Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Segment Data

v3.22.2.2
Segment Data
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022
Segment Reporting [Abstract]  
Segment Data
NOTE 17. SEGMENT DATA
FASB ASC Topic 280, “
Segment Reporting
,” requires companies to provide certain information about their operating segments. We have
three
 operating segments: (1) Broadcast, (2) Digital Media, and (3) Publishing, which also qualify as reportable segments. Our operating segments reflect how
 
our chief operating decision makers, which we define as a collective group of senior executives, assess the performance of each operating segment and
 
determine the appropriate allocations of resources to each segment. We continually review our operating segment classifications to align with
 
operational changes in our business and may make changes as necessary.
We measure and evaluate our operating segments based on operating income and operating expenses that do not include allocations of costs related to corporate functions, such as accounting and finance, human resources, legal, tax, and treasury, which are reported as unallocated corporate expenses in our condensed consolidated statements of operations included in this quarterly report on Form
10-Q.
We also exclude costs such as amortization, depreciation, taxes, and interest expense.
Segment performance, as we define it, is not necessarily comparable to other similarly titled captions of other companies.
Broadcast
Our foundational business is radio broadcasting, which includes the ownership and operation of radio stations in large metropolitan markets. Our broadcasting segment includes our national networks and national sales firms. National companies often prefer to advertise across the United States as an efficient and cost-effective way to reach their target audiences. Our national platform under which we offer radio airtime, digital campaigns, and other advertisements can benefit national companies by reaching audiences throughout the United States.
Salem Radio Network
TM
(“SRN
TM
”), based in Dallas, Texas, develops, produces, and syndicates a broad range of programming specifically targeted to Christian and family-themed talk stations, music stations and News Talk stations. SRN
TM
delivers programming via satellite to approximately 3,200 affiliated radio stations throughout the United States, including several of our Salem-owned stations. SRN
TM
operates five divisions, SRN
TM
Talk, SRN
TM
News, SRN
TM
Websites, SRN
TM
Satellite Services and Salem Music Network that includes Today’s Christian Music (“TCM”) and Singing News
®
Radio.
Salem Media Representatives (“SMR”) is our national advertising sales firm with offices in 10 U.S. cities. SMR specializes in placing national advertising on Christian and talk formatted radio stations as well as other commercial radio station formats. SMR sells commercial airtime to national advertisers on our radio stations and through our networks, as well as for independent radio station affiliates. SMR also contracts with independent radio stations to create custom advertising campaigns for national advertisers to reach multiple markets.
 
Salem Surround, our national multimedia advertising agency with locations in 29 markets across the United States, offers a comprehensive suite of digital marketing services to develop and execute audience-based marketing strategies for clients on both the national and local level. Salem Surround specializes in digital marketing services for each of our radio stations and websites as well as provides a full-service digital marketing strategy for each of our clients.
Salem Podcast Network (“SPN”), launched in January 2021, is our platform for conservative, political, news, and family-oriented podcasts. SPN reaches over 11 million downloads per month, with one show already in the top 10 of all podcasts, and another in the top 10 in the News category according to the Apple Podcast Rankings.
SalemNOW is our online destination for audiences to watch
on-demand
conservative and faith-based videos. SalemNOW can be found on mobile apps, and streaming services such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick and select smart TVs.
Salem News Channel (“SNC”) is a conservative news, opinion and commentary television network launched in 2021. The network is hosted by conservative media personalities including Hugh Hewitt, Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Sebastian Gorka, Charlie Kirk, Eric Metaxas and Andrew Wilkow.
Digital Media
Our digital media-based businesses provide Christian, conservative, investing content, audio and video streaming, and other resources digitally through the web. Salem Web Network (“SWN”) websites include Christian content websites; BibleStudyTools.com, Crosswalk.com
®
, Christianity.com, iBelieve.com, GodTube
®
.com, OnePlace
™
.com, GodUpdates.com, CrossCards
™
.com, ChristianHeadlines.com, and LightSource.com, and our conservative opinion websites; collectively known as Townhall Media, include Townhall.com
®
, HotAir
™
.com, Twitchy
®
.com, RedState
®
.com, BearingArms.com, ConservativeRadio.com and pjmedia.com. We also publish digital newsletters through Eagle Financial Publications, which provide market analysis and
non-individualized
investment strategies from financial commentators on a subscription basis.
Our church product websites, including SermonSearch
™
.com, ChurchStaffing.com, WorshipHouseMedia.com, SermonSpice
™
.com, WorshipHouseKids.com, Preaching.com, ChristianJobs.com, ShiftWorship.com, JourneyBoxMedia.com, Playbackmedia.com, and HyperPixelsMedia.com, offer a variety of digital resources including videos, song tracks, sermon archives and job listings to pastors and Church leaders.
Our web content is accessible through all of our radio station websites that feature content of interest to local audiences throughout the United States.
Publishing
Our publishing operating segment includes two businesses: (1) Regnery
®
Publishing and Salem Books, traditional book publishers that have published dozens of bestselling books by leading conservative and Christian authors and personalities and (2) Salem Author Services, a self-publishing service for authors through Xulon Press and Mill City Press.
The table below presents financial information for each operating segment as of September 30, 2022 and 2021 based on the composition of our operating segments:
 
