Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Stock Incentive Plan

v3.22.0.1
Stock Incentive Plan
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]  
Stock Incentive Plan
NOTE 15. STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
Our Amended and Restated 1999 Stock Incentive Plan (“Plan”) provides for grants of equity-based awards to employees,
non-employee
directors and officers, and advisors (“Eligible Persons”). A
maximum of 8,000,000
shares are authorized under the Plan of which 2,379,001 were available for issuance at December 31, 2021. Insiders may participate in plans established pursuant to Rule
10b5-1
under the Exchange Act that allow them to exercise awards subject to
pre-established
criteria.
We recognize non-cash stock-based compensation expense based on the estimated fair value of awards in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718
Compensation—Stock Compensation.
Stock-based compensation expense fluctuates over time as a result of the vesting periods for outstanding awards and the number of awards that actually vest. The following table reflects the components of stock-based compensation expense recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2021, and 2020: 

 
 
  
Year Ended December 31,
 
 
  
2020
 
  
2021
 
 
  
(Dollars in thousands)
 
Stock option compensation expense included in unallocated corporate expenses
   $ 152     
$
99
 
Stock option compensation expense included in broadcast operating expenses
     136     
 
123
 
Stock option compensation expense included in digital media operating expenses
     56     
 
97
 
Stock option compensation expense included in publishing operating expenses
     1     
 
—  
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total stock-based compensation expense,
pre-tax
   $ 345     
$
319
 
Tax expense from stock-based compensation expense
     (90   
 
(83
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total stock-based compensation expense, net of tax
   $ 255     
$
236
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Stock Option and Restricted Stock Grants
Eligible employees may receive stock option awards annually with the number of shares and type of instrument generally determined by the employee’s salary grade and performance level. Incentive and
non-qualified
stock option awards allow the recipient to purchase shares of our common stock at a set price, not to be less than the closing market price on the date of award, for no consideration payable by the recipient. The related number of shares underlying the stock option is fixed at the time of the grant. Options generally vest over a four-year period with a maximum term of five years from the vesting date. In addition, certain management and professional level employees may receive stock option awards upon the commencement of employment.
The Plan also allows for awards of restricted stock that contain transfer restrictions under which they cannot be sold, pledged, transferred
,
or assigned until the period specified in the award, generally from one to five years. Restricted stock awards are independent of option grants and are granted at no cost to the recipient other than applicable taxes owed by the recipient. The awards are considered issued and outstanding from the date of grant.
The fair value of each award is estimated as of the date of the grant using the Black-Scholes valuation model. The expected volatility reflects the consideration of the historical volatility of our common stock as determined by the closing price over a six to
ten-year
term commensurate with the expected term of the award. Expected dividends reflect the amount of quarterly distributions authorized and declared on our Class A and Class B common stock as of the grant date. The expected term of the awards is based on evaluations of historical and expected future employee exercise behavior. The risk-free interest rates for periods within the expected term of the award are based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect during the period the options were granted. We have used historical data to estimate future forfeiture rates to apply against the gross amount of compensation expense determined using the valuation model. These estimates have approximated our actual forfeiture rates.
The weighted-average assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the stock options using the Black-Scholes valuation model were as follows for the years ended December 31, 2021, and 2020:
 
     Year Ended
December 31, 2020
   
Year Ended
December 31, 2021
 
Expected volatility
     53.96  
 
75.98
Expected dividends
     7.30  
 
Expected term (in years)
     7.6    
 
7.8
 
Risk-free interest rate
     1.14  
 
1.03
Activity with respect to the company’s option awards during the two years ended December 31, 2021, is as follows (Dollars in thousands, except weighted average exercise price and weighted average grant date fair value):
 
Options
   Shares     Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
     Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
     Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual Term
     Aggregate
Intrinsic Value
 
Outstanding at January 1, 2020
     1,860,722     $ 4.39      $ 2.37        3.6 years      $ —    
Granted
     743,000       1.37        0.35                 —    
Exercised
     —         —          —                   —    
Forfeited or expired
     (312,702     5.71        3.80                 —    
    
