LMG RemainCo
Notes to Combined Financial Statements
1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Background and Nature of Operations—On May 3, 2021, Meredith Corporation announced its intent to separate its local media group and national media group operations into two independent companies by distributing (the Distribution) to Meredith Corporation’s shareholders, on a pro rata basis, the issued and outstanding capital stock of Meredith Holdings Corporation, an Iowa corporation and newly formed wholly-owned subsidiary of Meredith Corporation, which will hold Meredith Corporation’s national media group and corporate functions following the separation (collectively, the Spin-Off). As part of this announcement, Meredith Corporation, Gray Television, Inc., and Gray Hawkeye Stations, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gray Television, Inc. (Merger Sub), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the Merger Agreement), as amended June 2, 2021, to effect the acquisition of Meredith Corporation by Gray Television, Inc., immediately after and subject to the consummation of the Spin-Off (as described above), through the merger of Merger Sub with and into Meredith Corporation (the Merger), with Meredith Corporation surviving the Merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gray Television, Inc. As a result of the Distribution and Spin-Off and immediately prior to the Merger, Meredith Corporation will hold the local media group only (LMG RemainCo).
The combined financial statements reflect the historical results of operations, financial positions, and cash flows of LMG RemainCo (the Company), which consists of Meredith Corporation’s historical local media group excluding the MNI Targeted Media and People TV businesses, which will be transferred from Meredith Corporation’s local media group to Meredith Corporation’s national media group as part of the Spin-Off . The Company has one reportable segment. LMG RemainCo includes 17 television stations and related digital media operations. LMG RemainCo’s operations are diversified geographically within the United States (U.S.), and the Company has a broad customer base.
Basis of Presentation—The combined financial statements of LMG RemainCo were prepared in connection with the anticipated transaction and have been derived from the Consolidated Financial Statements and accounting records of Meredith Corporation (Parent) as if it were operated on a standalone basis during the periods presented and were prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP).
The Combined Statements of Earnings and Comprehensive Income of the Company reflect allocations of general corporate expenses from Parent including, but not limited to, executive management, employee benefits administration, occupancy, corporate administration, aviation, legal, sourcing, corporate development, finance, human resources, communications, information technology, and other shared services.
These allocations were made on a direct usage basis when identifiable, with the remainder allocated on the basis of relative revenues, salaries, headcount, or other relevant measures. Management of the Company and Parent consider these allocations to be a reasonable reflection of the utilization of services by, or the benefits provided to, the Company. The allocations may not, however, reflect the expense the Company would have incurred as a standalone company for the periods presented. Actual costs that may have been incurred if the Company had been a standalone company would depend on a number of factors, including the chosen organizational structure, what functions were outsourced or performed by employees, and strategic decisions made in areas such as selling and marketing, information technology, and infrastructure.
The Combined Balance Sheets of the Company include Parent assets and liabilities that are specifically identifiable or otherwise attributable to the Company, including subsidiaries and affiliates in which Parent has a controlling financial interest or is the primary beneficiary.
Parent uses a centralized cash management strategy where cash balances are comingled for all of Parent’s businesses. The cash and cash equivalents held by Parent at the corporate level are not specifically identifiable to the Company and, therefore, have not been reflected in the Combined Balance Sheets. Only cash balances legally owned by the Company are reflected in the Combined Balance Sheets. Transfers of cash between the Company and Parent are included within the Net transfers to Meredith Corporation line in the Combined Statements of Cash Flows and the Combined Statements of Equity.
7