Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

STOCK OPTION PLAN

v2.4.0.6
STOCK OPTION PLAN
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
STOCK OPTION PLAN

NOTE 11. STOCK OPTION PLAN

We have one stock option plan. The Amended and Restated 1999 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) allows the company to grant equity-based awards, including stock options and restricted share awards to employees, advisors and non-employee members of the Board of Directors to the company. A maximum of 3,100,000 shares are authorized under the Plan. Options generally vest over a four-year period and have a maximum term of five years from the vesting date. The Plan provides that vesting may be accelerated in certain corporate transactions of the company. The Plan provides that the Board of Directors, or a committee appointed by the Board, have discretion, subject to certain limits, to modify the terms of outstanding options. We recognize non-cash stock-based compensation expense related to the estimated fair value of stock options granted in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 “Compensation—Stock Compensation.”

The following table reflects the components of stock-based compensation expense recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011:

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
     2009      2010     2011  
     (Dollars in thousands)  

Stock option compensation expense included in corporate expenses

   $ 272       $ 947      $ 603   

Restricted stock shares compensation expense included in corporate expenses

     —           17        4   

Stock option compensation expense included in broadcast operating expenses

     220         380        281   

Stock option compensation expense included in Internet operating expenses

     69         79        52   

Stock option compensation expense included in publishing operating expenses

     27         14        10   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total stock-based compensation expense, pre-tax

   $ 588       $ 1,437      $ 950   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Tax benefit (expense) from stock-based compensation expense

     208         (792     (220
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total stock-based compensation expense, net of tax

   $ 796       $ 645      $ 730   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Stock option and restricted stock grants

The Plan allows grants of equity-based awards, including stock options and restricted stock awards to employees, advisors and non-employee members of the Board of Directors of the company. The stock option exercise price is set at the closing price of the company’s common stock on the date of grant, and the related number of shares granted is fixed at that point in time. Eligible employees may receive stock options annually with the number of shares and type of instrument generally determined by the employee’s salary grade and performance level. Certain management and professional level employees may also receive a stock option grant upon commencement of employment. Non-employee directors of the company may receive restricted stock awards that vest one year from the date of issuance in addition to stock option awards that vest immediately. The Plan does not allow key employees and directors (restricted persons) to exercise options during pre-defined blackout periods. However, restricted persons may participate in 10b5-1 Plans that allow them to exercise options according to predefined criteria.

 

We use the Black-Scholes option valuation model to estimate the grant date fair value of stock options. The expected volatility reflects the consideration of the historical volatility of our stock as determined by the closing price over a six to ten year term that is generally commensurate with the expected term of the option. The expected dividend is zero, as the 2010 distribution was not expected to be recurring in nature. The expected term of each option is based on evaluations of historical and expected future employee exercise behavior. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect during the period the options were granted. We use historical data to estimate future forfeiture rates to apply against the gross amount of compensation expense determined using the option valuation model.

The weighted-average assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the stock options using the Black-Scholes option valuation model were as follows for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011:

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
     2009     2010     2011  

Expected volatility

     77.23     94.26     101.49

Expected dividends

     0.0     0.0     0.0

Expected term (in years)

     6.2        7.3        7.5   

Risk-free interest rate

     2.34     3.11     1.64

Stock option information with respect to the company’s stock-based compensation plans during the three years ended December 31, 2011 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, 2009

     562,175      $ 14.56       $ 9.11       4.0 years    $ 28   

Granted

     910,000        0.73         1.49            4,787   

Exercised

     —          —           —              —     

Forfeited or expired

     (130,300     16.32         10.66            53   
  

 

 

            

Outstanding at December 31, 2009

     1,341,875      $ 5.01       $ 3.80       5.0 years    $ 4,762   
  

 

 

            

Exercisable at December 31, 2009

     304,688      $ 15.15       $ 9.18       2.9 years    $ 6   
  

 

 

            

