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ACQUISITIONS
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Business Combinations [Abstract]  
ACQUISITIONS
ACQUISITIONS:
 
During 2015, we acquired one television station in Chattanooga, TN for a cash purchase price of $15.5 million, which was financed with cash on hand. During 2014, we acquired a total of 21 stations in 15 markets for a purchase price of $1,434.5 million plus working capital of $47.2 million. All of these acquisitions provide expansion into additional markets and increases value based on the synergies we are achieving.

2014 Acquisitions
 
Allbritton.  Effective August 1, 2014, we completed the acquisition of all of the outstanding common stock of Perpetual Corporation and equity interest of Charleston Television, LLC (together the “Allbritton Companies”) for $985.0 million plus working capital of $50.1 million.  The Allbritton Companies owned and operated nine television stations in the following seven markets, all of which were affiliated with ABC: Washington, DC; Birmingham, AL; Harrisburg, PA; Little Rock / Pine Bluff, AR; Tulsa, OK; Roanoke / Lynchburg, VA; and Charleston, SC. Also included in the purchase was NewsChannel 8, a 24-hour cable/satellite news network covering the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.  We financed the total purchase price with proceeds from the issuance of 5.625% senior unsecured notes, a draw on our amended bank credit agreement, and cash on hand. In connection with the acquisition, we sold the acquired assets related to the Harrisburg, PA station effective September 1, 2014.  See Note 3. Disposition of Assets for further discussion.
 
MEG Stations.  Effective December 19, 2014, we completed the acquisition of four television stations in three markets from Media General, Inc. (MEG Stations) for a purchase price of $207.5 million less working capital of $1.6 million.  The acquired stations are located in the following markets: Providence, RI / New Bedford, MA; Green Bay / Appleton, WI; and Savannah, GA. Simultaneously, we sold to Media General, our television stations in Tampa, FL and Colorado Springs, CO.  See Note 3. Disposition of Assets for further discussion.  We financed the purchase price, net of the proceeds received from the sale of those stations, with borrowings under our revolving credit facility.
 
KSNV.  Effective November 1, 2014, we completed the acquisition of certain assets of KSNV (NBC) in Las Vegas, NV from Intermountain West Communications Company (Intermountain West) for $118.5 million less working capital of $0.2 million.  In conjunction with the purchase, we assumed the rights under the affiliation agreement with NBC and swapped our KVMY call letters for the KSNV call letters with Intermountain West.  We financed the total purchase price with cash on hand and borrowings under our revolving credit facility.
 
Other 2014 Acquisitions.  During the year ended December 31, 2014, we acquired certain assets related to eight other television stations in the following four markets: Wilkes Barre / Scranton, PA; Tallahassee, FL; Gainesville, FL; and Macon, GA.  The purchase price for these stations was $123.5 million less working capital of $1.1 million which was financed with cash on hand and borrowings under our revolving credit facility.
 





















The following tables summarize the allocated fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities, including the net assets of consolidated VIEs (in thousands):
 
 
MEG
Stations
 
KSNV
 
Allbritton
 
Other
 
Total 2014
acquisitions
Accounts receivable
$

 
$

 
$
38,542

 
$

 
$
38,542

Prepaid expenses and other current assets
476

 
67

 
19,890

 
79

 
20,512

Program contract costs
1,954

 
482

 
1,204

 
2,561

 
6,201

Property and equipment
23,462

 
8,300

 
46,600

 
8,400

 
86,762

Broadcast licenses
675

 

 
13,700

 
125

 
14,500

Definite-lived intangible assets
125,925

 
62,700

 
564,100

 
71,025

 
823,750

Other assets

 

 
20,352

 
1,500

 
21,852

Assets held for sale

 

 
83,200

 

 
83,200

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
(2,085
)
 
(277
)
 
(8,351
)
 
(1,143
)
 
(11,856
)
Program contracts payable
(1,914
)
 
(481
)
 
(1,140
)
 
(2,554
)
 
(6,089
)
Deferred tax liability

 

 
(261,291
)
 

 
(261,291
)
Other long term liabilities

 
(1,200
)
 
(17,263
)
 

 
(18,463
)
Fair value of identifiable net assets acquired
148,493

 
69,591

 
499,543

 
79,993

 
797,620

Goodwill
57,398

 
48,699

 
535,694

 
42,443

 
684,234

Total
$
205,891

 
$
118,290

 
$
1,035,237

 
$
122,436

 
$
1,481,854


 
The allocations presented above are based upon management’s estimate of the fair values using valuation techniques including income, cost and market approaches.  In estimating the fair value of the acquired assets and assumed liabilities, the fair value estimates are based on, but not limited to, expected future revenue and cash flows, expected future growth rates, and estimated discount rates.  The purchase prices have been allocated to the acquired assets and assumed liabilities based on estimated fair values.  The allocations related to the MEG Stations, KSNV, and Other acquisitions are preliminary pending a final determination of the fair values of the assets and liabilities.
 
