Stockholders' Equity

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]

Stockholders' Equity

(13) Stockholders’ Equity

On July 16, 1999, the Board of Directors designated 5,720 shares of the 1,000,000 shares of previously undesignated preferred stock, par value $.001, as Series AA preferred stock. The Class A preferred stock, par value $638, was exchanged for the new Series AA preferred stock and no shares of Class A preferred stock are currently outstanding. The new Series AA preferred stock and the class A preferred stock rank senior to the Class A common stock and Class B common stock with respect to dividends and upon liquidation. Holders of Series AA preferred stock and Class A preferred stock are entitled to receive, on a pari passu basis, dividends at the rate of $15.95 per share per quarter when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors. The Series AA preferred stock and the Class A preferred stock are also entitled to receive, on a pari passu basis, $638 plus a further amount equal to any dividend accrued and unpaid to the date of distribution before any payments are made or assets distributed to the Class A common stock or Class B stock upon voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company. The liquidation value of the outstanding Series AA preferred stock at December 31, 2011 was $3,649. The Series AA preferred stock and the Class A preferred stock are identical, except that the Series AA preferred stock is entitled to one vote per share and the Class A preferred stock is not entitled to vote.

All of the outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and nonassessable. In the event of the liquidation or dissolution of the Company, following any required distribution to the holders of outstanding shares of preferred stock, the holders of common stock are entitled to share pro rata in any balance of the corporate assets available for distribution to them. The Company may pay dividends if, when and as declared by the Board of Directors from funds legally available therefore, subject to the restrictions set forth in the Company’s existing indentures and the Senior Credit Facility. Subject to the preferential rights of the holders of any class of preferred stock, holders of shares of common stock are entitled to receive such dividends as may be declared by the Company’s Board of directors out of funds legally available for such purpose. No dividend may be declared or paid in cash or property on any share of either class of common stock unless simultaneously the same dividend is declared or paid on each share of the other class of common stock, provided that, in the event of stock dividends, holders of a specific class of common stock shall be entitled to receive only additional shares of such class.

The rights of the Class A and Class B common stock are equal in all respects, except holders of Class B common stock have ten votes per share on all matters in which the holders of common stock are entitled to vote and holders of Class A common stock have one vote per share on such matters. The Class B common stock will convert automatically into Class A common stock upon the sale or transfer to persons other than permitted transferees (as defined in the Company’s certificate of incorporation, as amended).

In February 2007, the Company’s board of directors approved a repurchase program of up to $500,000 of the Company’s Class A common stock, which expired on February 22, 2009. Shares repurchased during the program were made on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. The timing and amount of the shares repurchased were determined by Lamar’s management based on its evaluation of market conditions and other factors. All repurchased shares are available for future use for general corporate and other purposes. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2009, the Company did not purchase any shares of its Class A common stock under the repurchase program.