SALEM MEDIA GROUP, INC. /DE/ - Annual Report: 2011 (Form 10-K)

Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2011

OR

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 000-26497

SALEM COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

(EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

REGISTRANT’S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE: (805) 987-0400

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ¨    No  x

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.    Yes  ¨    No  x

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 (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  x    No  ¨

Table of Contents

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  ¨

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 definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

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

As of June 30, 2011, the aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $20,803,011 based on the closing sale price as reported on the NASDAQ Global Market.

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

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

From time to time, in both written reports (such as this report) and oral statements, Salem Communications Corporation (“Salem” or the “company,” including references to Salem by “we,” “us” and “our”) makes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of federal and state securities laws. Disclosures that use words such as the company “believes,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “will,” “may” or “plans” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, as defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect the company’s current expectations and are based upon data available to the company at the time the statements are made. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. These risks, as well as other risks and uncertainties, are detailed in Salem’s reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements made in this report speak as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, the company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements made in this report. Any such forward-looking statements, whether made in this report or elsewhere, should be considered in context with the various disclosures made by Salem about its business. These projections or forward-looking statements fall under the safe harbors of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).

All metropolitan statistical area (“MSA”) rank information used in this report, excluding information concerning The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is from the Fall 2011 Radio Market Survey Schedule & Population Rankings published by The Arbitron Company (“Arbitron”). According to the Radio Market Survey, the population estimates used are based upon the 2010 U.S. Bureau Census estimates updated and projected to January 1, 2011 by Nielsen Claritas, Inc.

1

Table of Contents

PART I

CORPORATE INFORMATION

Salem Communications Corporation (“Salem”) was formed in 1986 as a California corporation and reincorporated in Delaware in 1999. Salem is a domestic multi-media company with integrated business operations covering radio broadcasting, publishing and the Internet. Our programming is intended for audiences interested in Christian and conservative opinion content. We maintain a website at www.salem.cc. Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports are available free of charge through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after those reports are electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

BUSINESS STRATEGY

Our principal business strategy is to expand our abilities to produce and deliver compelling content as the interactive marketplace evolves so that we are positioned to be the market leader for audiences interested in Christian and family-themed programming and conservative news talk. We offer traditional radio and emerging media, including web-based offerings, magazine, and book publishing throughout the United States. We continually evaluate opportunities to improve our radio platform, invest in and build our Internet sites, and support our publishing operations. Our national presence in each of these mediums provides advertisers and programmers with a powerful integrated platform to reach our audiences.

We are fundamentally committed to programming and content emphasizing Christian values, conservative family themes and news. Our commitment to these values means that we may choose not to switch to other formats or pursue potentially more profitable business opportunities in response to changes in audience preferences.

Broadcast Programming Strategy

Our foundational business is the ownership and operation of radio stations in large metropolitan markets. We believe that we are the largest commercial U.S. radio broadcasting company delivering Christian and conservative opinion content as measured by our number of radio stations and audience coverage. Upon the close of all announced transactions, we will own and/or operate a national portfolio of 96 radio stations in 37 markets, including 59 stations in 22 of the top 25 markets, which consists of 27 FM stations and 69 AM stations. We are one of only three commercial radio broadcasters with radio stations in all of the top 10 markets. We are the seventh largest operator measured by number of stations overall and the third largest operator measured by number of stations in the top 25 markets. We also program the Family Talk™ Christian-themed talk format station on SiriusXM Channel 131.

Our broadcast business also includes Salem Radio Network^® (“SRN”), a wholly owned national radio network syndicating music, news and talk programs to over approximately 2,000 affiliated radio stations, in addition to those stations that we own and operate. We also own and operate Salem Media Representatives^® (“SMR”), a national advertising sales firm with offices in 12 U.S. cities, and SRN News Network (“SNN”), Salem Music Network (“SMN”), Solid Gospel Network (“SGN”), and Vista Media Representatives (“VMR”). Like SRN, SNN, SMN and SGN are radio networks that produce and distribute talk, news and music programming to numerous radio stations in the U.S., including some of our own stations. SMR and VMR sell commercial airtime to national advertisers on our radio stations and our networks, as well as for independent radio station affiliates.

Our broadcast business strategy is to assemble radio station clusters, defined as a group of radio stations operating within the same geographic market. We program our radio stations in formats that we believe target various demographic segments of the audience interested in Christian and family-themed programming and conservative news talk content. Several benefits are achievable when operating multiple radio stations in the same market. First, this clustering and programming strategy allows us to achieve greater access into each segment of our target market, and collectively our stations afford our clients a larger percentage of advertising time in that market. We offer advertisers multiple audiences and can bundle each radio station for advertising sales purposes when advantageous. Second, we realize several cost and operating efficiencies by consolidating sales, technical and administrative support and promotional function where possible. Finally, the addition of radio stations in our existing markets allows us to leverage our hands-on knowledge of that market to appeal to our listeners and advertisers.

We program our radio stations in five main formats. Through the strength of our Christian Teaching and Talk format, the influence of our News Talk format, the continued popularity of our Contemporary Christian Music format, and the roll-out of our Spanish Christian Teaching and Talk and Business formats, we believe that we are well-positioned to continually improve our leadership role in Christian and family-themed and conservative news talk radio.

2

Table of Contents

Christian Teaching and Talk. Christian Teaching and Talk is our foundational format. We currently program 39 of our radio stations in our Christian Teaching and Talk format, which is talk programming emphasizing Christian and family themes. Through this format, a listener can hear Bible teachings and sermons, as well as gain insight to questions related to daily life, such as raising children to religious legal rights in education and the workplace. This format serves as a learning resource and as a source of personal support for listeners nationwide. In response to our daily block programming, listeners often contact our programmers to ask questions, obtain materials on a subject matter or receive study guides based on what they have learned on the radio.

Block Programming. Our national station platform and focused programming strategy provides us with the ability to sell blocks of airtime to a variety of religious and charitable organizations that create compelling radio programs. Historically, more than 90% of our block programming partners renew their annual relationships with us. Based on these renewal rates, we believe that block programming provides a steady and consistent source of revenue and cash flows. Our top ten programmers have remained relatively constant and average nearly 25 years on-air. Programming revenue has comprised 35% to 41% of our total net broadcast revenue from 2007 through 2011.

News Talk. We currently program 25 of our radio stations in a News Talk format. Our research shows that our News Talk format is highly complementary to our core Christian Teaching and Talk format. As programmed by Salem, both of these formats express conservative views and family values. Our News Talk format also provides for the opportunity to leverage syndicated talk programming produced by our network, SRN. SRN’s nationally syndicated programs are distributed nationally through approximately 2,000 affiliate stations. The syndication of our programs through SRN allows us to reach listeners in markets where we do not own or operate stations.

Contemporary Christian Music- The FISH^®. We currently program 11 radio stations in a Contemporary Christian Music (“CCM”) format, branded The FISH^® in most markets. Through the CCM format, we are able to bring listeners the words of inspirational recording artists, set to upbeat contemporary music. Our music format is branded “Safe for the Whole Family^®”, with sounds that all ages of listeners enjoy and lyrics that can be appreciated. The CCM genre continues to be popular. We believe that this listener base is underserved in terms of radio coverage, particularly in larger markets, and our stations fill an otherwise void in listener choices.

Spanish Christian Teaching and Talk. We currently program six of our radio stations in a Spanish Christian Teaching and Talk format. This format is similar to our core Christian Teaching and Talk format in that it broadcasts biblical and family-themed programming for our Spanish speaking audiences. However, most of the block programming on our Spanish Christian Teaching and Talk stations is local rather than national.

Business. We began offering business format stations in 2009, with additional markets added in 2010 and 2011. We currently program 10 of our stations in a business format. Our business format stations feature financial experts, business talk, and nationally recognized Bloomberg programming. The business format operates similar to our Christian Teaching and Talk format in that it features long-form block programming.

