UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q 

(Mark One)

[X]          QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED March 31, 2015

[  ]           TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM                          TO                           

Commission File Number

1‑32663

CLEAR CHANNEL OUTDOOR HOLDINGS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                                        Delaware                                                                                             86-0812139 

                      (State or other jurisdiction of                                                      (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

                     incorporation or organization)

                             200 East Basse Road                                                                                       78209

                              San Antonio, Texas                                                                                    (Zip Code)

             (Address of principal executive offices)

(210) 832-3700

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes [X] No [  ]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes [X] No [  ]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company.  See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer  [  ]       Accelerated filer   [X]    Non-accelerated filer [  ]       Smaller reporting company   [  ]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes [  ] No [X]

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer's classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

CLEAR CHANNEL OUTDOOR HOLDINGS, INC.

INDEX

NOTE 1 – BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Preparation of Interim Financial Statements

The accompanying consolidated financial statements were prepared by Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and, in the opinion of management, include all normal and recurring adjustments necessary to present fairly the results of the interim periods shown. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such SEC rules and regulations.  Management believes that the disclosures made are adequate to make the information presented not misleading.  Due to seasonality and other factors, the results for the interim periods may not be indicative of results for the full year.  The financial statements contained herein should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K. All references in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q to “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.  Our reportable segments are Americas outdoor advertising (“Americas”) and International outdoor advertising (“International”).

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries and give effect to allocations of expenses from the Company’s indirect parent entity, iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly, Clear Channel Communications, Inc. or “iHeartCommunications”).  These allocations were made on a specifically identifiable basis or using relative percentages of headcount or other methods management considered to be a reasonable reflection of the utilization of services provided.  Also included in the consolidated financial statements are entities for which the Company has a controlling financial interest or is the primary beneficiary.  Investments in companies in which the Company owns 20 percent to 50 percent of the voting common stock or otherwise exercises significant influence over operating and financial policies of the Company are accounted for under the equity method.  All significant intercompany transactions are eliminated in the consolidation process.  Certain prior-period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the 2015 presentation.

During the first quarter of 2015, and in connection with the appointment of a new chief executive officer for the Company and a new chief executive officer for Americas, the Company reevaluated its segment reporting and determined that its Latin American operations should be managed by its Americas leadership team.  As a result, the operations of Latin America are no longer reflected within the Company’s International segment and are included in the results of its Americas segment. Accordingly, the Company has recast the corresponding segment disclosures for prior periods to include Latin America within the Americas segment.

New Accounting Pronouncements

During the first quarter of 2015, the Company adopted the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) ASU No. 2014-08, Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360), Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity.  This update provides guidance for the recognition, measurement and disclosure of discontinued operations. The amendments were effective for fiscal years (and interim periods within) beginning after December 15, 2014 and were to be applied retrospectively to all prior periods presented for such obligations that existed at the beginning of an entity’s fiscal year of adoption.  The Company does not anticipate the adoption of this guidance to have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

During the first quarter of 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-02, Consolidation (Topic 810), Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis. This new standard eliminates the deferral of FAS 167, which has allowed entities with interest in certain investment funds to follow the previous consolidation guidance in FIN 46(R), and makes other changes to both the variable interest model and the voting model. The standard is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2015.  The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the provisions of this new standard on its financial position and results of operations.

NOTE 2 – PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, INTANGIBLE ASSETS AND GOODWILL

Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets

The Company’s indefinite-lived intangible assets consist primarily of billboard permits in its Americas segment.  Due to significant differences in both business practices and regulations, billboards in the International segment and in Latin America are subject to long-term, finite contracts unlike the Company’s permits in the United States and Canada.  Accordingly, there are no indefinite-lived intangible assets in the International segment.

Other Intangible Assets

Other intangible assets include definite-lived intangible assets and permanent easements.  The Company’s definite-lived intangible assets consist primarily of transit and street furniture contracts, site-leases 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 the assets are expected to contribute directly or indirectly to the Company’s future cash flows.  Permanent easements are indefinite-lived intangible assets which include certain rights to use real property not owned by the Company.  The Company periodically reviews the appropriateness of the amortization periods related to its definite-lived intangible assets.  These assets are recorded at cost.

