Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Nature of Business

(a) Nature of Business

Lamar Advertising Company (the Company) is engaged in the outdoor advertising business, operating approximately 143,000 billboard advertising displays in 44 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. The Company’s operating strategy is to be the leading provider of outdoor advertising services in the markets it serves.

In addition, the Company operates a logo sign business in 21 states throughout the United States and the province of Ontario, Canada and a transit advertising business in 60 markets. Logo signs are erected pursuant to state-awarded service contracts on public rights-of-way near highway exits and deliver brand name information on available gas, food, lodging and camping services. Included in the Company’s logo sign business are tourism signing contracts. The Company provides transit advertising on bus shelters, benches and buses in the markets it serves.

Principles of Consolidation

(b) Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include Lamar Advertising Company, its wholly owned subsidiary, Lamar Media Corp. (Lamar Media), and its majority-owned subsidiaries. All inter-company transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

An operating segment is a component of an enterprise:

• that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses;

• whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise’s chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance; and

• for which discrete financial information is available.

We define the term ‘chief operating decision maker’ to be our executive management group, which consist of our Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Financial Officer. Currently, all operations are reviewed on a consolidated basis for budget and business plan performance by our executive management group. Additionally, operational performance at the end of each reporting period is viewed in the aggregate by our management group. Any decisions related to changes in invested capital, personnel, operational improvement or training, or to allocate other company resources are made based on the combined results.

We operate in a single operating and reporting segment, advertising. We sell advertising on billboards, buses, shelters and benches and logo plates.

Property, Plant and Equipment

(c) Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is calculated using accelerated and straight-line methods over the estimated useful lives of the assets.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

(d) Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill is subject to an annual impairment test. The Company designated December 31 as the date of its annual goodwill impairment test. Impairment testing involves various estimates and assumptions, which could vary, and an analysis of relevant market data and market capitalization. If industry and economic conditions deteriorate, the Company may be required to assess goodwill impairment before the next annual test, which could result in impairment charges.

The Company is required to identify its reporting units and determine the carrying value of each reporting unit by assigning the assets and liabilities, including the existing goodwill and intangible assets, to those reporting units. The Company is required to determine the fair value of each reporting unit and compare it to the carrying amount of the reporting unit. To the extent the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, the Company would be required to perform the second step of the impairment test, as this is an indication that the reporting unit goodwill may be impaired. The fair value of each reporting unit exceeded its carrying amount at its annual impairment test date on December 31, 2011 and 2010, therefore, the Company was not required to recognize an impairment loss.

Intangible assets, consisting primarily of site locations, customer lists and contracts, and non-competition agreements are amortized using the straight-line method over the assets estimated useful lives, generally from 3 to 15 years.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

(e) Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets, such as property, plant and equipment, and purchased intangibles subject to amortization, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset before interest expense. If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized by the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. Assets to be disposed of would be separately presented in the balance sheet and reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell, and are no longer depreciated. The assets and liabilities of a disposed group classified as held for sale would be presented separately in the appropriate asset and liability sections of the balance sheet.

Deferred Income

(f) Deferred Income

Deferred income consists principally of advertising revenue invoiced in advance and gains resulting from the sale of certain assets to related parties. Deferred advertising revenue is recognized in income as services are provided over the term of the contract. Deferred gains are recognized in income in the consolidated financial statements at the time the assets are sold to an unrelated party or otherwise disposed of.

Revenue Recognition

(g) Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes outdoor advertising revenue on an accrual basis ratably over the term of the contracts, as services are provided. Production revenue and the related expense for the advertising copy are recognized upon completion of the sale.

The Company engages in barter transactions where the Company trades advertising space for goods and services. The Company recognizes revenues and expenses from barter transactions at fair value, which is determined based on the Company’s own historical practice of receiving cash for similar advertising space from buyers unrelated to the party in the barter transaction. The amount of revenue and expense recognized for advertising barter transactions is as follows:

Income Taxes

(h) Income Taxes

The Company uses the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under the asset and liability method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.