SiriusXM Satellite Radio. Our satellite radio station, SiriusXM Channel 131, is the exclusive Christian Teaching and Talk channel on SiriusXM, reaching the entire nation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Salem Web Network™ Online Media Strategy

Salem Web Network (“SWN”), our Internet business includes our websites providing Christian and conservative themed content, audio and video streaming, and other resources on the web. SWN’s national web portals include OnePlace.com, Christianity.com, Crosswalk.com, BibleStudyTools.com, GodTube.com, Townhall.com^®, HotAir.com, WorshipHouse Media.com and Jesus.org. SWN’s content is also accessible through our radio station websites that feature content of interest to local listeners throughout the United States. SWN operates our radio station websites and Salem Consumer Products, a website offering books, DVD’s and editorial content developed by many of our on-air radio personalities that are available for purchase. The revenues generated from this segment are reported as Internet revenue on our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Our online business strategy is to build a robust web-based platform designed for audiences interested in Christian and family-themed content and conservative news talk. The Internet continues to change the way in which media is delivered to audiences. Continual advancements with online search engines and social media sites provide consumers with numerous methods to locate

3

Table of Contents

specific information and content online. These advancements have also enabled a large number of individuals to create and publish content that may or may not be tailored to that specific consumer. Our talent, including our on-air personalities, provides web-based commentaries, programs, text, audio and video content that we believe to be knowledge based, credible and reliable. This highly specific web-based content provides our advertisers a unique and powerful way to reach their targeted audiences. We believe that our content is decidedly relevant and valuable with long-term advantages in providing advertisers a useful tool to match their advertisements with our audiences.

During 2011, we acquired WorshipHouse Media, an on-line church media and video ministry website, for $6.0 million. WorshipHouse Media offers users worship and small group resources, including movie illustrations, song tracks, worship backgrounds, small group video curriculum and worship software, to the majority of churches in America who face budget, time and in-house talent constraints. The site also includes WorshipHouseKids.com, which offers similar products designed to meet the needs of children’s ministry media in the church.

Salem Publishing™ Printing Strategy

Our production and distribution of Christian and conservative content extends to print media through Salem Publishing™. Salem Publishing™ produces and distributes the following Christian and conservative opinion print magazines: Homecoming^® The Magazine, YouthWorker Journal™, Singing News, FaithTalk Magazine, Preaching and Townhall Magazine™. Salem Publishing also includes Xulon Press™, a print-on-demand self-publishing service for Christian authors. The revenues generated from this segment are reported as publishing revenue on our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Our publishing strategy mirrors that of our other segments, to build and maintain a distribution network targeting audiences interested in Christian and family-themed content as well as conservative news talk. Content from our print magazines is also available on branded websites for each publication.

Audience Growth

The continued success of our business is dependent upon our ability to reach a growing audience. We continually seek opportunities for growth by increasing the strength and number of our broadcast signals, increasing the number of page-views on our Internet platform and increasing the subscriber base of our magazines. To accomplish this, we produce content that we believe is both compelling and of high commercial value based on our market testing and fine-tuning. We rely on a combination of research, marketing, targeted promotions and live events to create visibility and brand awareness in each of our markets. By maximizing our audience share, we achieve higher ratings and page turns that can be converted into advertising revenues. To maximize results, we cross-promote our content on each of our media platforms to enhance our brand names and reach our targeted audiences. We believe that the growth of our media platform provides advertisers with effective methods to reach an expanding audience.

Technical Improvements

We rely on continued technical improvements to expand our broadcasting, Internet and publication footprint. We focus on identifying ways to improve our radio station broadcast signals so that they can reach as many listeners as possible, both during the day and at night. We have completed numerous enhancements to increase the coverage of our signals. During 2011, we expanded our satellite distribution platform to include the WEGENER^® 6240 store-forward DVB Receiver and we launched numerous iPhone^® applications including one for our BibleStudyTools.

Advertising Sales Professionals

We have assembled an effective, highly trained sales staff responsible for converting audience share into revenue. We operate with a focused, sales-oriented culture that rewards selling efforts through a commission and bonus compensation structure. We hire sales professionals for each of our markets, as well as for our Internet and publishing divisions that are capable of selling integrated or stand-alone advertisements. We provide our sales professionals with the resources necessary to compete effectively in the marketplace. We utilize various sales strategies to sell and market our platforms as stand-alone products or in combination with other offerings. We tailor our platform to meet each advertiser’s needs, including the geographic coverage area, event sponsorships and special features, Internet promotions, e-mail sponsorships, and /or print advertisements.

4

Table of Contents

Marketing Platform to National Advertisers

National companies often prefer to advertise across the United States as an efficient and cost effective way to reach all target audiences. Our advertisers can benefit by gaining access to our audiences through our national broadcasts, print magazines and our Internet portals. We operate a national platform of radio stations that reach more than 6.7 million listeners each week. Through SMR and VMR, we bundle and sell airtime on this national platform of radio stations, as well as Internet placements and/or print magazine space. We average approximately 86 million page views per month on our websites, produce 1.5 million print magazines each year and produce over 1 million books annually.

Significant Community Involvement

We believe that our ongoing active involvement and our significant relationships within the Christian community provide us with a unique competitive advantage to reach Christian audiences. Our proactive involvement in the Christian community in each of our markets significantly improves the marketability of our advertising space and broadcast airtime to advertisers targeting such communities. We believe that our public image reflects the lifestyle and viewpoints of the target demographic group that we serve. We regularly collaborate with organizations serving the Christian and family-themed audience and we sponsor and support events important to this group. Our sponsored events include listener rallies, speaking tours, pastor appreciation events and concerts such as our Celebrate Freedom^® Music Festival and our Fishfest^®. Events such as these connect us with our listeners and enable us to create an enhanced awareness and name recognition in our markets. Involvement leads to increased effectiveness in developing and improving our programming formats, leading to greater audience share and higher ratings over the long-term.

Corporate Structure

The management of our operations is decentralized. Our broadcast operations vice presidents are experienced radio broadcasters with expertise in sales, programming, marketing and production. Our broadcast operations vice presidents, some of whom are also station general managers, oversee several markets on a regional basis. We anticipate relying on this strategy of decentralization and encourage broadcast operations vice presidents to apply innovative techniques for improvement and growth of the operations they oversee which can be implemented in our other markets.

Our SWN and publishing operations vice presidents and general managers are located throughout the United States in offices in which our Internet and publishing entities operate. Like broadcasting, these operations are decentralized with each vice president encouraged to apply innovative techniques to the operations that they oversee.

Each of our business segments receives executive leadership and oversight from our corporate staff. Corporate staff members have experience and expertise in, among other things, accounting and finance, treasury, risk management, insurance, information technology, human resources, legal, engineering, real estate, strategic direction and other support functions designed to provide resources to local management. Corporate staff oversee placement and rate negotiations for our national block programs. Centralized oversight of this component of our revenue is necessary because our key block program customers purchase time in many of our radio markets.

Recent Events

On December 21, 2011, we completed the acquisition of KTEK-AM in Houston, Texas for $2.6 million, which includes $1.0 million of cash and $1.6 million netted against the unpaid portion of our note receivable. We began operating the station on March 5, 2010, pursuant to a long-term Time Brokerage Agreement (“TBA”). The accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations reflect the operating results of this entity as of the TBA date. The accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets reflect the net assets of this entity as of the closing date. We previously sold the assets of KTEK-AM on March 28, 2008 for $7.8 million, which included $4.5 million in cash and $3.3 million in notes receivable of which we collected $1.8 million. Our 2011 purchase was partially funded by the unpaid portion of the note of $1.5 million.

On December 12, 2011, we redeemed $12.5 million of our 9⁵/₈% senior secured second lien notes due 2016 (the “9⁵/₈% Notes”) for $12.9 million, or at a price equal to 103% of the face value. This transaction resulted in a $0.8 million pre-tax loss on the early retirement of debt, including approximately $62,000 of unamortized discount and $0.3 million of bond issues costs associated with the 9⁵/₈% Notes.

On November 15, 2011, we completed the Second Amendment to our Senior Credit Facility, which is a revolving credit facility (“Revolver”) to among other things: (1) extend the maturity date from December 1, 2012 to December 1, 2014 (2) change the interest

5

Table of Contents

rate applicable to LIBOR or the Wells Fargo base rate plus a spread to be determined based on our leverage ratio, (3) allow us to borrow and repay unsecured indebtedness provided certain conditions are met and (4) include step-downs related to our leverage ratio covenant. We incurred $0.5 million in fees to complete this amendment, which are being amortized over the remaining term of the credit agreement. The applicable interest rate relating to the amended credit agreement is LIBOR plus a spread of 3.0% per annum or the Base Rate (as defined in the credit agreement) plus a spread of 1.25% per annum, which is adjusted based on our leverage ratio.