During the nine months ended September 30, 2015, we made certain immaterial measurement period adjustments to the initial purchase accounting for the acquisitions in 2014, resulting in reclassifications between certain noncurrent assets and noncurrent liabilities, including a decrease to property and equipment of approximately $12.5 million, a decrease to broadcast licenses of $3.5 million, an increase to definite-lived intangible assets of $33.7 million, and a decrease to goodwill of $17.6 million, as well as a corresponding decrease to depreciation of $0.6 million and an increase to amortization of $0.3 million, respectively.
 
These intangible assets will be amortized over the estimated remaining useful lives of 15 years for network affiliations and 10-15 years for the customer relationships.  Acquired property and equipment will be depreciated on a straight-line basis over the respective estimated remaining useful lives.  Goodwill is calculated as the excess of the consideration transferred over the fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired and represents the future economic benefits expected to arise from other intangible assets acquired that do not qualify for separate recognition, including assembled workforce and noncontractual relationships, as well as expected future synergies.  Other intangible assets will be amortized over the respective weighted average useful lives ranging from 14 to 16 years. The following tables summarize the amounts allocated to definite-lived intangible assets representing the estimated fair values and estimated goodwill deductible for tax purposes (in thousands):
 
 
MEG
Stations
 
KSNV
 
Allbritton
 
Other
 
Total 2014
acquisitions
Network affiliations
$
56,925

 
$
44,775

 
$
356,900

 
$
42,625

 
$
501,225

Customer relationships
46,500

 
17,925

 
207,200

 
27,400

 
299,025

Other intangible assets
22,500

 

 

 
1,000

 
23,500

Fair value of identifiable definite-lived intangible assets acquired
$
125,925

 
$
62,700

 
$
564,100

 
$
71,025

 
$
823,750

Estimated goodwill deductible for tax purposes
$
57,398

 
$
48,699

 
$

 
$
42,443

 
$
148,540


 
In connection with the acquisitions, for the nine months ended September 30, 2014, we incurred a total of $4.4 million, of costs primarily related to legal and other professional services, which we expensed as incurred and classified as corporate general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.

Pro Forma Information
 
The following table sets forth unaudited pro forma results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, assuming that the above acquisitions, along with transactions necessary to finance the acquisitions, occurred at the beginning of the year preceding the year of acquisition. The pro forma results exclude acquisitions presented under Other above, as they were deemed not material both individually and in the aggregate (in thousands, except per share data):
 
 
Three Months Ended September 30,
 
Nine Months Ended 
 September 30,
 
2014
 
2014
Total revenues
$
526,587

 
$
1,527,507

Net Income
$
37,081

 
$
97,909

Net Income attributable to Sinclair Broadcast Group
$
36,654

 
$
96,717

Basic earnings per share attributable to Sinclair Broadcast Group
$
0.38

 
$
0.99

Diluted earnings per share attributable to Sinclair Broadcast Group
$
0.37

 
$
0.98


 
This pro forma financial information is based on historical results of operations, adjusted for the allocation of the purchase price and other acquisition accounting adjustments, and is not indicative of what our results would have been had we operated the businesses since the beginning of the annual period presented because the pro forma results do not reflect expected synergies.  The pro forma adjustments reflect depreciation expense, amortization of intangibles and amortization of program contract costs related to the fair value adjustments of the assets acquired, additional interest expense related to the financing of the transactions, and exclusion of nonrecurring financing and transaction related costs. Depreciation and amortization expense are higher than amounts recorded in the historical financial statements of the acquirees due to the fair value adjustments recorded for long-lived tangibles and intangible assets in purchase accounting.  The pro forma revenues exclude the revenues of WHTM-TV (ABC) in Harrisburg/Lancaster/York, PA, WTTA-TV (MNT) in Tampa, FL, and KXRM/KXTU (FOX) in Colorado Springs, CO which were sold in connection with the above acquisitions.