On March 31, 2021, the Company acquired Triton Digital, a global leader in digital audio and podcast technology and measurement services, from The E.W. Scripps Company for $228.5 million in cash. The assets acquired as part of this transaction consisted of $69.4 million in current and fixed assets, consisting primarily of accounts receivable and technology, and $191.3 million in intangible assets, consisting primarily of customer relationships, along with $168.0 million in goodwill (of which $6.9 million is tax-deductible). The Company also assumed liabilities of $32.2 million, consisting primarily of accounts payable and deferred tax liabilities. The assessment of fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed is preliminary and is based on information that was available to management at the time these consolidated financial statements were prepared. The finalization of the Company’s acquisition accounting assessment could result in changes in the valuation of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, which could be material.


(In thousands)	Successor Company
	December 31, 2021		December 31, 2020
Land, buildings and improvements	$	355,474	$	386,980
Towers, transmitters and studio equipment	180,571		169,788
Computer equipment and software	521,872		398,084
Furniture and other equipment	35,390		45,711
Construction in progress	64,732		25,073
	1,158,039		1,025,636
Less: accumulated depreciation	375,946		213,934
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	782,093	$	811,702

The Company’s indefinite-lived intangible assets consist of FCC broadcast licenses in its Multiplatform Group segment. FCC broadcast licenses are granted to radio stations for up to eight years under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (the “Act”). The Act requires the FCC to renew a broadcast license if the FCC finds that the station has served the public interest, convenience and necessity, there have been no serious violations of either the Communications Act of 1934 or the FCC’s rules and regulations by the licensee, and there have been no other serious violations which taken together constitute a pattern of abuse. The licenses may be renewed indefinitely at little or no cost. The Company does not believe that the technology of wireless broadcasting will be replaced in the foreseeable future. In connection with the Company's emergence from bankruptcy and in accordance with ASC 852, Reorganizations, the Company applied the provisions of fresh start accounting to its Consolidated Financial Statements on the Effective Date. As a result, the Company adjusted its FCC licenses to their respective estimated fair values of $2,281.7 million as of the Effective Date (see Note 15, Fresh Start Accounting).

The Company performs its annual impairment test on goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, including FCC licenses, as of July 1 of each year. In addition, the Company tests for impairment of intangible assets whenever events and circumstances indicate that such assets might be impaired.

accounting reflected the economic conditions in place at the time of emergence. The economic downturn starting in March 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic had an adverse impact on the trading values of the Company’s publicly-traded debt and equity and on the Company's first quarter 2020 results, and the continuing uncertainty surrounding the duration and magnitude of the economic impact of the pandemic had a negative impact on the Company's forecasted future cash flows. As a result, the Company performed an interim impairment test as of March 31, 2020 on its indefinite-lived FCC licenses.

For purposes of initial recording in fresh start accounting and for annual impairment testing purposes, our FCC licenses are valued using the direct valuation approach, with the key assumptions being forecasted market revenue growth rates, market share, profit margin, duration and profile of the build-up period, estimated start-up capital costs and losses incurred during the build-up period, the risk-adjusted discount rate and terminal values. This data is populated using industry normalized information representing an average asset within a market.

In estimating the fair value of its FCC licenses, the Company obtained the most recent broadcast radio industry revenue projections which considered the impact of COVID-19 on future broadcast radio advertising revenue. Such projections reflected a significant and negative impact from COVID-19. In addition to using these broadcast radio industry revenue projections at the time, the Company used various sources to analyze media and broadcast industry market forecasts and other data in developing the assumptions used for purposes of performing impairment testing on our FCC licenses as of March 31, 2020. As a result of COVID-19, the United States economy was undergoing a period of economic disruption and uncertainty, which had caused, among other things, lower consumer and business spending. The uncertainty surrounding the projected demand for advertising negatively impacted the key assumptions used in the discounted cash flow models used to value the Company's FCC licenses. Considerations in developing these assumptions included the extent of the economic downturn, ranges of expected timing of recovery, discount rates and other factors. As a result of the Company’s assessment, the estimated fair value of FCC licenses was determined to be below their carrying values as of March 31, 2020. As a result, during the three months ended March 31, 2020, the Successor Company recognized a non-cash impairment charge of $502.7 million on its FCC licenses.