On November 17, 2011, Salem entered into lines of credit with Edward G. Atsinger III, Chief Executive Officer and director of Salem, and Stuart W. Epperson, Chairman of Salem’s board of directors (the “Affiliate Lenders”). Pursuant to the agreements, Mr. Epperson has committed to provide an unsecured revolving line of credit to Salem in a principal amount of up to $3 million, and Mr. Atsinger has committed to provide an unsecured revolving line of credit in a principal amount of up to $6 million (together, the “Affiliate Lines of Credit “). The proceeds of the Affiliate Lines of Credit may be used to repurchase a portion of Salem’s outstanding senior secured notes. Outstanding amounts under each Affiliate Line of Credit will bear interest at a rate equal to the lesser of (1) 5% per annum and (2) the maximum rate permitted for subordinated debt under the Credit Agreement referred to above plus 2% per annum and must be repaid within three months from the time that such amounts are borrowed. The Affiliate Lines of Credit do not contain any covenants. At December 31, 2011, $9.0 million was outstanding under the Affiliate Lines of Credit.

On September 6, 2011, we repurchased $5.0 million of our 9⁵/₈% Notes for $5.1 million, or at a price equal to 102⁷/₈% of the face value. This transaction resulted in a $0.3 million pre-tax loss on the early retirement of debt, including approximately $26,000 of unamortized discount and $0.1 million of bond issues costs associated with the 9⁵/₈% Notes.

On June 1, 2011, we redeemed $17.5 million of our 9⁵/₈% Notes for $18.0 million, or at a price equal to 103% of the face value. This transaction resulted in a $1.1 million pre-tax loss on the early retirement of debt, including $0.1 million of unamortized discount and $0.5 million of bond issues costs associated with the 9⁵/₈% Notes.

On March 28, 2011, we completed the acquisition of the Internet business, WorshipHouse Media, an on-line church media and video ministry website, for $6.0 million in cash. WorshipHouse Media offers users worship and small group resources, including movie illustrations, song tracks, worship backgrounds, small group video curriculum and worship software, to churches that may face budget, time and in-house talent constraints. The site also includes WorshipHouseKids.com, which offers similar products designed to meet the needs of children’s ministry media in the church. The accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets and Consolidated Statements of Operations reflect the operating results and net assets of this entity as of the acquisition date. The acquisition resulted in goodwill of $2.1 million representing the excess value of the business as a result of the integrated business model and services already established that provide future economic benefit to us.

On March 14, 2011, we completed the acquisition of radio station WDDZ-AM, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, for $0.6 million in cash. We began operating the station as WBZS-AM upon the close of the transaction. The accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets and Consolidated Statements of Operations reflect the operating results and net assets of this entity as of the acquisition date. On January 5, 2012, we entered into an asset purchase agreement (“APA”) to sell this radio station for $0.8 million.

On March 1, 2011, we completed the sale of radio station WAMD-AM in Aberdeen, Maryland resulting in a pre-tax loss of $0.2 million. The loss was recognized in September 2010 upon entering into the APA.

On February 25, 2011, we completed the sale of radio station KXMX-AM in Los Angeles, California for $12.0 million, including $11.0 million in cash and a $1.0 million promissory note. The $1.0 million promissory note has a three-year term, bearing interest at 7% compounded annually, due on February 25, 2016. The sale resulted in a pre-tax gain of $2.1 million.

On January 6, 2011, we completed the sale of radio station KKMO-AM in Seattle, Washington for $2.7 million resulting in a pre-tax gain of $2.4 million.

On January 3, 2011, we began programming radio station KVCE-AM, Highland Park, Texas pursuant to a long-term TBA.

6

Table of Contents

DEVELOPMENT OF THE BUSINESS

During the year ended December 31, 2011, we completed the following business acquisitions:

Radio Stations

Upon the close of all announced transactions, we will own and/or operate a national portfolio of 96 radio stations in 37 markets, consisting of 27 FM stations and 69 AM stations. The following table sets forth information about each of Salem’s stations, in order of market size:

7

Table of Contents

8

Table of Contents

PROGRAM REVENUE. For the year ended December 31, 2011, we derived 24.0% and 17.5% of our net broadcast revenue, or $42.8 million and $31.2 million, respectively, from the sale of national and local block program time. We derive national program revenue from a programming customer base consisting primarily of geographically diverse, well-established non-profit religious and educational organizations that purchase time on stations in a large number of markets in the United States. National program producers typically purchase 13, 26 or 52-minute blocks of time on a Monday through Friday basis and may offer supplemental programming for weekend release. We obtain local program revenue from community organizations and churches that typically purchase for weekend releases and from local speakers who purchase daily releases. We believe our management has been successful in identifying and assisting quality local programs expand into national syndication.

ADVERTISING REVENUE. For the year ended December 31, 2011, we derived 35.5 % of our net broadcast revenue, or $63.4 million, from the sale of local spot advertising and 7.5% of our net broadcast revenue, or $13.4 million, from the sale of national spot advertising.

Salem Radio Network^® and Salem Media Representatives™

We own and operate SRN as part of our overall business strategy to develop a national network of affiliated radio stations anchored by our owned and operated radio stations in major markets. SRN, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, develops, produces and syndicates a broad range of programming specifically targeted to Christian and family-themed talk and music stations as well as general market News Talk stations. Currently, we have rights to several full-time satellite channels to deliver SRN programs to affiliates via satellite.

SRN has approximately 2,000 affiliate stations, in addition to our owned and operated stations, which broadcast one or more of the offered programming options. These programming options feature talk shows, news and music. The principal source of network revenue is from the sale of advertising time.

We own and operate SMR, a sales representation company specializing in placing national advertising on religious format radio stations. SRN and our radio stations each have relationships with SMR for the sale of available SRN spot advertising. SMR also contracts with individual radio stations to sell airtime to national advertisers desiring to include selected company stations in national buys covering multiple markets. We also operate VMR, a sales representation company specializing in placing national advertising on non-religious radio stations.

We recognize our advertising and commission revenue from radio stations as the spots air. SRN’s net revenue, including commission revenue for SMR and VMR, for the year ended December 31, 2011 was $14.7 million, or 8.2% of net broadcast revenue.

9

Table of Contents

Salem Web Network ™

We own and operate the following Christian and Conservative opinion websites:

Christian Content Websites:

BibleStudyTools.com is an online Bible website for verse search and in-depth studies of the Bible

OnePlace.com ™ is a provider of audio streaming for Christian ministries. Oneplace.com™ serves both as a complement to, and as an extension of, our block programming radio business. It serves more than 150 of our broadcast ministry partners, providing 30-day archived, on-demand audio streaming of more than 200 audio programs.

Crosswalk.com^® offers biblically-based content on the web, and is built around four primary content areas—Faith, Family, Fun and Community. Each category is further subdivided into areas of interest including Bible study, devotionals, marriage, parenting, music, etc.

GodTube.com is a video sharing platform for Christian videos with faith-based, family friendly content.

CrossCards.com™ provides the online faith-based audience with e-greeting cards that offer messages of God’s love, inspiration, encouragement, etc.

LightSource.com provides video streaming and downloading for Christian ministries. It allows users to extend their ministry by reaching a worldwide audience.

Christianity.com is an online resource for Christian Bible Study and devotional content. As well as providing links to the best Christian articles on the web, Christianity.com also brings the reader material from major ministries such as A Love Worth Finding, Moody Church Hour, Living on the Edge and A New Beginning.

Jesus.org is a site with Biblical answers to questions about Jesus Christ, Faith, Salvation, Christianity and the early Church.

TheFISH.com™ is an online resource for digital delivery of Christian music. TheFISH.com™ also offers entertainment news and information of interest to Christian music listeners.

CCMmagazine.com is the interactive version of what was the Nashville-based CCM Magazine^®, which provides information and insight on the Christian music scene.

WorshipHouseMedia.com is an on-line church media and video ministry website, including WorshipHouse Kids, which offers products designed to meet the needs of children’s ministry media in the church.

ChurchStaffing.com™ is a source of job search information for churches and church staff members in the area of personnel and staff relations. This site allows those seeking employment to submit resumes, and view job listings.

ChristianJobs.com™ provides services catering to the hiring needs of Christian-friendly companies and organizations while enabling job seekers to network into that community.

SermonSearch.com provides access to searchable, archived sermons submitted by many of America’s spiritual leaders. Subscribers are pastors or other church professionals as well as many Sunday school teachers, small group and Bible study leaders.

Churchsoftware.net CCIS Church Management Software provides management tools for churches including software solutions that run on a Windows ^® platform.

Conservative Opinion Websites:

TownHall.com™ is an interactive community that brings users, conservative public policy organizations, congressional staff and political activists together under the broad umbrella of conservative thoughts, ideas and actions.

HotAir.com is a leading news and commentary site with conservative news and opinions.

In addition, we own and operate websites for each of our radio stations and print publications.

