6. DEFERRED CHARGES AND OTHER ASSETS

Deferred charges and other assets increased primarily due to the Merger, which included additions to advertiser relationships, debt issuance costs, and favorable leasehold premiums. Refer to Note 3, Business Combinations, for additional information.

Deferred charges and other assets consist of the following:

	Deferred Charges And Other Assets
	December 31,
	2017						2016
			Accumulated						Accumulated				Period Of
	Asset		Amortization		Net		Asset		Amortization		Net		Amortization
	(amounts in thousands)

Deferred contracts	$	1,588	$	1,341	$	247	$	1,788	$	1,491	$	297	Term of contract
Leasehold premium		17,028		431		16,597		448		169		279	Term of contract
Advertiser lists and customer relationships		29,126		1,390		27,736		832		825		7	5 years
Other definite-lived assets		6,916		4,996		1,920		29		19		10	Term of contract
Total definite-lived intangibles		54,658		8,158		46,500		3,097		2,504		593
Debt issuance costs		2,487		1,880		607		1,810		741		1,069	Term of debt
Prepaid assets - long-term		5,239		-		5,239		6,361		-		6,361
Software costs and other		9,720		4,109		5,611		7,033		5,051		1,982
	$	72,104	$	14,147	$	57,957	$	18,301	$	8,296	$	10,005

The following table presents the various categories of amortization expense, including deferred financing expense which is reflected as interest expense:

	Amortization Expense
	Deferred Charges And Other Assets
	For The Years Ended December 31,
	2017		2016		2015
	(amounts in thousands)
Definite-lived assets	$	1,240	$	81	$	150
Deferred financing expense		2,333		2,585		2,863
Software costs		1,091		1,023		850
Total	$	4,664	$	3,689	$	3,863

The following table presents the Company’s estimate of amortization expense, for each of the five succeeding years for: (1) deferred charges and other assets; and (2) definite-lived assets:

	Future Amortization Expense
					Definite-Lived
	Total		Other		Assets
Years ending December 31,	(amounts in thousands)
2018	$	14,960	$	2,104	$	12,856
2019		9,127		1,757		7,370
2020		7,570		1,172		6,398
2021		6,413		125		6,288
2022		6,026		114		5,912
Thereafter		7,676		-		7,676
Total	$	51,772	$	5,272	$	46,500