 
 
                                    
Outstanding at December 31, 2020
     2,291,020       3.23        1.52        4.3 years      $ —    
    
 
 
                                    
Exercisable at December 31, 2020
     1,229,770       4.37        2.22        2.4 years        —    
    
 
 
                                    
Expected to Vest
     1,007,657       3.26        1.54        4.2 years      $ —    
           
Outstanding at January 1, 2021
  
 
2,291,020
 
 
$
3.23
 
  
$
1.52
 
  
 
4.3 years
 
  
$
—  
 
Granted
  
 
270,000
 
 
 
2.14
 
  
 
1.55
 
           
 
—  
 
Exercised
  
 
(475,657
 
 
2.31
 
  
 
1.08
 
           
 
728
 
Forfeited or expired
  
 
(159,946
 
 
6.71
 
  
 
4.70
 
           
 
—  
 
    
 
 
                                    
Outstanding at December 31, 2021
  
 
1,925,417
 
 
 
3.01
 
  
 
1.37
 
  
 
4.4 years
 
  
$
1,310
 
    
 
 
                                    
Exercisable at December 31, 2021
  
 
924,292
 
 
 
4.25
 
  
 
1.93
 
  
 
2.4 years
 
  
 
83
 
    
 
 
                                    
Expected to Vest
  
 
950,568
 
 
 
3.05
 
  
 
1.38
 
  
 
4.4 years
 
  
$
1,248
 
Activity with respect to the company’s restricted stock awards during the year ended December 31, 2021, is as follows:
 
Restricted Stock Awards
  
Shares
    
Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
    
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term
    
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
 
Non-Vested
at January 1, 2020
     107,990      $ 1.85        1.67 years      $ 156  
Granted
     —          —          —          —    
Lapse of restrictions
     —          —          —          —    
Forfeited or expired
     —          —          —          —    
    
 
 
                            
Outstanding at December 31, 2020
     107,990      $ 1.85        0.7 years      $ 112  
    
 
 
                            
Non-Vested
at January 1, 2021
  
 
107,990
 
  
$
1.85
 
  
 
0.7 years
 
  
$
112
 
Granted
  
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
Lapse of restrictions
  
 
(107,990
  
 
1.85
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
200
 
Forfeited or expired
  
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
    
 
 
                            
Outstanding at December 31, 2021
  
 
—  
 
  
$
—  
 
  
 
—  
 
  
$
—  
 
    
 
 
                            
Additional information regarding options outstanding as of December 31, 2021, is as follows:
 
Range of
Exercise Prices
    Options     Weighted Average
Contractual Life
Remaining
(Years)
    Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
    Exercisable
Options
     Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
 
$
1.00 - $3.00
      906,000       6.4     $ 1.61       50,250      $ 1.41  
$
3.01 - $3.28
      471,500       3.9       3.25       342,000        3.25  
$
3.29 - $4.63
      63,500       3.7       3.77       47,625        3.77  
$
4.64 - $4.85
      383,542       1.7       4.85       383,542        4.85  
$
4.86 - $6.65
      1,000       0.3       6.38       1,000        6.38  
$
6.66 - $8.76
      99,875       0.2       7.05       99,875        7.05  
       
 
 
                   
 
 
          
       
 
1,925,417
 
 
 
4.4
 
 
$
3.01
 
 
 
924,292
 
  
$
4.25
 
       
 
 
                   
 
 
          
The aggregate intrinsic value represents the difference between the company’s closing stock price on December 31, 2021 of $3.06 and the option exercise price of the shares for stock options that were in the money, multiplied by the number of shares underlying such options. The total fair value of options vested during the years ended December 31, 2021
,
and 2020 was $0.3 million and $0.4 million, respectively.
As of December 31, 2021, there was $0.1 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to
non-vested
stock option awards. This cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.2 years.