Earnings Per Share

(i) Earnings Per Share

The calculation of basic earnings per share excludes any dilutive effect of stock options and convertible debt, while diluted earnings per share includes the dilutive effect of stock options and convertible debt. The number of potentially dilutive shares excluded from the calculation because of their anti-dilutive effect are 0 for the year ended December 31, 2011, 465,820 for the year ended December 31, 2010 and 2,580,092 for the year ended December 31, 2009.

Stock Based Compensation

(j) Stock Based Compensation

Compensation expense for share-based awards is recognized based on the grant date fair value of those awards. Stock-based compensation expense includes an estimate for pre-vesting forfeitures and is recognized over the requisite service periods of the awards on a straight-line basis, which is generally commensurate with the vesting term. Non-cash compensation expense recognized during the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009 were $11,650, $17,839 and $12,462. The $11,650 expensed during the year ended December 31, 2011 consists of (i) $7,875 related to stock options, (ii) $3,535 related to stock grants, made under the Company’s performance-based stock incentive program in 2011 (iii) $240 related to stock awards to directors. See Note 14 for information on the assumptions we used to calculate the fair value of stock-based compensation.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

(k) Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly-liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Foreign Currency Translation

(l) Foreign Currency Translation

Local currencies generally are considered the functional currencies outside the United States. Assets and liabilities for operations in local-currency environments are translated at year-end exchange rates. Income and expense items are translated at average rates of exchange prevailing during the year. Foreign currency translation adjustments are recorded as a component of other comprehensive income in the Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) and as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (deficit) in Consolidated Statement of Stockholders’ Equity and Comprehensive Income (Deficit).

Asset Retirement Obligations

(m) Asset Retirement Obligations

The Company is required to record the present value of obligations associated with the retirement of tangible long-lived assets in the period in which it is incurred. The liability is capitalized as part of the related long-lived asset’s carrying amount. Over time, accretion of the liability is recognized as an operating expense and the capitalized cost is depreciated over the expected useful life of the related asset. The Company’s asset retirement obligations relate primarily to the dismantlement, removal, site reclamation and similar activities of its properties.

Use of Estimates

(n) Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Comprehensive Income

(o) Comprehensive Income

Total comprehensive income is presented in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) and the components of accumulated other comprehensive income (deficit) are presented in the Consolidated Statement of Stockholders’ Equity and Comprehensive Income (Deficit). Comprehensive Income (Loss) is composed of foreign currency translation effects and unrealized gains and losses on cash flow hedging instruments.

Subsequent Events

(p) Subsequent Events

The Company has performed an evaluation of subsequent events through the date on which the financial statements are issued.

LAMAR MEDIA CORP

Nature of Business

(a) Nature of Business

Lamar Media Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lamar Advertising Company. Lamar Media Corp. is engaged in the outdoor advertising business operating approximately 143,000 outdoor advertising displays in 44 states. Lamar Media’s operating strategy is to be the leading provider of outdoor advertising services in the markets it serves.

In addition, Lamar Media operates a logo sign business in 21 states throughout the United States as well as the province of Ontario, Canada. Logo signs are erected pursuant to state-awarded service contracts on public rights-of-way near highway exits and deliver brand name information on available gas, food, lodging and camping services. Included in the Company’s logo sign business are tourism signing contracts. The Company provides transit advertising on bus shelters, benches and buses in the markets it serves.

Certain footnotes are not provided for the accompanying financial statements as the information in notes 2, 4, 6, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 20 and portions of notes 1 and 12 to the consolidated financial statements of Lamar Advertising Company included elsewhere in this Annual Report are substantially equivalent to that required for the consolidated financial statements of Lamar Media Corp. Earnings per share data is not provided for the operating results of Lamar Media Corp. as it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lamar Advertising Company.

Principles of Consolidation

(b) Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include Lamar Media Corp., its wholly owned subsidiaries, The Lamar Company, LLC, Lamar Central Outdoor, Inc., Lamar Oklahoma Holding Co., Inc., Lamar Advertising Southwest, Inc., Lamar DOA Tennessee Holdings, Inc., and Interstate Logos, LLC. and their majority-owned subsidiaries. All inter-company transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.