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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES 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 its 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 condition 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. Chapter 11 Cases iHeartCommunications' filing of the Chapter 11 Cases constituted an event of default that accelerated its obligations under its debt agreements. Due to the Chapter 11 Cases, however, the creditors' ability to exercise remedies under iHeartCommunications' debt agreements were stayed as of March 14, 2018, the Petition Date. On March 21, 2018, Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB ("WSFS"), solely in its capacity as successor indenture trustee to the 6.875% Senior Notes due 2018 and 7.25% Senior Notes due 2027, and not in its individual capacity, filed an adversary proceeding against the Company in the Chapter 11 Cases. In the complaint, WSFS alleged, among other things, that the "springing lien" provisions of the priority guarantee notes indentures and the priority guarantee notes security agreements amounted to "hidden encumbrances" on the Company's property, to which the holders of the 6.875% Senior Notes due 2018 and 7.25% Senior Notes due 2027 were entitled to "equal and ratable" treatment. On March 26, 2018, Delaware Trust Co. ("Delaware Trust"), in its capacity as successor indenture trustee to the 14% Senior Notes due 2021, filed a motion to intervene as a plaintiff in the adversary proceeding filed by WSFS. In the complaint, Delaware Trust alleged, among other things, that the indenture governing the 14% Senior Notes due 2021 also had its own "negative pledge" covenant, and, therefore, to the extent the relief sought by WSFS in its adversary proceeding was warranted, the holders of the 14% Senior Notes due 2021 would also be entitled to the same "equal and ratable" liens on the same property. On January 15, 2019, the Bankruptcy Court entered judgment in the Company's favor denying all relief sought by WSFS and all other parties. Pursuant to a settlement (the “Legacy Plan Settlement”) with WSFS and certain consenting Legacy Noteholders of all issues related to confirmation of the Plan of Reorganization, on May 1, 2019 upon the Company's confirmed Plan of Reorganization becoming effective, this adversary proceeding was deemed withdrawn and/or dismissed, with respect to all parties thereto, with prejudice and in its entirety. On October 9, 2018, WSFS, solely in its capacity as successor indenture trustee to the 6.875% Senior Notes due 2018 and 7.25% Senior Notes due 2027, and not in its individual capacity, filed an adversary proceeding against Clear Channel Holdings, Inc. (“CCH”) and certain shareholders of iHeartMedia. The named shareholder defendants were Bain Capital LP; Thomas H. Lee Partners L.P.; Abrams Capital L.P.; and Highfields Capital Management L.P. In the complaint, WSFS alleged, among other things, that the shareholder defendants engaged in a “pattern of inequitable and bad faith conduct, including the abuse of their insider positions to benefit themselves at the expense of third-party creditors including particularly the Legacy Noteholders.” The complaint asked the court to grant relief in the form of equitable subordination of the shareholder defendants’ term loan, priority guarantee notes and 2021 notes claims to any and all claims of the legacy noteholders. In addition, the complaint sought to have any votes to accept the Plan of Reorganization by Abrams and Highfields on account of their 2021 notes claims, and any votes to accept the Plan of Reorganization by defendant CCH on account of its junior notes claims, to be designated and disqualified. Pursuant to the Legacy Plan Settlement, on May 1, 2019 upon the Company's confirmed Plan of Reorganization becoming effective, this adversary proceeding was deemed withdrawn and/or dismissed, with respect to all parties thereto, with prejudice and in its entirety. Stockholder Litigation On May 9, 2016, a stockholder of CCOH filed a derivative lawsuit in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, captioned GAMCO Asset Management Inc. v. iHeartMedia, Inc. et al., C.A. No. 12312-VCS. The complaint named as defendants the Company, iHeartCommunications, Bain Capital Partners, LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P., the Company's pre-bankruptcy private equity sponsors and pre-bankruptcy majority owners (together, the "Former Sponsor Defendants"), and the members of CCOH's board of directors. CCOH also was named as a nominal defendant. The complaint alleged that CCOH had been harmed by the intercompany agreements with iHeartCommunications, CCOH’s lack of autonomy over its own cash and the actions of the defendants in serving the interests of the Company, iHeartCommunications and the Former Sponsor Defendants to the detriment of CCOH and its minority stockholders. The plaintiff sought, among other things, a ruling that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties to CCOH and that the Company, iHeartCommunications and the Former Sponsor Defendants aided and abetted the CCOH board of directors' breaches of fiduciary duty, rescission of payments made by CCOH to iHeartCommunications and its affiliates pursuant to dividends declared in connection with the offering of notes by Clear