Our Internet division also includes Salem Consumer Products, which hosts several websites for our audience to purchase Christian and conservative content from our on-air hosts and contributors. These sites include:

10

Table of Contents

Our revenue generating advertising arrangements include cost-per-click performance-based advertising; display advertisements where revenue is dependent upon the number of page views; and lead generating advertisements where revenue is dependent upon users registering for, or purchasing or demonstrating interest in, advertisers’ products or services. Revenues from online product sales are recognized when the products are shipped. We also generate revenue from annual support plans on our CCIS Software, which we recognize pro-ratably over the term. Total Internet revenue, including SWN, for the year ended December 31, 2011 was $27.3 million, or 12.5% of total revenue.

Salem Publishing™ and Xulon Press

Our Publishing segment consists of a Book Publishing business, Xulon Press, and a Magazine Publishing business, Salem Publishing.

Magazine Publishing:

We publish several print magazines on a monthly or semi-monthly basis. Our publications include the following Christian or Conservative publications:

Book Publishing:

Xulon Press™ is a print-on-demand self-publishing service for Christian authors.

COMPETITION

We operate in a highly competitive broadcast and media business. We compete for advertisers and customers with other radio broadcasters, as well as with other media sources including broadcast and cable television, newspapers and magazines, national and local digital services, outdoor advertising, direct mail, online marketing and media companies, social media platforms, web-based blogs, and mobile telephony devices.

BROADCASTING. Our broadcast audience ratings and market shares are subject to change, and any change in a particular market could have a material adverse effect on the revenue of our stations located in that market. While we already compete in some of our markets with stations that offer similar formats, if another radio station were to convert its programming to a format similar to one of ours, or if an existing competitor were to strengthen its operations, our stations could suffer reduced ratings and/or reduced revenues. In these circumstances, we could also incur significantly higher promotional and other related expenses. We cannot assure that our stations will maintain or increase their current audience ratings and revenues.

Christian and Family Themed Radio. The segment of this industry that focuses on Christian and family themes, is also a highly competitive business. The financial success of each of our radio stations that focuses on Christian Teaching and Talk is dependent, to a significant degree, upon its ability to generate revenue from the sale of block program time to national and local religious and educational organizations. We compete for this program revenue with a number of different commercial and non-commercial radio station licensees. While no commercial group owner in the United States specializing in Christian and family-themed programming approaches Salem in size of potential listening audience and presence in major markets, other religious radio stations exist and enjoy varying degrees of prominence and success in all markets.

11

Table of Contents

We also compete for advertising revenue with other commercial religious format and general format radio station licensees. Our competition for advertising dollars includes other radio stations as well as broadcast television, cable television, newspapers, magazines, direct mail, Internet and billboard advertising, some of which may be controlled by horizontally-integrated companies. Several factors can materially affect competitive advantage, including audience ratings, program content, management talent and expertise, sales talent and experience, audience characteristics, signal strength, and the number and characteristics of other radio stations in the same market.

Competition also comes from new media technologies and services. These include delivery of audio programming by cable television and satellite systems, digital audio radio services, mobile telephony including smart phone applications for iPhone^®, Blackberry^® and Android^®, personal communications services and the service of low powered, limited coverage FM radio stations authorized by the FCC. The delivery of live and stored audio programming through the Internet has also created new competition. In addition, satellite delivered digital audio radio, which deliver multiple audio programming formats to national audiences, has created competition. We have attempted to address these existing and potential competitive threats through a more active strategy to acquire and integrate new electronic communications formats including Internet acquisitions made by SWN and our exclusive arrangement to provide Christian and family-themed talk on SiriusXM, a satellite digital audio radio service.

NETWORK. Salem Radio Network competes with other commercial radio networks that offer news and talk programming to religious and general format stations and noncommercial networks that offer Christian music formats. SRN also competes with other radio networks for the services of talk show personalities.

INTERNET. Salem Web Network^® competes for visitors and advertisers with other companies that deliver on-line audio programming and Christian and conservative Internet content as well as providers of general market Internet sites. The online media and distribution business changes quickly and is highly competitive. We compete to attract and maintain interactions with advertisers, consumers, content creators and web publishers.

PUBLISHING. Our print magazines compete for readers and advertisers with other print publications including those that follow the Christian music industry and those that address themes of interest to church leadership and the Christian audience. Xulon Press™ competes for authors with other on-demand publishers including those focused exclusively on Christian book publishers.

FEDERAL REGULATION OF RADIO BROADCASTING

Introduction. The ownership, operation and sale of broadcast stations, including those licensed to Salem, are subject to the jurisdiction of the FCC, which acts under authority derived from The Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Communications Act”). Among other things, the FCC assigns frequency bands for broadcasting; determines whether to approve certain changes in ownership or control of station licenses; regulates transmission facilities, including power employed, antenna and tower heights, and location of transmission facilities; adopts and implements regulations and policies that directly or indirectly affect the ownership, operation and employment practices of stations; and has the power to impose penalties for violations of its rules under the Communications Act.

The following is a brief summary of certain provisions of the Communications Act and of specific FCC regulations and policies. Failure to observe these or other rules and policies can result in the imposition of various sanctions, including monetary forfeitures, the grant of “short” (less than the maximum) license renewal terms or, for particularly egregious violations, the denial of a license renewal application, the revocation of a license or the denial of FCC consent to acquire additional broadcast properties. For further information concerning the nature and extent of federal regulation of broadcast stations you should refer to the Communications Act, FCC rules and the public notices and rulings of the FCC.

License Grant and Renewal. Radio broadcast licenses are granted for maximum terms of eight years. Licenses must be renewed through an application to the FCC. Under the Communications Act, the FCC will renew a broadcast license if it finds that the station has served the public interest, convenience and necessity, that there have been no serious violations by the licensee of the Communications Act or the rules and regulations of the FCC, and that there have been no other violations by the licensee of the Communications Act or the rules and regulations of the FCC that, when taken together, would constitute a pattern of abuse.

Petitions to deny license renewals can be filed by certain interested parties, including members of the public in a station’s market. Such petitions may raise various issues before the FCC. The FCC is required to hold hearings on renewal applications if the FCC is

12

Table of Contents

unable to determine that renewal of a license would serve the public interest, convenience and necessity, or if a petition to deny raises a “substantial and material question of fact” as to whether the grant of the renewal application would be prima facie inconsistent with the public interest, convenience and necessity. In addition, during certain periods when a renewal application is pending, the transferability of the applicant’s license is restricted.

Radio station KNTS(AM) is an expanded band station paired with station KLFE(AM) in the Seattle, WA market, and station KBJD(AM) is an expanded band station paired with KRKS(AM) in the Denver, CO market. We are operating these four stations pursuant to FCC licenses or other FCC authority pending resolution by the FCC of the issue of AM expanded band dual operating authority. Depending upon how the FCC resolves that issue, it is possible that we will be required to surrender one station license in each station pair. Except for these stations, we are not currently aware of any facts that would prevent the timely renewal of our licenses to operate our radio stations, although there can be no assurance that our licenses will be renewed.

Ownership Matters. The Communications Act prohibits the assignment of a broadcast license or the transfer of control of a broadcast license without the prior approval of the FCC. In determining whether to assign, transfer, grant or renew a broadcast license, the FCC considers a number of factors pertaining to the licensee, including compliance with various rules limiting common ownership of media properties, the “character” of the licensee and those persons holding “attributable” interests therein, and compliance with the Communications Act’s limitation on alien ownership, as well as compliance with other FCC policies, including equal employment opportunity requirements.

Under the Communications Act, a broadcast license may not be granted to or held by a corporation that has more than one-fifth of its capital stock owned or voted by aliens or their representatives, by foreign governments or their representatives, or by non-U.S. corporations. Under the Communications Act, a broadcast license also may not be granted to or held by any corporation that is controlled, directly or indirectly, by any other corporation more than one-fourth of whose capital stock is owned or voted by aliens or their representatives, by foreign governments or their representatives, or by non-U.S. corporations. These restrictions apply in modified form to other forms of business organizations, including partnerships. We therefore may be restricted from having more than one-fourth of our stock owned or voted by aliens, foreign governments or non-U.S. corporations.

Multiple Ownership: The Communications Act and FCC rules also generally restrict the common ownership, operation or control of radio broadcast stations serving the same local market, of a radio broadcast station and a television broadcast station serving the same local market, and of a radio broadcast station and a daily newspaper serving the same local market. The FCC also restricts the number of television stations an entity may own both in local markets and nationwide.

