NOTE 1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION

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 21 – Segment Data.

The accompanying 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 months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 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, 2018. Our results are subject to seasonal fluctuations. Therefore, the results of operations for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for the full year.

The balance sheet at December 31, 2018 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.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Significant areas for which management uses estimates include:

 

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revenue recognition,

 

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asset impairments, including broadcasting licenses, goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets;

 

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probabilities associated with the potential for contingent earn-out consideration;

 

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fair value measurements;

 

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contingency reserves;

 

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allowance for doubtful accounts;

 

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sales returns and allowances;

 

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barter transactions;

 

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inventory reserves;

 

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reserves for royalty advances;

 

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fair value of equity awards;

 

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self-insurance reserves;

 

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estimated lives for tangible and intangible assets;

 

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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,

 

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determining the Incremental Borrowing Rate (“IBR”) for calculating ROU assets and lease liabilities,

 

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income tax valuation allowances; and

 

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uncertain tax positions

These estimates require the use of judgment as future events and the effect of these events cannot be predicted with certainty. The estimates will change as new events occur, as more experience is acquired and as more information is obtained. We evaluate and update our assumptions and estimates on an ongoing basis and we may consult outside experts to assist as considered necessary.

Reclassifications

Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year financial statements to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications include the accounting for finance lease obligations under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 842, Leases (“ASC 842”) issued under ASU 2016-02 on January 1, 2019.