v3.26.1
Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2026
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Investment, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Investments in Broadcasting, Production and Technology Companies. We have investments in several television, production and technology companies. We account for all material investments in which we have significant influence over the investee under the equity method of accounting. Upon initial investment, we record equity method investments at cost. The amounts initially recognized are subsequently adjusted for our appropriate share of the net earnings or losses of the investee. We record any investee losses up to the carrying amount of the investment plus advances and loans made to the investee, and any financial guarantees made on behalf of the investee. We recognize our share in earnings and losses of the investee as miscellaneous income, net in our condensed consolidated statements of operations. Investments are also increased by contributions made to and decreased by the distributions from the investee. The Company evaluates equity method investments for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts of such investments may be impaired.

 

Investments in non-public businesses that do not have readily determinable pricing, and for which the Company does not have control or does not exert significant influence, are carried at cost less impairments, if any, plus or minus changes in observable prices for those investments. Gains or losses resulting from changes in the carrying value of these investments are included as miscellaneous income, net in our condensed consolidated statements of operations. These investments are reported together as a non-current asset on our consolidated balance sheets.
Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block] Use of Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Our actual results could differ materially from these estimated amounts. Our most significant estimates are our allowance for credit losses in receivables, valuation of goodwill and intangible assets, amortization of program rights and intangible assets, pension costs, income taxes, employee medical insurance claims, useful lives of property and equipment and contingencies.
Credit Loss, Financial Instrument [Policy Text Block]

Allowance for Credit Losses. We are exposed to credit risk primarily through sales of broadcast and digital advertising with a variety of direct and agency-based advertising customers, retransmission consent agreements with multichannel video program distributors and program production sales and services.

 

Our allowance for credit losses is an estimate of expected losses over the remaining contractual life of our receivables based on an ongoing analysis of collectability, historical collection experience, current economic and industry conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. The allowance is calculated using a historical loss rate applied to the current aging analysis. We may also apply additional allowance when warranted by specific facts and circumstances. We generally write off account receivable balances when the customer files for bankruptcy or when all commonly used methods of collection have been exhausted.

 

On February 23, 2023, we, certain of our subsidiaries and a wholly-owned special purpose subsidiary (the “SPV”), entered into a revolving accounts receivable securitization facility (the “Securitization Facility”) with Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and certain third-party financial institutions (the “Purchasers”). The amount sold to the Purchasers was $400 million as of both June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, which was derecognized from the respective condensed consolidated balance sheets. As collateral against sold receivables, the SPV maintains a certain level of unsold receivables, which was $125 million and $344 million at June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively. Total receivables under the Securitization Facility were $525 million and $589 million at June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively.

 

The following table provides a roll-forward of the allowance for credit losses. The allowance is deducted from the amortized cost basis of accounts receivable in our condensed consolidated balance sheets (in millions):

 

   

Six Months Ended June 30,

  
   

2026

    

2025

  

Beginning balance

   $ 16     $ 15  

Provision for credit losses

     2       1  

Amounts written off

     (4 )     (1 )

Ending balance

   $ 14     $ 15  

 
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Policy Text Block]

Property and Equipment. Property and equipment are carried at cost, or in the case of acquired businesses, at fair value. Depreciation is computed principally by the straight-line method. The following table lists the components of property and equipment by major category (dollars in millions):

 

                   

Estimated

  
   

June 30,

    

December 31,

    

Useful Lives

  
   

2026

    

2025

    

(in years)

  

Property and equipment:

                        

Land

   $ 402     $ 391          

Buildings and improvements

     938       940       7 to 40  

Equipment

     1,199       1,149       3 to 20  

Construction in progress

     29       32          
      2,568       2,512          

Accumulated depreciation

     (1,046 )     (1,003 )        

Total property and equipment, net

   $ 1,522     $ 1,509          

 

Maintenance, repairs and minor replacements are charged to operations as incurred; major replacements and betterments are capitalized. The cost of any assets divested, sold or retired and the related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts at the time of disposition, and any resulting gain or loss is reflected in income or expense for the period.

 

We incurred costs to build public infrastructure within Assembly Atlanta. Pursuant to our Purchase and Sale Agreement with the Doraville Community Improvement District (the “CID”), we receive cash reimbursements for the transfer of specific infrastructure projects to the CID and for other construction costs previously incurred. We received cash proceeds from the CID totaling $5 million during the six-month period ended June 30, 2025. During the six-months ended June 30, 2026, we did not receive any cash proceeds from the CID.

 

The following tables provide additional information related to loss on disposal of assets, net included in our condensed consolidated statements of operations, and purchases of property and equipment included in our condensed consolidated statements of cash flows (in millions):

 

   

Three Months Ended

    

Six Months Ended

  
   

June 30,

    

June 30,

  
   

2026

    

2025

    

2026

    

2025

  

Loss (gain) on disposal of long-lived assets, net:

                                

Proceeds from sale of fixed assets

   $ (2 )   $ (26 )   $ (2 )   $ (35 )

Net book value of assets disposed

     1       19       1       26  

Discount - Securitization Facility

     (1 )     1       (1 )     1  

Loss on station swap (Note 3)

     22       -       22       -  

Total

   $ 20     $ (6 )   $ 20     $ (8 )

 
Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Earnings Per Share. We compute basic earnings per share by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the relevant period. The weighted-average number of common shares outstanding does not include restricted shares. These shares, although classified as issued and outstanding, are considered contingently returnable until the restrictions lapse and, in accordance with U.S. GAAP, are not included in the basic earnings per share calculation until the shares vest. Diluted earnings per share is computed by including all potentially dilutive common shares, including restricted shares, in the diluted weighted-average shares outstanding calculation, unless their inclusion would be antidilutive.

 

The following table reconciles basic weighted-average shares outstanding to diluted weighted-average shares outstanding for the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively (in millions):

 

   

Three-Months Ended

    

Six-Months Ended

  
   

June 30,

    

June 30,

  
   

2026

    

2025

    

2026

    

2025

  
                                 

Weighted-average shares outstanding-basic

     98       97       98       96  

Common stock equivalents for restricted shares

     2       -       -       -  

Weighted-average shares outstanding-diluted

     100       97       98       96  

 

In the table above, the six-months ended June 30, 2026 excludes 4,900,735 shares and each of the three and six-months ended June 30, 2025 excludes 5,294,567 shares due to their dilutive effect on our net loss attributable to common shareholders for each period. See Note 8 “Stock-based Compensation”.
Comprehensive Income, Policy [Policy Text Block] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss. Our accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) balances as of June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, consist of adjustments to our pension liability, net of tax. Our comprehensive income for the six-months ended June 30, 2026 had no components besides our net income. Our comprehensive loss for the six-months ended June 30, 2025 consisted of our net loss and recognition of the fair value adjustment related to our interest rate caps, and the related income tax benefit.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Recent Accounting Pronouncements. In November 2024, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2024-03, Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income—Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40), Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses. The purpose of this amendment was to improve the disclosures about a public business entity’s expenses and address requests from investors for more detailed information about the types of expenses in commonly presented expense captions. The amendments in this ASU are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027. Currently we do not expect that the implementation of these changes will have a material impact on our financial statements.

 

In addition to the accounting standards described above, certain amounts have also been reclassified to conform to the current presentation.