The impairment tests for indefinite-lived intangible assets consist of a comparison between the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset at the market level with its carrying amount. If the carrying amount of the indefinite-lived intangible asset exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized equal to that excess. After an impairment loss is recognized, the adjusted carrying amount of the indefinite-lived asset is its new accounting basis. The fair value of the indefinite-lived asset is determined using the direct valuation method as prescribed in ASC 805-20-S99, Business Combinations. Under the direct valuation method, the fair value of the indefinite-lived assets is calculated at the market level as prescribed by ASC 350-30-35, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other. The Company engaged a third-party valuation firm to assist it in the development of the assumptions and the Company’s determination of the fair value of its indefinite-lived intangible assets.

The application of the direct valuation method attempts to isolate the income that is attributable to the indefinite-lived intangible asset alone (that is, apart from tangible and identified intangible assets and goodwill). It is based upon modeling a hypothetical “greenfield” build-up to a “normalized” enterprise that, by design, lacks inherent goodwill and whose only other assets have essentially been paid for (or added) as part of the build-up process. The Company forecasts revenue, expenses, and cash flows over a ten-year period for each of its markets in its application of the direct valuation method. The Company also calculates a “normalized” residual year which represents the perpetual cash flows of each market. The residual year cash flow was capitalized to arrive at the terminal value of the licenses in each market.

Under the direct valuation method, it is assumed that rather than acquiring indefinite-lived intangible assets as part of a going concern business, the buyer hypothetically develops indefinite-lived intangible assets and builds a new operation with similar attributes from scratch. Thus, the buyer incurs start-up costs during the build-up phase which are normally associated with going concern value. Initial capital costs are deducted from the discounted cash flow model which results in value that is directly attributable to the indefinite-lived intangible assets.

The key assumptions used in applying the direct valuation method are market revenue growth rates, market share, profit margin, duration and profile of the build-up period, estimated start-up capital costs and losses incurred during the build-up period, the risk-adjusted discount rate and terminal values. This data is populated using industry normalized information representing an average FCC license within a market.

During the period from January 1, 2019 through May 1, 2019, the Predecessor Company recognized non-cash impairment charges of $91.4 million in relation to indefinite-lived FCC licenses as a result of an increase in the WACC used in performing the annual impairment test. As a result of the fair value exercise applied in connection with fresh start accounting, the Successor Company opted to use a qualitative assessment as permitted by ASC 350, "Intangibles - Goodwill and Other" as of July 1, 2019 and no additional impairment charges were recorded.

Other intangible assets consists of definite-lived intangible assets, which primarily include customer and advertiser relationships, talent and representation contracts, trademarks and tradenames and other contractual rights, all of which are amortized over the shorter of either the respective lives of the agreements or over the period of time that the assets are expected to contribute directly or indirectly to the Company’s future cash flows. The Company periodically reviews the appropriateness of the amortization periods related to its definite-lived intangible assets. These assets are recorded at amortized cost.

The Company tests for possible impairment of other intangible assets whenever events and circumstances indicate that they might be impaired and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the carrying amounts of those assets. When specific assets are determined to be unrecoverable, the cost basis of the asset is reduced to reflect the current fair market value.

The Company applied fresh start accounting as of May 1, 2019 in connection with its emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy which required stating the Company’s intangible assets at estimated fair value. Such fair values recorded in fresh start accounting reflected the economic conditions in place at the time of emergence. The economic downturn in March 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic had an adverse impact on the Company's first quarter 2020 results, and the continuing uncertainty surrounding the duration and magnitude of the economic impact of the pandemic has had a negative impact on the Company's forecasted future cash flows. As a result, the Company performed interim impairment tests as of March 31, 2020 on its other intangible assets. Based on the Company’s test of recoverability using estimated undiscounted future cash flows, the carrying values of the Company’s definite-lived intangible assets were determined to be recoverable, and no impairment was recognized.


(In thousands)	Successor Company
	December 31, 2021				December 31, 2020
	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization
Customer / advertiser relationships	1,636,202		(457,627)		1,620,509		(286,066)
Talent and other contracts	338,900		(117,337)		375,900		(84,065)
Trademarks and tradenames	335,862		(88,252)		326,061		(54,358)

Other	27,994		(9,142)		31,351		(4,840)
Total	$	2,338,958	$	(672,358)	$	2,353,821	$	(429,329)

Total amortization expense related to definite-lived intangible assets for the Successor Company for the year ended December 31, 2021, the year ended December 31, 2020 and the period from May 2, 2019 through December 31, 2019 was $280.6 million, $258.9 million and $171.5 million, respectively. Total amortization expense related to definite-lived intangible assets for the Predecessor Company for the period from January 1, 2019 through May 1, 2019 and the year ended December 31, 2019 was $12.7 million.