Total amortization expense related to definite-lived intangible assets was $14.7 million and $17.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

The aggregate market value of the Company’s debt based on market prices for which quotes were available was approximately $5.2 billion and $5.1 billion at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. Under the fair value hierarchy established by ASC 820-10-35, the market value of the Company’s debt is classified as Level 1.

Guarantees

As of March 31, 2015, the Company had $63.2 million and $49.5 million in letters of credit and bank guarantees outstanding, respectively. Bank guarantees of $12.4 million were backed by cash collateral. Additionally, as of March 31, 2015, iHeartCommunications had outstanding commercial standby letters of credit and surety bonds of $1.2 million and $44.2 million,

respectively, held on behalf of the Company.  These letters of credit, bank guarantees and surety bonds relate to various operational matters, including insurance, bid and performance bonds, as well as other items.

NOTE 4 – 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; employment and benefits related claims; governmental fines; and tax disputes.

Los Angeles Litigation

In 2008, Summit Media, LLC, one of the Company’s competitors, sued the City of Los Angeles (the “City”), Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. and OUTFRONT Media Inc. (formerly CBS Outdoor Americas Inc.) in Los Angeles Superior Court (Case No. BS116611) challenging the validity of a settlement agreement that had been entered into in November 2006 among the parties and pursuant to which Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. had taken down existing billboards and converted 83 existing signs from static displays to digital displays.  In 2009 the Los Angeles Superior Court ruled that the settlement agreement constituted an ultra vires act of the City, and nullified its existence.  After further proceedings, on April 12, 2013 the Los Angeles Superior Court invalidated 82 digital modernization permits issued to Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. (77 of which displays were operating at the time of the ruling), and Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. was required to turn off the electrical power to all affected digital displays on April 15, 2013.  The digital display structures remain intact but digital displays are currently prohibited in the City.  Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. is seeking permits under the existing City sign code to either wrap the LED faces with vinyl or convert the LED faces to traditional static signs, and has obtained a number of such permits.  Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. is also pursuing a new ordinance to permit digital signage in the City.

NOTE 5 — RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

The Company records net amounts due from or to iHeartCommunications as “Due from/to iHeartCommunications” on the consolidated balance sheets.  The accounts represent the revolving promissory note issued by the Company to iHeartCommunications and the revolving promissory note issued by iHeartCommunications to the Company in the face amount of $1.0 billion, or if more or less than such amount, the aggregate unpaid principal amount of all advances.  The accounts accrue interest pursuant to the terms of the promissory notes and are generally payable on demand or when they mature on December 15, 2017.

Included in the accounts are the net activities resulting from day-to-day cash management services provided by iHeartCommunications.  As a part of these services, the Company maintains collection bank accounts swept daily into accounts of iHeartCommunications (after satisfying the funding requirements of the Trustee Accounts under the CCWH Senior Notes and the CCWH Subordinated Notes).  In return, iHeartCommunications funds the Company’s controlled disbursement accounts as checks or electronic payments are presented for payment.  The Company’s claim in relation to cash transferred from its concentration account is on an unsecured basis and is limited to the balance of the “Due from iHeartCommunications” account.

At March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the asset recorded in “Due from iHeartCommunications” on the consolidated balance sheet was $886.3 million and $947.8 million, respectively.  At March 31, 2015, the fixed interest rate on the “Due from iHeartCommunications” account was 6.5%, which is equal to the fixed interest rate on the CCWH Senior Notes.  The net interest income for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 was $15.3 million and $14.7 million, respectively. 

The Company provides advertising space on its billboards for radio stations owned by iHeartCommunications.  For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company recorded $1.1 million and $1.0 million in revenue for these advertisements, respectively.

Under the Corporate Services Agreement between iHeartCommunications and the Company, iHeartCommunications provides management services to the Company, which include, among other things: (i) treasury, payroll and other financial related services; (ii) certain executive officer services; (iii) human resources and employee benefits services; (iv) legal and related services; (v) information systems, network and related services; (vi) investment services; (vii) procurement and sourcing support services; and (viii) other general corporate services.  These services are charged to the Company based on actual direct costs incurred or allocated by iHeartCommunications based on headcount, revenue or other factors on a pro rata basis.  For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company recorded $7.9 million and $9.1 million as a component of corporate expense for these services, respectively.

