corresp
 

(EDWARDS ANGELL PALMER & DODGE LLP LETTERHEAD)
May 3, 2007
BY FAX: (202) 772-9205
AND EDGAR
Securities and Exchange Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
100 F Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20549
     
Attn:
  Larry Spirgel
Assistant Director
     
Re:
  Lamar Advertising Company
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006
Filed March 1, 2007
File No. 0-30242
Dear Mr. Spirgel
     On behalf of Lamar Advertising Company (“Lamar” or the “Company”) we submit this letter in response to the comment from the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Staff”), in a letter dated April 25, 2007, relating to the Form 10-K of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2006 (the “Form 10-K”). Set forth below is the Staff’s comment followed by the Company’s response. The factual statements and information set forth below are based entirely on information furnished to us by the Company and its representatives, which we have not independently verified. All statements of belief are the belief of the Company.
Form 10-K — December 31, 2006
Comment:
     We appreciate the analysis of the misstatement in historical depreciation of logo signs provided in your response. However, we note that you only included periods since 2002 in your analysis and that your disclosure on page 52 of the Form 10-K states that the misstatement impacted 1996 through 2005. Please carry out your analysis to include all periods impacted by the misstatement.
(LETTERHEAD)

 


 

(EDWARDS ANGELL PALMER & DODGE LLP LOGO)
Mr. Larry Spirgel
May 3, 2007
Page 2
Response:
     As noted in the Company’s initial response to the Commission dated April 23, 2007, the Company determined that a cumulative effect adjustment under SAB 108 was appropriate due to the fact that the adjustment was immaterial in prior periods under the Company’ s previous and properly applied methodology and after considering other appropriate qualitative factors. Although the Company made this determination, as noted in the Form 10-K, based on an assessment of the periods from 1996 to 2005, the Company limited its initial quantitative response to the periods covered by the Form 10-K in the same way that quantitative footnote disclosure regarding this adjustment would have been presented if contained in that filing.
     The Company did, however, consider the same quantitative factors regarding the adjustment with respect to all periods from 1996 to 2005. The effect of the misstatement was clearly immaterial in a quantitative analysis for these periods. The cumulative adjustment was recorded net of the tax effect used in the period that the correction of the error was made. The analysis below reflects the adjustment net of tax using the effective tax rate in each period. The cumulative adjustment, therefore, is immaterially different than the aggregate of each of these individual periods.
     The following tables set forth the effect of the adjustment in each of the fiscal years ended December 31, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998 and 1997 and the two months ended December 31, 1996 and the twelve months ended October 31, 1996 (dollars in thousands, except per share data).
                                 
    Year Ended December 31,  
    2001     2001     Increase        
    as reported     Adjusted     (decrease)     % change  
Depreciation and Amortization
  $ 355,529     $ 356,127       598       0.2 %
Operating income
    (28,087 )     (28,685 )     (598 )     -2.1 %
Net income applicable to common shareholders
    (108,999 )     (109,420 )     (421 )     -0.4 %
Earnings per share-diluted
    (1.106 )     (1.110 )     (0.004 )     -0.4 %
                                 
    Year Ended December 31,  
    2000     2000     Increase        
    as reported     adjusted     (decrease)     % change  
Depreciation and Amortization
  $ 318,096     $ 318,550       454       0.1 %
Operating Income
    14,672       14,218       (454 )     -3.1 %
Net income applicable to common shareholders
    (94,470 )     (94,797 )     (327 )     -0.3 %
Earnings per share-diluted
    (1.036 )     (1.040 )     (0.004 )     -0.4 %

 


 

(EDWARDS ANGELL PALMER & DODGE LLP LOGO)
Mr. Larry Spirgel
May 3, 2007
Page 3
                                 
    Year Ended December 31,  
    1999     1999     Increase        
    as reported     adjusted     (decrease)     % change  
Depreciation and Amortization
  $ 177,138     $ 177,292       154       0.1 %
Operating Income
    35,016       34,862       (154 )     -0.4 %
Net income applicable to common shareholders
    (44,900 )     (45,026 )     (126 )     -0.3 %
Earnings per share-diluted
    (0.650 )     (0.651 )     (0.001 )     -0.2 %
                                 
    Year Ended December 31,  
    1998     1998     Increase        
    as reported     adjusted     (decrease)     % change  
Depreciation and Amortization
  $ 88,791     $ 88,917       126       0.1 %
Operating Income
    47,165       47,039       (126 )     -0.3 %
Net income applicable to common shareholders
    (12,255 )     (12,379 )     (124 )     -1.0 %
Earnings per share-diluted
    (0.239 )     (0.241 )     (0.002 )     -0.8 %
                                 
    Year Ended December 31,  
    1997     1997     Increase        
    as reported     adjusted     (decrease)     % change  
Depreciation and Amortization
  $ 48,317     $ 48,432       115       0.2 %
Operating Income
    44,002       43,887       (115 )     -0.3 %
Net income applicable to common shareholders
    2,476       2,432       (44 )     -1.8 %
Earnings per share-diluted
    0.052       0.051       (0.001 )     -1.9 %
                                 
    Two Months Ended December 31,  
    1996     1996     Increase        
    as reported     adjusted     (decrease)     % change  
Depreciation and Amortization
  $ 3,928     $ 3,941       13       0.3 %
Operating Income
    6,325       6,312       (13 )     -0.2 %
Net income applicable to common shareholders
    (8,115 )     (8,122 )     (7 )     -0.1 %
Earnings per share-diluted
    (0.178 )     (0.178 )           0.0 %
                                 
    Twelve Months Ended October 31,  
    1996     1996     Increase        
    as reported     adjusted     (decrease)     % change  
Depreciation and Amortization
  $ 16,712     $ 16,787       75       0.4 %
Operating Income
    33,240       33,165       (75 )     -0.2 %
Net income applicable to common shareholders
    10,484       10,439       (45 )     -0.4 %
Earnings per share-diluted
    0.254       0.253       (0.001 )     -0.4 %
     The qualitative factors used in assessing the materiality of the adjustment with reference to these earlier periods were the same factors noted in the Company’s initial response.
     In consideration of these qualitative and quantitative factors, the Company concluded that the adjustment was immaterial and therefore a cumulative effect adjustment was appropriate.
* * *

 


 

(EDWARDS ANGELL PALMER & DODGE LLP LOGO)
Mr. Larry Spirgel
May 3, 2007
Page 4
     In connection with responding to the Staff’s comment, the Company acknowledges that (i) it is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the Form 10-K (ii) Staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to Staff comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the Form 10-K and (iii) the Company may not assert Staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States.
     If you require any additional information concerning the Form 10-K, please call me at (617) 239-0314.
     Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Stacie S. Aarestad
Stacie S. Aarestad
     
cc:
  Kevin P. Reilly, Jr.
 
  Keith Istre
 
  Claire DeLabar
 
  Terry French