(In thousands)	Audio		Audio & Media Services Group		Consolidated
Balance as of December 31, 2019	$	3,221,468	$	104,154	$	3,325,622
Impairment	(1,224,374)		—		(1,224,374)
Acquisitions	44,606		—		44,606
Dispositions	(164)		—		(164)
Foreign currency	—		245		245


Balance as of December 31, 2020	$	2,041,536	$	104,399	$	2,145,935


(In thousands)	Multiplatform Group		Digital Audio Group		Audio & Media Services Group		Consolidated
Balance as of January 1, 2021	$	1,462,217	$	579,319	$	104,399	$	2,145,935

Acquisitions	1,267		168,031		—		169,298
Dispositions	(1,446)		—		—		(1,446)
Foreign currency	—		—		(206)		(206)


Balance as of December 31, 2021	$	1,462,038	$	747,350	$	104,193	$	2,313,581

As a result of the leadership and organizational changes implemented in the first quarter 2021, as described in Note 1, Basis of Presentation, the Company re-evaluated its reporting units and allocated goodwill to these new reporting units. Refer to Note 12, Segment Data, for additional information on our segments. Goodwill was allocated to these new reporting units based on the relative fair values of these reporting units. Fair value was calculated using the expected present value of future cash flows, and included estimates, judgments and assumptions consistent with those of a market participant that management believes were appropriate in the circumstances. The estimates and judgments that most significantly affect the fair value calculations are assumptions related to long-term growth rates, expected profit margins and discount rates. The Company did not recast prior-period goodwill balances to the new reporting units as it was impractical to do so.

As described in Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, the economic disruption as a result of COVID-19 had a significant impact to the trading values of the Company’s publicly-traded debt and equity and on the Company's results in the latter half of the month ended March 31, 2020. In addition, the Company expected that the pandemic would continue to impact the operating and economic environment of our customers and would impact the near-term spending decisions of advertisers. As a result, the Company performed an interim impairment test on its indefinite-lived intangible assets as of March 31, 2020.

The goodwill impairment test requires measurement of the fair value of the Company's reporting units, which is compared to the carrying value of the reporting units, including goodwill. Each reporting unit is valued using a discounted cash flow model which requires estimating future cash flows expected to be generated from the reporting unit, discounted to their present value using a risk-adjusted discount rate. Terminal values are also estimated and discounted to their present value. Assessing the recoverability of goodwill requires estimates and assumptions about sales, operating margins, growth rates and discount rates based on budgets, business plans, economic projections, anticipated future cash flows and marketplace data. As with the impairment testing performed on the Company’s FCC licenses described above, the significant deterioration in market conditions and uncertainty in the markets impacted the assumptions used to estimate the discounted future cash flows of the Company’s reporting units for purposes of performing the interim goodwill impairment test. There are inherent uncertainties related to these factors and management’s judgment in applying these factors.

As discussed above, the carrying values of the Company’s reporting units were based on estimated fair values determined upon our emergence from bankruptcy on May 1, 2019, and the rapid deterioration in economic conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in lower estimated fair values determined in connection with our interim goodwill impairment testing as of March 31, 2020. The estimated fair value of one of the Company's reporting units was below its carrying value, including goodwill. The macroeconomic factors discussed above had an adverse effect on the Company's estimated cash flows used in the discounted cash flow model. As a result, the Company recognized a non-cash impairment charge of $1.2 billion in the first quarter of 2020 to reduce goodwill.

The Company engaged a third-party valuation firm to assist it in the development of the assumptions and the Company’s determination of the fair value of its reporting units as of July 1 2021 and 2020 as part of the annual impairment test. No impairment was recognized as a result of the Company's annual impairment tests on goodwill.

As a result of the changes in the Company's management structure and its reportable segments effective at the beginning of 2021, the Company performed an interim impairment test on goodwill as of January 1, 2021. No impairment charges were recorded in the first quarter of 2021 in connection with the interim impairment test.