Channel International BV and certain asset sales by CCOH, and an order requiring the Company, iHeartCommunications and the Former Sponsor Defendants to disgorge all profits they have received as a result of the alleged fiduciary misconduct. On July 20, 2016, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss plaintiff's verified stockholder derivative complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. On November 23, 2016, the Court granted defendants' motion to dismiss all claims brought by the plaintiff. On December 19, 2016, the plaintiff filed a notice of appeal of the ruling. The oral hearing on the appeal was held on October 11, 2017. On October 12, 2017, the Supreme Court of Delaware affirmed the lower court's ruling, dismissing the case. On December 29, 2017, another stockholder of CCOH filed a derivative lawsuit (the “Norfolk Lawsuit”) in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, captioned Norfolk County Retirement System, v. iHeartMedia, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 2017-0930-JRS. The complaint named as defendants the Company, iHeartCommunications, the Former Sponsor Defendants, and the members of CCOH's board of directors. CCOH was named as a nominal defendant. The complaint alleged that CCOH had been harmed by the CCOH Board’s November 2017 decision to extend the maturity date of the intercompany revolving note (the “Third Amendment”) at what the complaint described as far-below-market interest rates. The plaintiff sought, among other things, a ruling that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties to CCOH, a modification of the Third Amendment to bear a commercially reasonable rate of interest, and an order requiring disgorgement of all profits, benefits and other compensation obtained by defendants as a result of the alleged breaches of fiduciary duties. On March 7, 2018, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss plaintiff's verified derivative complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. On March 16, 2018, the Company filed a Notice of Suggestion of Pendency of Bankruptcy and Automatic Stay of Proceedings. On May 4, 2018, plaintiff filed its response to the motion to dismiss. On June 26, 2018, the defendants filed a reply brief in further support of their motion to dismiss. Oral argument on the motion to dismiss was held on September 20, 2018. On August 27, 2018, the same stockholder of CCOH that had filed a derivative lawsuit against the Company and others in 2016 (GAMCO Asset Management Inc.) filed a putative class action lawsuit (the “GAMCO II Lawsuit”) in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, captioned GAMCO Asset Management, Inc. v. Hendrix, et al., C.A. No. 2018-0633-JRS. The complaint named as defendants the Former Sponsor Defendants and the members of CCOH’s board of directors. The complaint alleged that minority shareholders in CCOH during the period November 8, 2017 to March 14, 2018 were harmed by decisions of the CCOH Board and the intercompany note committee of the Board relating to the Intercompany Note. The plaintiff sought, among other things, a ruling that the CCOH Board, the intercompany note committee, and the Sponsor Defendants breached their fiduciary duties and that the Sponsor Defendants aided and abetted the Board’s breach of fiduciary duty; and an award of damages, together with pre- and post-judgment interests, to the putative class of minority shareholders. On December 16, 2018, the Debtors, CCOH, GAMCO Asset Management, Inc., and Norfolk County Retirement System entered into a settlement (the “CCOH Separation Settlement”) of all claims, objections, and other causes of action that have been or could be asserted by or on behalf of CCOH, GAMCO Asset Management, Inc., and/or Norfolk County Retirement System by and among the Debtors, CCOH, GAMCO Asset Management, Inc., certain individual defendants in the GAMCO Asset Management, Inc. action and/or the Norfolk County Retirement System action, and the Former Sponsor Defendants in such actions. The CCOH Separation Settlement provided for the consensual separation of the Debtors and CCOH, including approximately $149.0 million of recovery to CCOH on account of its claim against iHeartCommunications in the Chapter 11 cases, a $200 million unsecured revolving line of credit from certain of the Debtors to CCOH for a period of up to three years, the transfer of certain of the Debtors’ intellectual property to CCOH, the waiver by the Debtors of the setoff for the value of the transferred intellectual property, mutual releases, the termination of the cash sweep under the existing Corporate Services Agreement, the termination of any agreements or licenses requiring royalty payments from CCOH to the Debtors for trademarks or other intellectual property, the waiver of any post-petition amounts owed by CCOH relating to such trademarks or other intellectual property, and the execution of a new transition services agreement and other separation documents. The CCOH Separation Settlement was approved by the Bankruptcy Court and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas on January 22, 2019. On May 1, 2019, the Debtors’ Plan of Reorganization went effective, and the Norfolk Lawsuit and GAMCO II Lawsuit were each subsequently dismissed with prejudice.

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