0001104659-20-074721.txt : 20200723 0001104659-20-074721.hdr.sgml : 20200723 20200618171304 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001104659-20-074721 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: CORRESP PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 1 FILED AS OF DATE: 20200618 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP INC CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000912752 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: TELEVISION BROADCASTING STATIONS [4833] IRS NUMBER: 521494660 STATE OF INCORPORATION: MD FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: CORRESP BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 10706 BEAVER DAM ROAD CITY: HUNT VALLEY STATE: MD ZIP: 21030 BUSINESS PHONE: 4105681500 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 10706 BEAVER DAM ROAD CITY: HUNT VALLEY STATE: MD ZIP: 21030 CORRESP 1 filename1.htm

 

Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.

10706 Beaver Dam Road

Hunt Valley, MD 21030

(410) 568-1500

 

June 18, 2020

 

Via EDGAR and Email

 

Securities and Exchange Commission

100 F Street, NE

Washington, DC 20549

 

Attention:Lisa Etheredge
Robert S. Littlepage

 

Re:

Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.

Form 10-K for the Year Ended December 31, 2019

Form 10-Q for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2020

Form 8-K filed May 6, 2020

File No. 000-26076

 

Dear Ms. Etheredge:

 

Please find the responses of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (the “Company”, “we”, “us” or “our”) to your letter dated June 9, 2020, providing comments relating to the Company’s (i) Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 (the “10-Q”) and (ii) Current Report on Form 8-K filed May 6, 2020 (the “8-K”). In order to facilitate the review of this letter by the Staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), we have restated each of your numbered comments below and have included the Company’s response underneath each comment.

 

Form 10-Q for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2020

Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Liquidity and Capital Resources, page 51

 

1.If the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA is a material term of your Bank Credit Agreement and information about that covenant is material to an investor's understanding of your financial condition or liquidity, please revise your MD&A in future filings to disclose measures calculated pursuant to the covenant.

 

In response to the Staff’s comment, the Company respectfully submits that the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA in isolation is not material under its Bank Credit Agreement. The Bank Credit Agreement requires the Company to maintain certain ratios, including a First Lien Indebtedness Ratio, which is based in part on the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA. Page 17 of the 10-Q specifically discloses the multiple required for compliance with these ratios as well as the Company’s compliance with these ratios and other financial covenants as of March 31, 2020. The Company also discloses on page 51 of the Form 10-Q that if it does not maintain the First Lien Indebtedness Ratio, it could be prohibited from accessing borrowing capacity under its Bank Credit Agreement. Moreover, as discussed below in our response to Staff comment two, we believe that Adjusted EBITDA is not a liquidity measure, but rather (i) an indicator of the operating performance of our assets and (ii) a measure of valuation frequently used by industry analysts, investors and lenders. Based on these facts, the Company believes its existing disclosure is consistent with Question 102.09 of the Staff’s Compliance and Discussion Interpretations: Non-GAAP Financial Measures.

 

   

 

 

Form 8-K filed May 6, 2020

Exhibit 99.1

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measurements - Unaudited, page 12

 

2A.Please revise the title of this non-GAAP measure to distinguish it from EBITDA as commonly defined.

 

We note the guidance in Question 103.01 of the Compliance & Disclosure Interpretations on non-GAAP measures updated on May 17, 2016 and accordingly, we will (i) revise the term “EBITDA” as used in Exhibit 99.1 of the 8-K to “Adjusted EBITDA” and (ii) delete the subtotal “EBITDA” as shown in our response below in all of the Company’s future filings.

 

2B.If you consider these measures to be both liquidity and operating performance measures, please revise to disclose that fact and also reconcile your non-GAAP liquidity measures to the most directly comparable GAAP liquidity measures.

 

We note the guidance in Question 103.01 of the Compliance & Disclosure Interpretations on non-GAAP measures updated on May 17, 2016 and respectfully submit that we use and disclose EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA (each as defined in the 8-K) as a performance measure not a liquidity measure. We disclose on page 11 of Exhibit 99.1 of the 8-K that we believe (i) EBITDA to be an indicator of the operating performance of our assets and (ii) EBITDA is frequently used by industry analysts, investors and lenders as a measure of valuation. Further, we believe that Adjusted EBITDA is not a tool for measuring liquidity, discussion of financial condition, or, as discussed above in the response to Staff comment one, our ability to meet material debt covenants for liquidity purposes.

 

In future filings we expect our disclosure for Adjusted EBITDA will be as follows (as compared to the format that was provided in Q1 2020 with additions denoted by bold and underlined and deletions denoted by strikethrough):

 

The Company considers Adjusted EBITDA to be an indicator of the operating performance of its assets. The Company also believes that Adjusted EBITDA is frequently used by industry analysts, investors and lenders as a measure of valuation. In addition, EBITDA is the basis for calculating Adjusted EBITDA under the Company's Bank Credit Agreement. (BCA), which is used in computing the Company's ability to borrow under the BCA.

 

These measures are not formulated in accordance with GAAP, are not meant to replace GAAP financial measures and may differ from other companies’ uses or formulations. The Company does not provide reconciliations on a forward-looking basis. Further discussions and reconciliations of the Company's non-GAAP financial measures to comparable GAAP financial measures can be found on its website www.SBGI.net.

 

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Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measurements - Unaudited

All periods reclassified to conform with current year GAAP presentation

(in millions)

 

   Three Months Ended
XXXX,
 
   20XX   20XX 
Adjusted EBITDA          
Net income (loss) attributable to Sinclair Broadcast Group  $XX   $XX 
Add: Inc (loss) from redeemable noncontrolling interests   XX    XX 
Add: Inc (loss) from noncontrolling interests   XX    XX 
Add: Provision (benefit) for income taxes   XX    XX 
Add: Other expenses (income)   XX    XX 
Add: Loss (income) from equity method investments   XX    XX 
Add: Loss (income) from other investments and impairments   XX    XX 
Add: Loss (gain) from extinguishment of debt/insurance proceeds   XX    XX 
Add: Interest expense   XX    XX 
Less: Interest income   XX    XX)
Less: Gain on sale of assets   XX    XX)
Add: Amortization of intangible assets & other assets   XX    XX 
Add: Depreciation of property & equipment   XX    XX 
Add: Total stock-based compensation   XX    XX 
Add: Amortization of program contract costs   XX    XX 
Less: Cash film payments   XX    XX)
Add: Amortization of sports programming rights   XX    XX 
Less: Cash sports programming rights payments   XX    XX 
EBITDA  $XX   $XX 
Adjustment for transaction, legal and other one-time expense   XX    XX 
Adjusted EBITDA  $XX   $XX 

 

If you have any questions concerning the matter discussed in this letter please call the undersigned at (410) 568-1686.

 

Thank you for your consideration in these matters.

 

 

  Very truly yours,
   
  /s/ David R. Bochenek
   
  David R. Bochenek
  Senior Vice President and Chief
  Accounting Officer

 

cc:Via E-mail
   
  Jeffrey B. Grill (Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP)

 

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