Salem Media Group, Inc. Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

NOTES PAYABLE AND LONG-TERM DEBT (Narrative) (Details)

NOTES PAYABLE AND LONG-TERM DEBT (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
	Mar. 14, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 30, 2013	Jun. 28, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Mar. 14, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Nov. 15, 2011	Jun. 03, 2013	Dec. 12, 2011	Dec. 31, 2009	Sep. 15, 2012	May 21, 2012	Nov. 17, 2011	Nov. 28, 2014	Sep. 29, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Nov. 01, 2010	Dec. 01, 2009	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 12, 2012	Jun. 01, 2012	Sep. 06, 2011	Jun. 01, 2011	Dec. 01, 2010	Jun. 01, 2010	Sep. 12, 2012
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Bank loan fees written off in conjunction with the early retirement of debt		$ 643,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfFinancingCosts	$ 853,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfFinancingCosts	$ 1,291,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfFinancingCosts
Credit facility, quarterly consecutive principal payments		0
Loss on early retirement of long-term debt	33,000	(391,000)	(27,795,000)	(1,088,000)
Debt, accrued interest		48,000us-gaap_InterestPayableCurrent	37,000us-gaap_InterestPayableCurrent
Debt, interest rate		9.625%	9.625%	9.625%
Debt outstanding	0us-gaap_LongTermDebt							0us-gaap_LongTermDebt
FCB loan termination date		Mar. 14, 2013
Standby letters of credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility, borrowing capacity		5,000,000
Swingline Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility, borrowing capacity		5,000,000
Term Loan B [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility, borrowing capacity	300,000,000	276,000,000						300,000,000
Interest expense		200,000	200,000
Bank loan fees written off in conjunction with the early retirement of debt		300,000	300,000
Debt, issued at discount	298,500,000							298,500,000
Term loan maturity year							7 years	7 years
Additional term loan amount increased								60,000,000
Credit facility, quarterly consecutive principal payments							750,000		750,000
Loss on early retirement of long-term debt		100,000			3,000	14,000				16,000
Floor percentage on Term Loan		1.00%
Debt, interest rate over LIBOR		3.50%
Debt, interest rate above base rate		2.50%
Debt, increase in interest rate if default occurs		2.00%
Blended interest rate on amounts outstanding		5.05%
Debt, issuance of principal amount		300,000,000			300,000,000
Unamortized Discount		16,000			3,000	14,000	16,000		16,000	16,000								15,000	18,000	8,000
Credit facility, floating rate, interest above prime rate		2.50%
Debt, interest rate above LIBOR		3.50%
Revolver [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility, borrowing capacity	25,000,000	1,800,000						25,000,000
Term loan maturity year								5 years
Debt, interest rate over LIBOR		3.00%
Debt, interest rate above base rate		2.00%
Revolver under senior credit facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loss on early retirement of long-term debt	900,000
Debt, interest rate over LIBOR											3.00%
Debt, interest rate above base rate											1.25%
Debt, increase in interest rate if default occurs											2.00%
Revolving credit facility, covenant description		With respect to financial covenants, the credit agreement includes a minimum interest coverage ratio, which started at 1.50 to 1.0 and steps up to 2.50 to 1.0 by 2016 and a maximum leverage ratio, which started at 6.75 to 1.0 and steps down to 5.75 to 1.0 by 2017. The credit agreement also includes other negative covenants that are customary for credit facilities of this type, including covenants that, subject to exceptions described in the credit agreement, restrict the ability of Salem and its subsidiary guarantors
Interest coverage ratio		3.24%	2.00%
Leverage ratio		5.45%																			5.00%
Debt outstanding	0							0
Increase borrowing capacity																					40,000,000	30,000,000
Debt, amendment fees											500,000
Revolving credit facility, second amendment description											On November 15, 2011, we completed the Second Amendment of the Terminated Revolver to, among other things, (1) extend the maturity date from December 1, 2012 to December 1, 2014, (2) change the interest rate applicable to LIBOR or the Wells Fargo base rate plus a spread to be determined based on our leverage ratio, (3) allow us to borrow and repay unsecured indebtedness provided certain conditions are met and (4) include step-downs related to our leverage ratio covenant.
Revolving credit facility extend maturity date											December 1, 2014
Revolver under senior credit facility [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Leverage ratio		5.75%
Revolver under senior credit facility [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Leverage ratio		6.50%	6.75%
Revolver under senior credit facility [Member] \| Covenant requirement [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest coverage ratio		1.50%
Revolver under senior credit facility [Member] \| Covenant requirement [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest coverage ratio		2.50%
Terminated 95/8% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest expense			37,000
Debt, issued at discount														298,100,000
Loss on early retirement of long-term debt	26,900,000	900,000										900,000	800,000
Debt, accrued interest				900,000
Debt, issuance of principal amount														300,000,000
Debt, effective yield														9.75%
Debt, interest payment terms														Interest was due and payable on June 15 and December 15 of each year, commencing June 15, 2010 until maturity.
Debt, annual interest payment														28,900,000
Principal repurchased or redeemed	212,597,000							212,597,000				903,000	12,500,000											4,000,000	17,500,000	5,000,000	17,500,000	12,500,000	17,500,000
Notes, aggregate purchase price	240,300,000							240,300,000
Percent of debt purchase price	110.65%
Amount paid for redemption	22,700,000
Unamortized Discount	837,000							837,000				3,000	62,000											17,000	80,000	26,000	93,000	70,000	105,000
Bond Issue Costs	2,867,000							2,867,000					337,000											57,000	287,000	135,000	472,000	334,000	417,000
Carrying value of notes				212,600,000
Debt, interest rate																							9.625%
Debt outstanding	0							0
Terminated Subordinated debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility, quarterly consecutive principal payments															1,250,000
Credit facility, principal amount																10,000,000
Debt, maturity date															Jun. 15, 2014	Jun. 15, 2014
Credit facility, interest at a floating rate																4.25%
Credit facility, floating rate, interest above prime rate																1.00%
Debt, interest rate terms																The interest rate for the FCB Loan (Interest Rate) was variable and was equal to the greater of: (a) 4.250% or (b) the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate as published in The Wall Street Journal and reported by FCB plus 1%.
Credit facility, term															23 years
Credit facility, interest charge															50
Credit facility, increased interest rate															5.00%
Terminated Subordinated Debt due to Related Parties [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, interest rate terms		Outstanding amounts under each subordinated line of credit bore interest at a rate equal to the lesser of (1) 5% per annum and (2) the maximum rate permitted for subordinated debt under the Terminated Revolver referred to above plus 2% per annum. Interest was payable at the time of any repayment of principal. In addition, outstanding amounts under each subordinated line of credit were required to be repaid within three (3) months from the time that such amounts were borrowed, with the exception of the subordinated line of credit with Mr. Hinz, which was to be repaid within six (6) months from the time that such amounts were borrowed.															Outstanding amounts under each subordinated line of credit bore interest at a rate equal to the lesser of (1) 5% per annum and (2) the maximum rate permitted for subordinated debt under the Revolver referred to above plus 2% per annum.
Terminated Subordinated Debt due to Related Parties [Member] \| Stuart W. Epperson, Board of Directors Chairman [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility, borrowing capacity																	3,000,000
Terminated Subordinated Debt due to Related Parties [Member] \| Edward G. Atsinger III, Chief Executive Officer and Director [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility, borrowing capacity																	6,000,000
Terminated Subordinated Debt due to Related Parties [Member] \| Roland S. Hinz, a Salem board member [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility, borrowing capacity																$ 6,000,000														$ 12,000,000