Our current ownership of radio broadcast stations complies with the FCC’s multiple ownership rules; however, these rules may limit the number of additional stations that we may acquire in the future in certain of our markets and could limit the potential buyers of any stations we may attempt to sell. The FCC is also required by the Communications Act to review its broadcast ownership rules every four years. During 2009, the FCC held a series of hearings designed to evaluate possible changes to its rules. In May 2010, the FCC formally initiated its 2010 review of its media ownership rules with the issuance of a Notice of Inquiry (NOI). The NOI is intended to assist the Commission in establishing a framework within which to analyze whether its media ownership rules remain “necessary in the public interest as a result of competition,” due to the dramatic changes occurring in the media marketplace. Numerous parties have filed comments and reply comments in response to the NOI. In June and July 2011, the FCC released to the public eleven economic studies related to its media ownership rules. We believe that the next step will be for the FCC to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to seek comment on specific proposed changes to its ownership rules. We can make no determination as to what effect, if any, this proposed rulemaking will have on Salem.

Attribution: Because of these multiple and cross-ownership rules, a purchaser of voting stock of the company that acquires an “attributable” interest in the company may violate the FCC’s rule if it also has an attributable interest in other television or radio stations, or in daily newspapers, depending on the number and location of those radio or television stations or daily newspapers. Such a purchaser also may be restricted in the other companies in which it may invest, to the extent that these investments give rise to an attributable interest. If an attributable stockholder of the company violates any of these ownership rules, the company may be unable to obtain from the FCC one or more authorizations needed to conduct its radio station business and may be unable to obtain FCC consents for certain future acquisitions.

The FCC generally applies its television/radio/newspaper cross-ownership rules and its broadcast multiple ownership rules by considering the “attributable,” or cognizable, interests held by a person or entity. A person or entity can have an interest in a radio station, television station or daily newspaper by being an officer, director, partner, member, or stockholder of a company that owns that station or newspaper. Whether that interest is cognizable under the FCC’s ownership rules is determined by the FCC’s attribution rules. If an interest is attributable, the FCC treats the person or entity who holds that interest as an “owner” of the radio station, television station or daily newspaper in question, and therefore subject to the FCC’s ownership rules.

13

Table of Contents

Any officers and directors of a broadcast licensee, cable system owner, or daily newspaper owner are deemed to hold attributable interests in that entity. Generally, the officers and directors of any parent company that holds an attributable interest are themselves also deemed to hold the same attributable interests as that company. In certain situations where a parent company is involved in businesses other than broadcasting, cable system operation, or newspaper publishing, and an individual officer or director has duties and responsibilities wholly unrelated to the company’s broadcast, cable, or newspaper activities, that officer or director may avoid attribution, but will need to submit a statement to the FCC documenting their lack of involvement in the relevant businesses.

Generally, debt interests held in a broadcast licensee, cable system owner, daily newspaper publisher, or parent company are not deemed attributable. Debt holders will be subject to attribution, however, where the aggregate value of the equity and debt held in the broadcast, cable, or newspaper company exceeds 33% of that company’s total asset value and the debt holder also holds another attributable interest in the relevant market or the debt holder supplies over 15% of the programming, on a weekly basis, for the station in which the interest is held.

Programming and Operation. The Communications Act requires broadcasters to serve the “public interest.” The FCC has gradually relaxed or eliminated many of the more formalized procedures it had developed in the past to promote the broadcast of certain types of programming responsive to the needs of a station’s community of license. Although in recent years proposals have been put forth by the FCC to reinstitute certain formal procedures, none of these proposals have yet been adopted for radio stations. Licensees continue to be required, however, to present programming that is responsive to community problems, needs and interests and to maintain certain records demonstrating such responsiveness. Complaints from listeners concerning a station’s programming will be considered by the FCC when it evaluates the licensee’s renewal application, but such complaints may be filed and considered at any time.

Stations also must pay annual regulatory fees and fees associated with the filing of most applications. Stations also must follow various FCC rules that regulate, among other things, political advertising, advertising for certain products or services (e.g. tobacco advertising), the broadcast of obscene or indecent programming, closed captioning, emergency programming, sponsorship identification and technical operations (including limits on radio frequency radiation) and equal employment opportunity requirements. The broadcast of contests and lotteries is regulated by FCC rules.

Failure to observe these or other rules and policies can result in the imposition of various sanctions, including monetary forfeitures, the grant of “short” (less than the maximum) renewal terms or, for particularly egregious violations, the denial of a license renewal application or the revocation of a license.

Proposed Changes. As noted above, in May 2010, the FCC formally initiated its 2010 review of its media ownership rules with the issuance of a Notice of Inquiry (NOI). The NOI is intended to assist the Commission in establishing a framework within which to analyze whether its media ownership rules remain “necessary in the public interest as a result of competition,” due to the dramatic changes occurring in the media marketplace. Numerous parties have filed comments and reply comments in response to the NOI. In June and July 2011, the FCC released to the public eleven economic studies related to its media ownership rules. We believe that the next step will be for the FCC to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to seek comment on specific proposed changes to its ownership rules. We can make no determination as to what effect, if any, this proposed rulemaking will have on Salem.

The Congress and the FCC from time to time have under consideration, and may in the future consider and adopt, new laws, regulations and policies regarding a wide variety of matters that could, directly or indirectly, affect the operation, ownership and profitability of the company’s radio stations, result in the loss of audience share and revenue for the company’s radio stations, and affect the ability of the company to acquire additional radio stations or finance such acquisitions. Such matters under consideration include, or may come to include:

14

Table of Contents

The foregoing summary of certain provisions of the Communications Act and of specific FCC rules and policies does not purport to be comprehensive. For further information concerning the nature and extent of federal regulation of radio broadcast stations you should refer to the Communications Act, the FCC’s rules and the public notices and rulings of the FCC.

Federal Antitrust Considerations. The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and the Department of Justice (“DOJ”), which evaluate transactions to determine whether those transactions should be challenged under the federal antitrust laws, are also active in their review of radio station acquisitions, particularly where an operator proposes to acquire additional stations in its existing markets.

For an acquisition meeting certain size thresholds, the Hart-Scott-Rodino Improvements Act (“HSR Act”) and the rules promulgated thereunder require the parties to file Notification and Report Forms with the FTC and the DOJ and to observe specified waiting period requirements before consummating the acquisition. At any time before or after the consummation of a proposed acquisition, the FTC or the DOJ could take such action under the antitrust laws as it deems necessary or desirable in the public interest, including seeking to enjoin the acquisition or seeking divestiture of the business acquired or other assets of the company. Acquisitions that are not required to be reported under the HSR Act may be investigated by the FTC or the DOJ under the antitrust laws before or after consummation. In addition, private parties may under certain circumstances bring legal action to challenge an acquisition under the antitrust laws. The DOJ also has stated publicly that it believes that LMAs and other similar agreements customarily entered into in connection with radio station transfers prior to the expiration of the waiting period under the HSR Act could violate the HSR Act.

Although we do not believe our acquisition strategy as a whole will be adversely affected in any material respect by antitrust review, we can provide no assurances as such.

SEGMENTS

We have historically had one reportable operating segment—radio broadcasting. The radio-broadcasting segment operates radio stations throughout the United States, various radio networks and our National sales group. Beginning with the first quarter of 2011, we separated our non-broadcast segment into two operating segments, Internet and Publishing. We believe that this information regarding our non-broadcast segment is useful to readers of our financial statements. Additionally, due to growth within our Internet operations, including the acquisition of WorshipHouse Media on March 28, 2011, our Internet segment qualifies for disclosure as a reportable segment. All prior periods were updated to reflect the separation of these non-broadcast segments. Our Internet segment operates all of our websites and our consumer product sales. Our publishing segment operates our print magazines and Xulon Press, a print-on-demand book publisher. We present our segment operating results in Note 16.

EMPLOYEES

As of February 20, 2012, we employed 1,130 employees in radio broadcasting, 134 employees in Internet entities, 88 employees in publishing and 105 employees in corporate functions. Of these employees, 1,115 are full-time and 342 are part-time employees. Our employees are not covered by collective bargaining agreements and we consider our relations with our employees to be good.

We employ many on-air personalities in our businesses and enter into employment agreements with certain on-air personalities in order to protect our interests in these employee relationships; however, talent may sometimes be lost to competitors or for various other reasons. While we do not believe that the loss of any one of our on-air personalities would have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition and results of operations, the loss of several key on-air personalities combined could have a material adverse effect on our business.

INTERNET ADDRESS AND INTERNET ACCESS TO SEC REPORTS

Our Internet address is www.salem.cc. You may obtain through our Internet website, free of charge, copies of our annual reports filed on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These reports are available as soon as reasonably practical after we electronically file them or furnish them to the SEC. Our website and the information contained therein or connected thereto shall not be deemed to be incorporated into this Form 10-K.

