		4,447
Syndication and other		1,783		7,789		6,510
Investments		16,776		10,295		10,330
Corporate and shared services		222,971		269,342		172,474
Total assets of continuing operations		970,528		827,542		755,575
Discontinued operations		—		—		30,773
Total assets	$	970,528	$	827,542	$	786,348

No single customer provides more than 10% of our revenue.