    
Broadcast
    
Digital
Media
    
Publishing
    
Unallocated
Corporate
Expenses
    
Consolidated
  
                                
    
(Dollars in thousands)
  
Three Months Ended September 30, 2022
           
Net revenue
   
$
51,136
 
  
$
10,189
 
  
$
5,537
 
  
$
—  
 
  
$
66,862
 
Operating expenses
   
 
41,178
 
  
 
8,333
 
  
 
6,542
 
  
 
4,840
 
  
 
60,893
 
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
  
Net operating income (loss) before legal settlement, debt modification costs, depreciation, amortization, impairments, and net (gain) loss on the disposition of assets
   
$
9,958
 
  
$
1,856
 
  
$
(1,005
) 
  
$
(4,840
) 
  
$
5,969
 
Legal settlement
   
 
3,825
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
3,825
 
Debt modification costs
   
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
2
 
  
 
2
 
Depreciation
   
 
1,483
 
  
 
927
 
  
 
76
 
  
 
251
 
  
 
2,737
 
Amortization
   
 
4
 
  
 
293
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
297
 
Impairment of indefinite-lived long-term assets other than goodwill
   
 
7,725
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
7,725
 
Impairment of goodwill
   
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
Net (gain) loss on the disposition of assets
   
 
166
 
  
 
1
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
167
 
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
  
Net operating income (loss)
   
$
(3,245
) 
  
$
635
 
  
$
(1,081
) 
  
$
(5,093
) 
  
$
(8,784
) 
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
  
Three Months Ended September 30, 2021
           
Net revenue
   
$
49,591
 
  
$
10,645
 
  
$
5,747
 
  
$
—  
 
  
$
65,983
 
Operating expenses
   
 
37,463
 
  
 
8,269
 
  
 
5,213
 
  
 
4,284
 
  
 
55,229
 
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
  
Net operating income (loss) before debt modification costs, depreciation, amortization, and net (gain) loss on the disposition of assets
   
$
12,128
 
  
$
2,376
 
  
$
534
 
  
$
(4,284
) 
  
$
10,754
 
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
  
Debt modification costs
   
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
2,347
 
  
 
2,347
 
Depreciation
   
 
1,539
 
  
 
965
 
  
 
43
 
  
 
241
 
  
 
2,788
 
Amortization
   
 
4
 
  
 
375
 
  
 
48
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
427
 
Net (gain) loss on the disposition of assets
   
 
(10,505
) 
  
 
(148
) 
  
 
22
 
  
 
24
 
  
 
(10,607
) 
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
  
Net operating income (loss)
   
$
21,090
 
  
$
1,184
 
  
$
421
 
  
$
(6,896
) 
  
