NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Schedule of carrying amounts and classification of assets and liabilities of VIEs

As of the dates indicated, the carrying amounts and classification of the assets and liabilities of the VIEs mentioned above which have been included in our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands):



	2016		2015
ASSETS
CURRENT ASSETS:
Accounts receivable	$	21,879	$	21,719
Other current assets	12,076		14,108
Total current asset	33,955		35,827

PROGRAM CONTRACT COSTS, less current portion	2,468		4,541
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net	2,996		7,609
GOODWILL	791		787
INDEFINITE-LIVED INTANGIBLE ASSETS	15,684		17,599
DEFINITE-LIVED INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	79,509		79,086
OTHER ASSETS	6,871		6,924
Total assets	$	142,274	$	152,373
LIABILITIES
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Other current liabilities	18,992		17,554

LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing, less current portion	19,449		24,594
Program contracts payable, less current portion	14,353		13,679
Other long term liabilities	12,921		8,067
Total liabilities	$	65,715	$	63,894

Schedule of rollforward of the allowance for doubtful accounts

A rollforward of the allowance for doubtful accounts for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 is as follows (in thousands):



	2016			2015			2014
Balance at beginning of period	$	4,495		$	4,246		$	3,379
Charged to expense	1,974			1,292			2,186
Net write-offs	(4,345		)	(1,043		)	(1,319		)
Balance at end of period	$	2,124		$	4,495		$	4,246

Schedule of other assets

Other assets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 consisted of the following (in thousands):



	2016		2015
Equity and cost method investments	$	168,572	$	116,031
Unamortized costs related to debt issuances	4,936		3,663
Other	47,122		55,872
Total other assets	$	220,630	$	175,566

Schedule of accrued liabilities

Accrued liabilities consisted of the following as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands):



	2016		2015
Compensation and employee health insurance	$	78,682	$	65,364
Interest	41,979		32,788
Deferred revenue	25,692		24,837
Programming related obligations	76,962		54,381
Other accruals relating to operating expenses	99,190		73,943
Total accounts payable and accrued liabilities	$	322,505	$	251,313

Schedule of cash transactions

During 2016, 2015 and 2014, we had the following cash transactions (in thousands):



	2016		2015		2014
Income taxes paid	$	108,347	$	106,979	$	100,986
Income tax refunds	$	12,193	$	196	$	1,407
Interest paid	$	191,117	$	182,425	$	157,349

Schedule of benefits expected to be paid to participants under the Fisher SERP

We estimate that benefits expected to be paid to participants under the SERP as follows (in thousands):



	December 31,
2017	$	1,749
2018	1,669
2019	1,597
2020	1,538
2021	1,479
Next 5 years	6,532

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of the significant judgments and assumptions made in determining whether a variable interest (as defined) held by the entity requires the variable interest entity (VIE) (as defined) to be consolidated and (or) disclose information about its involvement with the VIE, individually or in aggregate (as applicable); the nature of restrictions, if any, on the consolidated VIE's assets and on the settlement of its liabilities reported by an entity in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets and liabilities; the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with involvement in the VIE; how involvement with the VIE affects the entity's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows; the lack of recourse if creditors (or beneficial interest holders) of the consolidated VIE have no recourse to the general credit of the primary beneficiary (if applicable); the terms of arrangements, giving consideration to both explicit arrangements and implicit variable interests, if any, that could require the entity to provide financial support to the VIE, including events or circumstances that could expose the entity to a loss; the methodology used by the entity for determining whether or not it is the primary beneficiary of the variable interest entity; the significant factors considered and judgments made in determining that the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE's economic performance are shared (as defined); the carrying amounts and classification of assets and liabilities of the VIE included in the statement of financial position; the entity's maximum exposure to loss, if any, as a result of its involvement with the VIE, including how the maximum exposure is determined and significant sources of the entity's exposure to the VIE; a comparison of the carrying amounts of the assets and liabilities and the entity's maximum exposure to loss; information about any liquidity arrangements, guarantees, and (or) other commitments by third parties that may affect the fair value or risk of the entity's variable interest in the VIE; whether or not the entity has provided financial support or other support (explicitly or implicitly) to the VIE that it was not previously contractually required to provide or whether the entity intends to provide that support, including the type and amount of the support and the primary reasons for providing the support; and supplemental information the entity determines necessary to provide.

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