REVENUE

October 1, 2018,

we adopted the New Revenue Standard, using the modified retrospective method applied to those contracts which were

not

completed as of that date. Results for reporting periods beginning after

October 1, 2018

are presented under the new guidance while prior period amounts are

not

adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with legacy accounting under the old guidance. We did

not

record any adjustments to beginning retained earnings at

October 1, 2018

as a result of adopting the new guidance.

The following table presents our revenue disaggregated by source:

(Thousands of Dollars)	September 29, 2019		September 30, 2018		September 24, 2017

Advertising and marketing services revenue		265,933		303,446		331,360
Subscription Revenue		186,691		195,108		191,922
TownNews and other digital services revenue		19,637		16,328		14,008
Other revenue		37,593		29,073		29,653
Total operating revenue		509,854		543,955		566,943

Recognition principles:

Revenue is recognized when a performance obligation is satisfied by the transfer of control of the contracted goods or services to our customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for those goods or services.

Arrangements with multiple performance obligations:

We have various advertising and subscription agreements which include both print and digital performance obligations. Revenue from sales agreements that contain multiple performance obligations are allocated to each obligation based on the relative standalone selling price. We determine standalone selling prices based on observable prices charged to customers.

Contract Assets and Liabilities:

The Company’s primary source of unearned revenue is from subscriptions paid in advance of the service provided. The Company expects to recognize the revenue related to unsatisfied performance obligations over the next

twelve

months in accordance with the terms of the subscriptions and other contracts with customers. The unearned revenue balances described herein are the Company's only contract liability. Unearned revenue was $

21,720,000

as of

September 29, 2019

and $

23,895,000

as of

September 30, 2018

. Revenue recognized in the

weeks ended

September 29, 2019

that was included in the contract liability as of

September 30, 2018

was

$23,130,000.

Contract asset balances relate to our Management Agreement revenue and were

$1,107,000

as of

September 29, 2019

and

as of

September 30, 2018

and consisted solely of the variable portion of the contract.

hese contract asset balances are included in accounts receivable and contract assets, net. There are

other contract assets recorded. Accounts receivable, excluding allowance for doubtful accounts and contract assets, was

$47,863,000

and

$48,517,000

as of

September 29, 2019

and

September 30, 2018

respectively. Allowance for doubtful accounts was $

6,434,000

and $

4,806,000

as of

September 29, 2019

and

September 30, 2018

, respectively.

Practical expedients:

Sales commissions are expensed as incurred as the associated contractual periods are

one

year or less. These costs are recorded within compensation. The vast majority of our contracts have original expected lengths of

one

year or less and revenue is earned at a rate and amount that corresponds directly with the value to the customer.