XML 18 R10.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v2.4.0.8

Commitments, Contingencies And Guarantees | 9 Months Ended
--- | ---
Sep. 30, 2013
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments, Contingencies And Guarantees | NOTE 6 – COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND GUARANTEES The Company and its subsidiaries are involved in certain legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business and, as required, have accrued an estimate of the probable costs for the resolution of those claims for which the occurrence of loss is probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. These estimates have been developed in consultation with counsel and are based upon an analysis of potential results, assuming a combination of litigation and settlement strategies. It is possible, however, that future results of operations for any particular period could be materially affected by changes in the Company's assumptions or the effectiveness of the Company's strategies related to these proceedings. Additionally, due to the inherent uncertainty of litigation, there can be no assurance that the resolution of any particular claim or proceeding would not have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial con dition or results of operations. Although the Company is involved in a variety of legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business, a large portion of the Company's litigation arises in the following contexts: commercial disputes; defamation matters; employment and benefits related claims; governmental fines; intellectual property claims; and tax disputes. Stockholder Litigation Two derivative lawsuits were filed in March 2012 in Delaware Chancery Court by stockholders of CCOH. The consolidated lawsuits were captioned In re Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. Derivative Litigation, Consolidated Case No. 7315-CS. The complaints name d as defendants certain o f Clear Channel's and CCOH's current and for mer directors and Clear Channel, as well as Bain Capital Partners, LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. CCOH also was named as a nominal defendant. The complaints allege d, among other things, that in December 2009 Clear Channel breached fiduciary duties to CCOH and its stockholders by allegedly requiring CCOH to agree to amend the terms of a revolving promissory note payable by Clear Channel to CCOH (the “Note”) to extend the maturity date of the Note and to amend the interest rate payable on the Note. According to the complaints, the terms of the amended Note were unfair to CCOH because, among other things, the interest rate was below market. The complaints further alleged that Clear Channel was unjustly enriched as a result of that transaction. The complaints also alleged that the director defendants breached fiduciary duties to CCOH in connection with that transaction and that the transaction constituted corporate waste. On March 28, 2013, to avoid the costs, disruption and distraction of further litigation, and without admitting the validity of any allegations made in the complaint, legal counsel for the defendants entered into a binding memorandum of understanding (the “MOU”) with legal counsel for a special litigation committee consisting of certain independent directors of CCOH and the plaintiffs to settle the litigation. The Company, CCOH and Clear Channel filed the MOU with the SEC as an exhibit to their respective Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on April 3, 2013. On July 8, 2013, the parties executed a Stipulation of Settlement, on terms consistent with the MOU, and presented the Stipulation of Settlement to the Delaware Chancery Court for approval. The Company, CCOH and Clear Channel filed the Stipulation of Settlement with the SEC as an exhibit to their respective Current Repo rt s on Form 8-K filed on July 9, 2013. On September 9, 2013, the Delaware Chancery Court approved the settlement and, on October 9, 2013, the right to appeal expired. On October 19, 2013, in accordance with the terms of the settlement, CCOH's board of directors (i) notified Clear Channel of its intent to make a demand for repayment of $200 million outstanding under the Note on November 8, 2013, (ii) declared a dividend of $200 million, which is conditioned upon Clear Channel having satisfied such demand, to be paid on November 8, 2013, and (iii) established a committee of the board of directors for the specific purpose of monitoring the Note. On October 23, 2013, Clear Channel and CCOH amended the Note in accordance with the terms of the settlement. The Company, CCOH and Clear Channel announced CCOH's intent to make a demand for repayment of $200 million outstanding under the Note and CCOH's declaration of the dividend in their respective Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on October 21, 2013, and filed a copy of the amendment to the Note as an exhibit to their respective Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on October 23, 2013. Los Angeles Litigation In 2008, Summit Media, LLC, one of the Company's competitors, sued the City of Los Angeles (the “City”), Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. and CBS Outdoor in Los Angeles Superior Court (Case No. BS116611) challenging the validity of a settlement agreement that had been entered into in November 2006 among the parties. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. had taken down existing billboards and converted 83 existing signs from static displays to digital displays pursuant to modernization permits issued through an administrative process of the City. The Los Angeles Superior Court ruled in January 2010 that the settlement agreement constituted an ultra vires act of the City and nullified its existence, but did not invalidate the modernization permits issued to Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. and CBS. All parties appealed the ruling by the Los Angeles Superior Court to Court of Appeal for the State of California, Second Appellate District, Division 8. On December 10, 2012, the Court of Appeal issued an order upholding the Superior Court's finding that the settlement agreement was ultra vires and remanding the case to the Superior Court for the purpose of invalidating the modernization permits issued to Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. and CBS for the digital displays that were the subject of the settlement agreement. On January 22, 2013, Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. filed a petition with the California Supreme Court requesting its review of the matter, and the Supreme Court denied that petition on February 27, 2013. On April 12, 2013, the Los Angel es Superior Court invalidated 8 2 digital modernization permits issued to Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. and 13 issued to CBS and ordered that the companies turn off the electrical power to affected digital displays by the close of business on April 15, 2013. Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. has complied with the order. On April 16, 2013, the Court conducted further proceedings during which it held that it was not invalidating two additional digital modernization permits that Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. had secured through a special zoning plan and confirmed that its April 12 order invalidated only digital modernization permits – no other types of permits the companies may have secured for the signs at issue. Summit Media, LLC has filed a further motion requesting that the Court order the demolition of the 82 sign structures on which the now-invalidated digital signs operated, as well as the invalidation of several other permits for traditional signs allegedly issued under the settlement agreement. At a hearing held on September 16, 2013 the Court ordered Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. to produce evidence on a sign-by-sign basis of the permitting history of each sign. This evidentiary hearing is scheduled for November 8, 2013. Additionally, Summit Media, LLC has filed a motion for attorney's fees under a private attorney general theory. That motion currently is scheduled to be heard on December 11, 2013. Guarantees As of September 30, 2013, Clear Channel had outstanding surety bonds and commercial standby letters of credit of $53.1 million and $121.0 million, respectively, of which $36.3 million of letters of credit were cash secured. Letters of credit in the amount of $2.0 million are collateral in support of surety bonds and these amounts would only be drawn under the letter of credit in the event the associated surety bonds were funded and Clear Channel did not honor its reimbursement obligation to the issuers. These letters of credit and surety bonds relate to various operational matters including insurance, bid, and performanc e bonds as well as other items. As of September 30, 2013, Clear Channel had outstanding bank guarantees of $51.4 million related to international subsidiaries, of which $13.7 million were backed by cash collateral.

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_CommitmentsAndContingenciesDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The entire disclosure for commitments and contingencies. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 14 -Paragraph 3 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.25) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6449706&loc=d3e16207-108621 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 460 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6398077&loc=d3e12565-110249 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6952336&loc=d3e14435-108349 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 440 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6394976&loc=d3e25287-109308 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 5 -Paragraph 9, 10, 11, 12 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_CommitmentsAndContingenciesDisclosureTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration