Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Basis of Presentation (Policies)

v3.23.3
Basis of Presentation (Policies)
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2023
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Business
Business
Salem Media Group, Inc. (“Salem,” “we,” “us,” “our” or the “company”) is a domestic multimedia company specializing in Christian and conservative content. Our media properties include radio broadcasting, digital media, and publishing entities. We have three operating segments: (1) Broadcast, (2) Digital Media, and (3) Publishing, which are discussed in Note 15 – Segment Data.
Basis Of Presentation
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of Salem include the company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.
Information with respect to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 is unaudited. The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form
10-Q
and Article 10 of Regulation
S-X.
Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, the unaudited interim financial statements contain all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals, necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the company. The unaudited interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Annual Report for Salem filed on Form
10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2022. Our results are subject to seasonal fluctuations and therefore, the results of operations for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for a full year.
The balance sheet at December 31, 2022 included in this report has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP. Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year financial statements to conform to the presentation in the current year, which had no impact on the previously reported financial statements.
Equity Method Investment
Equity Method Investment
We invested in OneParty America LLC (“OPA”), an entity formed for the purpose of developing, producing, and distributing a documentary motion picture. We analyzed our investment to determine the degree to which we influenced OPA. The determination of the degree to which we can influence an investee requires extensive analysis depending on the terms and nature of each investment.
We reviewed OPA in accordance with the guidance within Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 810
, Consolidation
. Based on our analysis using the variable interest model, we determined that OPA was a Variable Interest Entity (“VIE”), but because we did not have a controlling financial interest, we were not the primary beneficiary of OPA. Accordingly, we accounted for our investment in OPA in accordance with ASC
323-30
, Investments – Equity Method and Joint Ventures
.
We recorded our equity method investment at cost with subsequent adjustments to the carrying value for our share of the earnings or losses of OPA. Distributions received from the equity method investment were recorded as reductions in the carrying value of such investment and are classified on the unaudited condensed consolidated interim statements of cash flows pursuant to the cumulative earnings approach. Under the cumulative earnings approach, distributions received are accounted for as a return on investment in cash inflows from operating activities unless the cumulative distributions received exceed the cumulative equity in earnings recognized from the investment. When such an excess occurs, the current period distributions up to this excess are considered returns of investment and are classified as cash inflows from investing activities.
The documentary motion picture,
2000 Mules
, was released in May 2022. We recorded $3.9 million of earnings from our equity investment in OPA. At June 30, 2022, we recorded a net receivable of $1.3 million from OPA that is included in other receivables in our Condensed Consolidated Balance sheet representing our share of profit from the documentary motion picture. The balance of that receivable was paid in full at the end of September 30, 2023.
We monitor equity method investments for impairment and records a reduction in the carrying value if the carrying exceeds the estimated fair value. An impairment charge is recorded when such impairment is deemed to be other than temporary. To determine whether an impairment is other than temporary, we consider our ability and intent to hold the investment until the carrying amount is fully recovered. Circumstances that indicate an impairment may have occurred include factors such as decreases in quoted market prices or declines in the operations of the investee. The evaluation of the investment for potential impairment requires us to exercise significant judgment and to make certain assumptions. The use of different judgments and assumptions could result in different conclusions. There were no indications of impairment at September 30, 2023.
Use of Estimates
Use of Estimates
Our condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP, which requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses. These estimates require the use of judgment as future events, and the effect of these events cannot be predicted with certainty.
Our estimates may change as new events occur and additional information emerges, and such changes are recognized or disclosed in our consolidated financial statements. We evaluate and update our assumptions and estimates on an ongoing basis and we may consult outside experts to assist as considered necessary.
Significant areas for which management uses estimates include:
 
 
 
revenue recognition;
 
 
 
asset impairments, including broadcasting licenses and goodwill;
 
 
 
contingency reserves;
 
 
 
allowance for doubtful accounts;
 
 
 
barter transactions;
 
 
 
assessment of contract-based factors, asset-based factors, entity-based factors and market-based factors to determine the lease term impacting
Right-Of-Use
(“ROU”) assets and lease liabilities; and
 
 
 
determining the Incremental Borrowing Rate (“IBR”) for calculating ROU assets and lease liabilities
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Changes to accounting principles are established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) in the form of Accounting Standards Update (“ASUs”) to the FASB’s Codification. We consider the applicability and impact of all ASUs on our financial position, results of operations, cash flows, or presentation thereof. Described below are ASUs that may be applicable to our financial position, results of operations, cash flows, or presentation thereof. ASUs not listed below were assessed and determined to not be applicable to our financial position, results of operations, cash flows, or presentation thereof.
Accounting Standards Adopted in 2023
In September 2022, the FASB issued ASU
2022-04
, Liabilities – Supplier Finance Programs (Subtopic
405-50):
Disclosure of Supplier Finance Program Obligations
, to enhance the transparency about the use of supplier finance programs. The ASU was effective January 1, 2023, and is to be applied retrospectively with early adoption permitted. We do not currently utilize Supplier Finance programs, therefore, the adoption of ASU
No. 2022-04
did not have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations, cash flows, or presentation thereof.
In March 2022, the FASB issued ASU
2022-02,
 Troubled Debt Restructurings (“TDRs”) and Vintage Disclosures
 (Topic 326):
 Financial Instruments – Credit Losses
. This amended guidance will eliminate the accounting designation of a loan modification as a TDR, including eliminating the measurement guidance for TDRs. The amendments also enhance existing disclosure requirements and introduce new requirements related to modifications of receivables made to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty. Additionally, this guidance requires entities to disclose gross write-offs by year of origination for financing receivables, such as loans and interest receivable. The ASU was effective January 1, 2023, and is required to be applied prospectively, except for the recognition and measurement of TDRs which can be applied on a modified retrospective basis. The adoption of ASU
No. 2022-02
did not have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations, cash flows, or presentation thereof.
In October 2021
,
 the FASB issued ASU 2021
-
08
,
 Business Combinations (Topic
 805
): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers
, which requires an acquirer to recognize and measure contract assets and liabilities acquired in a business combination in accordance with Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic
 606
) rather than adjust them to fair value at the acquisition date. The ASU was effective January 1, 2023, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of ASU
No. 2021-08
did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, cash flows, or presentation thereof.
Recent Accounting Standards or Updates Not Yet Effective
In March 2023, the FASB issued ASU
2023-01,
Leases (Topic 842) – Common Control Arrangements
. The ASU amends the accounting for leasehold improvements in common control arrangements by requiring a lessee in a common control lease arrangement to amortize leasehold improvements that it owns over the improvements’ useful life to the common control group, regardless of the lease term, if the lessee continues to control the use of the underlying asset through a lease. Further, a lessee that no longer controls the use of the underlying asset will derecognize the remaining carrying amount of the improvements through an adjustment to equity, reflecting the transfer of the asset to the lessor under common control. This ASU is
effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023 (fiscal 2024), including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is p
ermitted in any annual or interim period as of the beginning of the related fiscal year. We are evaluating the effect of adopting this new accounting
guidance
.
 
In June 2022, the FASB issued ASU
2022-03,
Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sales Restrictions
. This amended guidance clarifies that a contractual restriction on the sale of an equity security is not considered part of the unit of account of the equity security and, therefore, is not considered in measuring fair value. The ASU is effective January 1, 2024, and is to be applied prospectively with early adoption permitted. We do not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, cash flows, or presentation thereof.