15

Table of Contents

CERTAIN FACTORS AFFECTING SALEM

We may choose not to pursue potentially more profitable business opportunities outside of our Christian, conservative news talk and family-themed formats, or not to broadcast programming that violates our programming standards, either of which may have a material adverse effect on our business.

We are fundamentally committed to broadcasting, Internet and publishing formats and programming emphasizing Christian values, conservative family themes and news. We may choose not to switch to other formats or pursue potentially more profitable business opportunities due to this commitment. We do not intend to pursue business opportunities or broadcast programming that would conflict with our core commitment to Christian and family themes formats or that would violate our programming standards, even if such opportunities or programming would be more profitable. Our decision not to pursue other formats or broadcast programming inconsistent with our programming standards might result in lower operating revenues and profits than we might otherwise achieve.

RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH BUSINESS OPERATIONS

We may be adversely affected by deteriorating economic conditions including the economic climate failing to improve.

The risks associated with our businesses become more acute in periods of a slowing economy or recession, which are often accompanied by a decrease in advertising. A decline in the level of business activity of our advertisers could have an adverse effect on our revenues and profit margins. During economic slowdowns in the United States, many advertisers have reduced their advertising expenditures. The impact of slowdowns on our business is difficult to predict, but they may result in reductions in purchases of advertising.

Our exposure to several risks increases with slowing economies or a recession, including but not limited to:

We must respond to the rapid changes in technology, services and standards of our industry in order to remain competitive.

The radio broadcast industry is subject to rapid technological change, evolving industry standards and the emergence of competition from new media technologies and services. We cannot assure you that we will have the resources to acquire new technologies or to introduce new services that could compete with these new technologies. Various new media technologies and services are being developed or introduced, including:

16

Table of Contents

We currently program one channel on SiriusXM. We also offer pod-casts and downloads of portions of our programming; however, we cannot assure you that this arrangement will be successful or enable us to adapt effectively to these new media technologies. We cannot predict the effect, if any, that competition arising from new technologies or regulatory change may have on the radio broadcast industry or on our financial condition and results of operations.

The accounting treatment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets could cause future losses due to asset impairment.

Under FASB ASC Topic 350 “Intangibles—Goodwill and Other,” indefinite-lived intangibles, including broadcast licenses, goodwill and mastheads are not amortized but instead are tested for impairment at least annually, or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate that there may be an impairment. Impairment is measured as the excess of the carrying value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset over its fair value. Intangible assets that have finite useful lives continue to be amortized over their useful lives and are measured for impairment if events or circumstances indicate that they may be impaired. Impairment losses are recorded as operating expenses. We have incurred significant impairment losses in prior periods with regard to our indefinite-lived intangible assets.

The valuation of intangible assets is subjective and based on estimates rather than precise calculations. The fair value measurements of our indefinite-lived intangible assets use significant unobservable inputs that reflect our own assumptions about the estimates that market participants would use in measuring fair value including assumptions about risk. If actual future results are less favorable than the assumptions and estimates we used, we are subject to future impairment charges, the amount of which may be material. Given the current economic environment and uncertainties that can negatively impact our business, there can be no assurance that our estimates and assumptions made for the purpose of our indefinite-lived intangible fair value estimates will prove to be accurate.

The impairment charges we have recognized are non-cash in nature and did not violate covenants on our then existing credit facilities or Revolver. However, the potential for future impairment charges can be viewed as a negative factor with regard to forecasted future performance and cash flows. We believe that we have adequately considered the economic downturn in our valuation models and do not believe that the non-cash impairments in and of themselves are a liquidity risk.

We may be unable to integrate the operations and management of acquired stations or businesses, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results.

During 2010 and 2011, we spent $7.8 million and $9.2 million, respectively, on the acquisition of radio station and Internet businesses. We expect to make additional acquisitions of radio stations, Internet businesses or publishing entities. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully integrate the operations or management of acquired radio stations and businesses and realize anticipated revenue synergies, or the operations or management of stations and businesses that may be acquired in the future. Continued acquisitions will require us to manage a larger and likely more geographically diverse radio station, Internet and publishing portfolio than historically has been the case. Our inability to integrate and manage newly acquired radio stations, Internet businesses or publishing entities successfully could have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results.

If we are unable to implement our cluster strategy, we may not realize anticipated operating efficiencies.

As part of our operating strategy, we attempt to realize efficiencies in operating costs and cross-selling of advertising by clustering the operations of two or more radio stations in a single market. However, there can be no assurance that this operating strategy will be successful. Furthermore, we cannot assure you that the clustering of radio stations in one market will not result in downward pressure on advertising rates at one or more of the existing or new radio stations within the cluster. There can be no assurance that any of our stations will be able to maintain or increase its current listening audiences and operating revenue in circumstances where we implement our clustering strategy.

17

Table of Contents

Additionally, FCC rules and policies allow a broadcaster to own a number of radio stations in a given market and permit, within limits, joint arrangements with other stations in a market relating to programming, advertising sales and station operations. We believe that radio stations that elect to take advantage of these clustering opportunities may have lower operating costs and may be able to offer advertisers more attractive rates and services. The future development of our business in new markets, as well as the maintenance of our business growth in those markets in which we do not currently have radio station clusters, may be negatively impacted by competitors who are taking or may take advantage of these clustering opportunities by operating multiple radio stations within markets.

We base capital allocation decisions primarily on our analysis of the predicted internal rate of return. If the estimates and assumptions we use in calculating the internal rate of return are inaccurate, our capital may be inefficiently allocated. If we fail to appropriately allocate our capital, our growth rate and financial results will be adversely affected.

We continually seek opportunities for growth by increasing the strength and number of our broadcast signals, increasing the number of page-views on our web platform and increasing the subscriber base of our magazines. In order to realize these growth opportunities, we must rely on continued technical improvements to expand our broadcasting, Internet and publication footprint. When deciding which opportunities to pursue, we must predict the internal rate of return associated with each project. Our calculations are based on certain estimates and assumptions that may not be realized. Accordingly, the calculation of internal rate of return may not be reflective of our actual returns.

Our business is dependent upon the performance of key employees, on-air talent and program hosts.

Our business is dependent upon the performance and continued efforts of certain key individuals, including Edward G. Atsinger III, our Chief Executive Officer, and Stuart W. Epperson, our Chairman of the Board. The loss of the services of such key individuals could have a material adverse effect upon us. We enter into employment agreements with such key individuals. Mr. Epperson has radio interests unrelated to Salem’s operations that will continue to impose demands on his time. Mr. Atsinger has an interest in an aviation business unrelated to Salem’s operations that will continue to impose demands on his time.

We also employ or independently contract with several on-air personalities and hosts of syndicated radio programs with significant loyal audiences on both a national level and in their respective markets. Several of our on-air personalities have a presence that extends beyond our radio platforms into other strategic areas. Although we have entered into long-term agreements with some of our executive officers, key on-air talent and program hosts to protect our interests in those relationships, we can give no assurance that all or any of these key employees will remain with us or will retain their audiences. Competition for these individuals is intense and many of our key employees are at-will employees who are under no legal obligation to remain with us. Our competitors may choose to extend offers to any of these individuals on terms that we may be unwilling to meet. In addition, any or all of our key employees may decide to leave for a variety of personal or other reasons beyond our control. Furthermore, the popularity and audience loyalty of our key on-air talent and program hosts is highly sensitive to rapidly changing public tastes. A loss of such popularity or audience loyalty is beyond our control and could limit our ability to generate revenues.

Our syndicated programming is dependent upon maintenance of our transponder equipment, which is located at various customer sites.

Delivery of our national programs is dependent upon transponder equipment that is located at various customer locations. The quality and durability of this equipment, as well as our ability to protect the equipment from damage, destruction or theft, directly impacts our ability to transmit programming. Losses to the equipment and any business interruption may not be fully insurable.

Our advertising revenues in certain markets are ratings sensitive and subject to decline based on ratings agency projections.

Arbitron uses their own technology to collect data for its ratings service. The Portable People Meter ^TM (PPM^TM ) is a small device that does not require active manipulation by the end user and is capable of automatically measuring radio, television, Internet, satellite radio and satellite television signals that are encoded for the service by the broadcaster. The PPM offers a number of advantages over the traditional diary ratings collection system including ease of use, more reliable ratings data and shorter time periods between when advertising runs and when audience listening or viewing habits can be reported. In markets where we subscribe to Arbitron under the PPM, our ratings have been less consistent. It is not clear what long-term impact, if any, the PPM will have on our revenues for stations that subscribe to Arbitron.