Outstanding at January 1, 2010

     1,341,875      $ 5.01       $ 3.80       5.0 years    $ 4,762   

Granted

     430,500        5.20         4.32            —     

Exercised

     (557,451     0.61         0.41            1,718   

Forfeited or expired

     (62,926     11.88         8.79            —     
  

 

 

            

Outstanding at December 31, 2010

     1,151,998      $ 6.83       $ 5.36       5.0 years    $ 748   
  

 

 

            

Exercisable at December 31, 2010

     560,151      $ 8.79       $ 5.73       3.3 years    $ 554   
  

 

 

            

Expected to Vest

     561,959      $ 4.97       $ 5.01       6.5 years    $ 184   

Outstanding at January 1, 2011

     1,151,998      $ 6.83       $ 5.36       5.0 years    $ 748   

Granted

     630,000        2.43         2.05            116   

Exercised

     (41,112     0.59         0.42            125   

Forfeited or expired

     (100,494     11.47         7.72            22   
  

 

 

            

Outstanding at December 31, 2011

     1,640,392      $ 5.01       $ 4.07       5.2 years    $ 584   
  

 

 

            

Exercisable at December 31, 2011

     655,228        7.56         5.47       2.9 years      414   
  

 

 

            

Expected to Vest

     980,189      $ 3.31       $ 3.13       6.8 years    $ 170   

The aggregate intrinsic value represents the difference between the company’s closing stock price on December 30, 2011 of $2.57 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, 2009, 2010 and 2011 was $0.8 million, $1.1 million and $1.0 million, respectively.

 

The fair values of shares of restricted stock are determined based on the closing price of the company common stock on the grant dates. Information regarding the company’s restricted stock during the three years ended December 31, 2011 is as follows:

 

Restricted Stock

   Shares     Weighted Average Grant
Date Fair Value
 

Non-Vested at January 1, 2009

     —        $ —     

Granted

     5,000        0.36   

Lapsed

     —          —     

Forfeited

     —          —     
  

 

 

   

Non-Vested at December 31, 2009

     5,000      $ 0.36   
  

 

 

   

Non-Vested at January 1, 2010

     5,000      $ 0.36   

Granted

     10,000        2.03   

Lapsed

     (5,000     0.36   

Forfeited

     —       
  

 

 

   

Non-Vested at December 31, 2010

     10,000      $ 2.03   
  

 

 

   

Non-Vested at January 1, 2011

     10,000      $ 2.03   

Granted

    

Lapsed

     (10,000     2.03   

Forfeited

     —       
  

 

 

   

Non-Vested at December 31, 2011

     —        $ —     
  

 

 

   

As of December 31, 2011, there was $1.7 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested awards of stock options and restricted shares. This cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.2 years.

Additional information regarding options outstanding as of December 31, 2011, is as follows:

 

Range of Exercise Prices

   Options      Weighted Average
Contractual Life
Remaining
(Years)
   Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
     Exercisable
Options
     Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
 

$ 0.36 - $ 3.00

     840,229       6.2    $ 1.87         214,315       $ 0.64   

$ 3.01 - $ 6.00

     510,750       5.5      5.07         151,500         5.06   

$ 6.01 - $ 9.00

     1,500       3.4      7.99         1,500         7.99   

$ 9.01 - $ 12.00

     101,900       2.6      11.72         101,900         11.72   

$ 12.01 - $ 15.00

     119,762       1.9      13.88         119,762         13.88   

$ 15.01 - $ 18.00

     45,001       1.4      16.75         45,001         16.75   

$ 18.01 - $ 21.00

     13,875       1.9      18.89         13,875         18.89   

$ 21.01 - $ 24.00

     6,075       0.5      21.92         6,075         21.92   

$ 24.01 - $ 25.50

     1,300       1.2      24.78         1,300         24.78   
  

 

 

          

 

 

    

$ 0.36 - $ 25.50

     1,640,392               655,228