$
15,799
 
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
  
 
    
Broadcast
    
Digital
Media
    
Publishing
    
Unallocated
Corporate
Expenses
    
Consolidated
  
                                
    
(Dollars in thousands)
  
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022
           
Net revenue
   
$
152,020
 
  
$
31,293
 
  
$
14,840
 
  
$
—  
 
  
$
198,153
 
Operating expenses
   
 
120,837
 
  
 
25,079
 
  
 
16,441
 
  
 
14,431
 
  
 
176,788
 
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
  
Net operating income (loss) before legal settlement, debt modification costs, depreciation, amortization, change in the estimated fair value of contingent
earn-out
consideration, impairments, and net (gain) loss on the disposition of assets
   
$
31,183
 
  
$
6,214
 
  
$
(1,601
) 
  
$
(14,431
) 
  
$
21,365
 
Legal settlement
   
 
4,776
 
     —         —      
 
—  
 
  
 
4,776
 
Debt modification costs
   
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
250
 
  
 
250
 
Depreciation
   
 
4,669
 
  
 
2,847
 
     245       776    
 
8,537
 
Amortization
   
 
12
 
     951       —         —      
 
963
 
Change in the estimated fair value of contingent
earn-out
consideration
   
 
—  
 
     (5 )      —         —      
 
(5
) 
Impairment of indefinite-lived long-term assets other than goodwill
   
 
11,660
 
  
 
—  
 
     —      
 
—  
 
  
 
11,660
 
Impairment of goodwill
   
 
127
 
  
 
—  
 
     —      
 
—  
 
  
 
127
 
Net (gain) loss on the disposition of assets
   
 
(8,491
) 
  
 
—  
 
     —      
 
30
 
  
 
(8,461
) 
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
  
Net operating income (loss)
   
$
18,430
 
  
$
2,421
 
  
$
(1,846
) 
  
$
(15,487
) 
  
$
3,518
 
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
  
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021
           
Net revenue
    $ 140,422     $ 30,603     $ 18,093     $ —       $ 189,118  
Operating expenses
      106,968       25,280       16,844       12,764       161,856  
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
  
Net operating income (loss) before debt modifications costs, depreciation, amortization, and net (gain) loss on the disposition of assets
    $ 33,454     $ 5,323     $ 1,249     $ (12,764 )    $ 27,262  
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
  
Debt modification costs
      —         —         —         2,347       2,347  
Depreciation
      4,667       2,606       134       711       8,118  
Amortization
      12       1,204       337       —         1,553  
Net (gain) loss on the disposition of assets
      (10,187 )      (83 )      (306 )      24       (10,552 ) 
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
  
Net operating income (loss)
    $ 38,962     $ 1,596     $ 1,084     $ (15,846 )    $ 25,796  
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
  
 
    
Broadcast
     
Digital
Media
     
Publishing
     
Unallocated
Corporate
     
Consolidated
  
                                    
    
(Dollars in thousands)
  
As of September 30, 2022
               
Inventories, net
    $ —          —       
 
1,457
 
   
 
—  
 
   
 
1,457
 
Property and equipment, net
   
 
62,528
 
   
 
7,958
 
   
 
592
 
   
 
8,939
 
   
 
80,017
 
Broadcast licenses
   
 
305,775
 
      —          —          —       
 
305,775
 
Goodwill
   
 
2,622
 
   
 
19,793
 
   
 
1,446
 
      —       
 
23,861
 
Amortizable intangible assets, net
   
 
216
 
   
 
1,286
 
      —          —       
 
1,502
 
As of December 31, 2021
               
Inventories, net
    $ —        $ —        $ 960      $ —        $ 960  
Property and equipment, net
      61,694        8,447        746        8,452        79,339  
Broadcast licenses
      320,008        —          —          —          320,008  
Goodwill
      2,750        19,790        1,446        —          23,986  
Amortizable intangible assets, net
      229        2,215        —          —          2,444