18

Table of Contents

If we cannot attract the anticipated listener, programmer and advertiser base for our newly acquired radio stations, we may not recoup associated operating costs or achieve profitability for these radio stations.

We frequently acquire selected assets of radio stations that previously broadcast in formats other than our primary formats. We continue to program some of these stations in non-primary formats and we re-program others to one of our primary formats. During, and for a period after, the conversion of a radio station’s format, the radio station typically generates operating losses. The magnitude and duration of these losses depends on a number of factors, including the promotional and marketing costs associated with attracting listeners and advertisers to our radio station’s new format and the success of these efforts. There is no guarantee that the operation of these newly acquired stations or our operations in new formats will attract a sufficient listener and advertiser base. If we are not successful in attracting the listener and advertiser base we anticipate, we may not recoup associated operating costs or achieve profitability for these radio stations.

If we do not maintain or increase our block programming revenues, our business and operating results may be adversely affected.

The financial success of each of our radio stations that feature Christian Teaching and Talk programming is dependent, to a significant degree, upon our ability to generate revenue from the sale of block programming time to national and local religious and educational organizations. Block programming accounted for 41.5% of our net broadcast revenue for the year ended December 31, 2011, and 40.3% of our net broadcast revenue for the same period of the prior year. We compete for this program revenue with a number of commercial and non-commercial radio stations. Due to the significant competition for this block programming, we may not be able to maintain or increase our current block programming revenue.

If we are unable to maintain or grow our advertising revenues, our business and operating results may be adversely affected.

Our radio stations, Internet sites and publications are to varying degrees dependent upon advertising for their revenues. In the advertising market, we compete for revenue with other commercial religious format and general format radio stations, as well as with other media outlets including broadcast and cable television, newspapers, magazines, direct mail, Internet and billboard advertising. Due to this significant competition, we may not be able to maintain or increase our current advertising revenue. Any sustained economic downturn could negatively impact our ability to generate revenues.

We face significant competition, which we expect will continue to intensify, and we may not be able to maintain or improve our competitive position or market share.

We operate in a highly competitive broadcast and media business. We compete for advertisers and customers with other radio broadcasters, as well as with other media sources including broadcast and cable television, newspapers and magazines, national and local digital services, outdoor advertising, direct mail, online marketing and media companies, social media platforms, web-based blogs, and mobile telephony devices. We face intense competition from a wide range of competitors, including online marketing and media companies, integrated social media platforms and other specialist and enthusiast websites.

Our broadcast audience ratings and market shares are subject to change, and any change in a particular market could have a material adverse effect on the revenue of our stations located in that market. Salem Web Network competes for visitors and advertisers with other companies that deliver on-line audio programming and Christian and conservative Internet content as well as providers of general market Internet sites. Our print magazines compete for readers and advertisers with other print publications including those that follow the Christian music industry and those that address themes of interest to church leadership and the Christian audience. Xulon Press™ competes for authors with other on-demand publishers including those focused exclusively on Christian book publishers.

This competition could make it more difficult for us to provide value to our consumers, our advertisers and our content creators and result in increased pricing pressure, reduced profit margins, increased sales and marketing expenses, decreased website traffic and failure to increase, or the loss of, market share, any of which would likely seriously harm our business, revenue, financial condition and results of operations. There can be no assurance that we will be able to compete successfully against current or future competitors.

Our business generates revenue from the sale of advertising, and the reduction in spending by or loss of advertisers could seriously harm our business.

We derive a substantial part of our total revenues from the sale of advertising. For the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, 43.1%, 43.3% and 43.0% of our total revenues, respectively, were generated from the sale of broadcast advertising. We are particularly dependent on revenue from our Los Angeles and Dallas clusters , which generated 16.9% and 17.2%, respectively, of our

19

Table of Contents

total net advertising revenues for the year ended December 31, 2009, 15.8 %, and 18.8 %, respectively, of our total net advertising revenues for the year ended December 31, 2010 and 15.2% and 23.2% for the year ended December 31, 2011. Because substantial portions of our revenues are derived from local advertisers in these key markets, our ability to generate revenues in those markets could be adversely affected by local or regional economic downturns.

If we are unable to continue to drive and increase visitors to our owned and operated websites and to our customer websites and convert these visitors into repeat users and customers cost-effectively, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

We attract traffic to our owned and operated websites by offering content that is highly specific and that we believe to be relevant to our audiences. How successful we are in these efforts depends, in part, upon our continued ability to create and distribute high-quality, commercially valuable content in a cost effective manner at scale that connects consumers with content that meets their specific interests and enables them to share and interact with the content and supporting communities. We may not be able to create content in a cost effective manner or that meets rapidly changing consumer demand in a timely manner, if at all. Any such failure to do so could adversely affect user and customer experiences and reduce traffic driven to our websites that would adversely affect our business, revenue, financial condition and results of operations.

Even if we succeed in driving traffic to our owned and operated websites and to our customer websites, neither we nor our advertisers and customers may be able to monetize this traffic or otherwise retain consumers. Our failure to do so could result in decreases in customers and related advertising revenue, which would have an adverse effect on our business, revenue, financial condition and results of operations.

New technologies may increase competition with our broadcasting operations

Our radio broadcasting business faces increasing competition from new technologies, such as broadband wireless, satellite radio and audio broadcasting by cable television systems, as well as new customer products, such as portable digital audio players and smart mobile phones. These new technologies and alternative media platforms compete with our radio stations for audience share and advertising revenues. The FCC also has approved new technologies for use in the radio broadcasting industry, including the terrestrial delivery of digital audio broadcasting, which significantly enhances the sound quality of radio broadcasts. We are unable to predict the effect that such technologies and related services and products will have on our broadcasting operations, but the capital expenditures necessary to implement such technologies could be substantial. We cannot assure that we will continue to have the resources to acquire new technologies or to introduce new services to compete with other new technologies or services, and other companies employing such new technologies or services could increase competition with our businesses.

The company must respond to changes in consumer behavior as a result of new technologies in order to remain competitive.

Technology, particularly digital technology used in the entertainment industry, continues to evolve rapidly, leading to alternative methods for the delivery and storage of digital content. These technological advancements have driven changes in consumer behavior and have empowered consumers to seek more control over when, where and how they consume digital content. Content owners are increasingly delivering their content directly to consumers over the Internet, often without charge, and innovations in distribution platforms have enabled consumers to view such Internet-delivered content on televisions and portable devices. There is a risk that the Company’s responses to these changes and strategies to remain competitive, including distribution of its content on a “pay” basis, may not be adopted by consumers. In publishing, the trending toward digital media may drive down the price consumers are willing to spend on our products disproportionately to the costs associated with generating literary content. The Company’s failure to protect and exploit the value of its content, while responding to and developing new technology and business models to take advantage of advancements in technology and the latest consumer preferences, could have a significant adverse effect on the Company’s businesses and results of operations.

The interruption or failure of our information technology and communications systems, or those of third parties that we rely upon, may adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.

The availability of our products and services depends on the continuing operation of our information technology and communications systems. Any damage to or failure of our systems, or those of third parties that we rely upon (co-location providers for data servers, storage devices, and network access) could result in interruptions in our service, which could reduce our revenue and profits. Our systems are also vulnerable to damage or interruption from earthquakes, terrorist attacks, floods, fires, power loss, telecommunications failures, computer viruses or other attempts to harm our systems.

20

Table of Contents

Furthermore, third-party service providers may experience an interruption in operations or cease operations for any reason. If we are unable to agree on satisfactory terms for continued data center hosting relationships, we would be forced to enter into a relationship with other service providers or assume hosting responsibilities ourselves. If we are forced to switch hosting facilities, we may not be successful in finding an alternative service provider on acceptable terms or in hosting the computer servers ourselves. We may also be limited in our remedies against these providers in the event of a failure of service. We also rely on third-party providers for components of our technology platform, such as hardware and software providers. A failure or limitation of service or available capacity by any of these third-party providers could adversely affect our business, revenue, financial condition and results of operations.

We may be unable to increase or maintain our Internet advertising revenues, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results.

We generate advertising revenue from the sale of display advertisements on our Internet sites. Our ability to increase or maintain this advertising revenue is largely dependent upon the number of users actively visiting our Internet sites. We also must increase user engagement with our advertisers in order to increase our advertising revenues. In addition, Internet advertising techniques are evolving, and if our technology and advertisement serving techniques do not evolve to meet the needs of advertisers, our advertising revenue could decline. Changes in our business model, advertising inventory or initiatives could also cause a decrease in our advertising revenue.