Pursuant to the Tax Matters Agreement between iHeartCommunications and the Company, the operations of the Company are included in a consolidated federal income tax return filed by iHeartCommunications.  The Company’s provision for income taxes has been computed on the basis that the Company files separate consolidated federal income tax returns with its subsidiaries.  Tax payments are made to iHeartCommunications on the basis of the Company’s separate taxable income.  Tax benefits recognized on the Company’s employee stock option exercises are retained by the Company.

The Company computes its deferred income tax provision using the liability method in accordance with the provisions of ASC 740-10, as if the Company was a separate taxpayer.  Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between financial reporting bases and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are measured using the enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the periods in which the deferred tax asset or liability is expected to be realized or settled.  Deferred tax assets are reduced by valuation allowances if the Company believes it is more likely than not some portion or all of the asset will not be realized.

Pursuant to the Employee Matters Agreement, the Company’s employees participate in iHeartCommunications’ employee benefit plans, including employee medical insurance and a 401(k) retirement benefit plan.  These costs are recorded as a component of selling, general and administrative expenses and were approximately $2.7 million for each of the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.

Stock Purchases

On August 9, 2010, iHeartCommunications announced that its board of directors approved a stock purchase program under which iHeartCommunications or its subsidiaries may purchase up to an aggregate of $100 million of the Company’s Class A common stock and/or the Class A common stock of iHeartMedia, Inc. (“iHeartMedia”). The stock purchase program did not have a fixed expiration date and could be modified, suspended or terminated at any time at iHeartCommunications’ discretion. During 2011, a subsidiary of iHeartCommunications purchased 1,553,971 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock through open market purchases for approximately $16.4 million.  During 2014, a subsidiary of iHeartCommunications purchased 5,000,000 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock for approximately $48.8 million.  On January 7, 2015, a subsidiary of iHeartCommunications purchased an additional 2,000,000 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock for $20.4 million. 

On April 2, 2015, a subsidiary of iHeartCommunications purchased an additional 2,172,946 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock for $22.2 million, increasing iHeartCommunications’ collective holdings to represent slightly more than 90% of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock on a fully-diluted basis, assuming the conversion of all of the Company’s Class B common stock into Class A common stock. As a result of this purchase, the stock purchase program concluded. The purchase of shares in excess of the amount available under the stock purchase program was separately approved by the iHeartCommunications’ board of directors. 

The effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2015 was 42.2%. The effective rate was primarily impacted by the uncertainty of the ability to recognize the future benefit of certain deferred tax assets that consists of current period net operating losses in U.S. federal, state and certain foreign jurisdictions.  The Company has recorded a valuation allowance against these deferred tax assets as the reversing deferred tax liabilities and other sources of taxable income that may be available to realize the deferred tax assets were exceeded by deferred tax assets recognized on the additional net operating losses incurred in the current period. 

The effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2014 was (21.3)%.  The effective rate was primarily impacted by the Company’s inability to record tax benefits on tax losses in certain foreign jurisdictions due to the uncertainty of the ability to utilize those losses in future years.

NOTE 8 — OTHER INFORMATION

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, the total increase (decrease) in deferred income tax liabilities of other comprehensive income (loss) related to pensions were ($0.6) million and $0.0 million, respectively.

NOTE 9 – SEGMENT DATA

The Company has two reportable segments, which it believes best reflect how the Company is currently managed – Americas and International.  The Americas segment consists of operations primarily in the United States, Canada and Latin America, and the International segment primarily includes operations in Europe, Asia and Australia.  The Americas and International display inventory consists primarily of billboards, street furniture displays and transit displays.  Corporate includes infrastructure and support including information technology, human resources, legal, finance and administrative functions of each of the Company’s reportable segments, as well as overall executive, administrative and support functions.  Share-based payments are recorded in corporate expenses.