In addition, Internet advertisements are reportedly becoming a means to distribute viruses over the Internet. If this practice becomes more prevalent, it could result in consumers becoming less inclined to click through online advertisements, which could adversely affect the demand for Internet advertising. We do not have long-term agreements with most of our advertisers. Any termination, change or decrease in our advertising relationships could have a material adverse affect on our revenues and profitability. If we do not maintain or increase our advertising revenues, our business, results of operations and financial condition would be materially adversely affected.

If Internet search engines’ methodologies are modified, traffic to our websites and corresponding consumer origination volumes could decline.

We depend in part on various Internet search engines, such as Google^®, Bing^®, Yahoo!^®, and other search engines to direct a significant amount of traffic to our websites. Our ability to maintain the number of visitors directed to our websites through which we distribute our content by search engines is not entirely within our control. Changes in the methodologies used by search engines to display results could cause our websites to receive less favorable placements, which could reduce the number of unique visitors who link to our websites. Any reduction in the number of users directed to our websites could negatively affect our ability to earn revenue. If traffic on our websites declines, we may need more costly sources to replace lost traffic, and such increased expense could adversely affect our business, revenue, financial condition and results of operations.

Wireless devices and mobile phones are used to access the Internet, and our online marketing services may not be as effective when accessed through these devices, which could cause harm to our business.

The number of people who access the Internet through devices other than personal computers has increased substantially in the last few years. Our websites were originally designed for persons accessing the Internet on a desktop or laptop computer. The smaller screens, lower resolution graphics and less convenient typing capabilities of these devices may make it more difficult for visitors to respond to our offerings. In addition, the cost of mobile advertising is relatively high and may not be cost-effective for our services. We must also ensure that our licensing arrangements with third-party content providers allow us to make this content available on these devices. If we cannot effectively make our content, products and services available on these devices, fewer consumers may access and use our content, products and services. In addition, if our services continue to be less effective or economically attractive for customers seeking to engage in advertising through these devices and this segment of Internet traffic grows at the expense of traditional computer Internet access, we will experience difficulty attracting website visitors and attracting and retaining customers and our operating results and business will be harmed.

As a creator and a distributor of Internet content, we face potential liability and expenses for legal claims based on the nature and content of the materials that we create or distribute, or that are accessible via our owned and operated websites and our network of customer websites. If we are required to pay damages or expenses in connection with these legal claims, our operating results and business may be harmed.

21

Table of Contents

We rely on the work product of various content creators to produce original content for our programs, websites and publications. We face potential liability based on a variety of theories, including defamation, negligence, unlawful practice of a licensed profession, copyright or trademark infringement or other legal theories based on the nature, creation or distribution of this information, and under various laws, including the Lanham Act and the Copyright Act. We may also be exposed to similar liability in connection with content that we do not create but that is posted to our owned and operated websites and to our network of customer websites by users and other third parties through forums, comments, personas and other social media features. In addition, it is also possible that visitors to our owned and operated websites and to our network of customer websites could make claims against us for losses incurred in reliance upon information provided on our owned and operated websites or our network of customer websites. These claims, whether brought in the United States or abroad, could divert management time and attention away from our business and result in significant costs to investigate and defend, regardless of the merit of these claims. If we become subject to these or similar types of claims and are not successful in our defense, we may be forced to pay substantial damages. While we run our content through a rigorous quality control process, including an automated plagiarism program, there is no guarantee that we will avoid future liability and potential expenses for legal claims based on the content of the materials that we create or distribute. Should the content distributed through our owned and operated websites and our network of customer websites violate the intellectual property rights of others or otherwise give rise to claims against us, we could be subject to substantial liability, which could have a negative impact on our business, revenue and financial condition.

We rely on third parties to provide software and related services necessary for the operation of our business.

We incorporate and include third-party software into and with our applications and service offerings and expect to continue to do so. The operation of our applications and service offerings could be impaired if errors occur in the third-party software that we use. It may be more difficult for us to correct any defects in third-party software because the development and maintenance of the software is not within our control. Accordingly, our business could be adversely affected in the event of any errors in this software. There can be no assurance that any third-party licensors will continue to make their software available to us on acceptable terms, to invest the appropriate levels of resources in their software to maintain and enhance its capabilities, or to remain in business. Any impairment in our relationship with these third-party licensors could harm our ability to maintain and expand the reach of our service, increase listener hours and sell advertising each of which could harm our operating results, cash flow and financial condition.

We may have difficulty scaling and adapting our existing technology and network infrastructure to accommodate increased traffic and technology advances or changing business requirements, which could lead to the loss of current and potential customers and advertisers, and cause us to incur expenses to make architectural changes.

To be successful, our network infrastructure has to perform well and be reliable. The greater the user traffic and the greater the complexity of our products and services, the more computing power we will need. In the future, we may spend substantial amounts to purchase or lease data centers and equipment, upgrade our technology and network infrastructure to handle increased traffic on our owned and operated websites and roll out new products and services. This expansion could be expensive and complex and could result in inefficiencies or operational failures. If we do not implement this expansion successfully, or if we experience inefficiencies and operational failures during its implementation, the quality of our products and services and our users’ experience could decline. This could damage our reputation and lead us to lose current and potential customers and advertisers. The costs associated with these adjustments to our architecture could harm our operating results. Cost increases, loss of traffic or failure to accommodate new technologies or changing business requirements could harm our business, revenue and financial condition.

Our business is subject to the risks of earthquakes, fires, floods and other natural catastrophic events and to interruption by man-made problems such as computer viruses or terrorism.

Our systems and operations are vulnerable to damage or interruption from earthquakes, fires, floods, power losses, telecommunications failures, terrorist attacks, acts of war, human errors, break-ins or similar events. For example, a significant natural disaster, such as an earthquake, fire or flood, could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition, and our insurance coverage may be insufficient to compensate us for losses that may occur. Our principal executive offices are located in Southern California, a region known for seismic activity. In addition, acts of terrorism could cause disruptions in our business or the economy as a whole. Our servers may also be vulnerable to computer viruses, break-ins and similar disruptions from unauthorized tampering with our computer systems, which could lead to interruptions, delays, loss of critical data or the unauthorized disclosure of confidential customer data. As we rely heavily on our servers, computer and communications systems and the Internet to conduct our business and provide high quality service to our listeners, such disruptions could negatively impact our ability to run our business, result in loss of existing or potential listeners and advertisers and increased maintenance costs, which would adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.

22

Table of Contents

We are controlled by a few controlling stockholders.

As of December 31, 2011, Edward G. Atsinger III (Chief Executive Officer), Stuart W. Epperson (Chairman), Nancy A. Epperson (wife of Chairman) and Edward C. Atsinger (son of Chief Executive Officer) controlled approximately 85.5% in aggregate of the voting power of our capital stock. These four stockholders thus have the ability to control fundamental corporate transactions requiring stockholder approval, including but not limited to, the election of all of our directors, approval of merger transactions involving Salem and the sale of all or substantially all of Salem’s assets. The interests of any of these controlling stockholders may differ from the interests of other stockholders in a material manner.

Our broadcasts often rely on content owned by third parties; obtaining such content could be costly and require us to enter into disadvantageous license or royalty arrangements.

We rely heavily upon content and software owned by third parties in order to provide programming for our broadcasts. The cost of obtaining all necessary licenses and permission to use this third-party content and software continues to increase. Although we attempt to avoid infringing known proprietary rights of third parties in our broadcasting efforts, we expect that we may be subject to legal proceedings and claims for alleged infringement from time to time in the ordinary course of business. Any claims relating to the infringement of third-party proprietary rights, even if not meritorious, could result in costly litigation, divert management’s attention and resources, or require us to enter into royalty or license agreements that are not advantageous to us. In addition, parties making claims may be able to obtain an injunction, which could prevent us from broadcasting all or certain portions of individual radio broadcasts containing content owned by third parties. We also rely on software that we license from third parties, including software that is integrated with internally developed software and used to perform key broadcasting and accounting functions. We could lose the right to use this software or it could be made available to us only on commercially unreasonable terms. Although we believe that alternative software is available from other third-party suppliers or internal developments, the loss of or inability to maintain any of these software licenses or the inability of the third parties to enhance in a timely and cost-effective manner their products in response to changing customer needs, industry standards or technological developments could result in limitations or delays in broadcasting or accounting for programming by us until equivalent software could be developed internally or identified, licensed and integrated, which would harm our business.

Poor perception of our brand, business or industry could harm our reputation and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business is dependent on attracting a large audience to our radio stations, websites and publications. Our brand, business and reputation are vulnerable to poor perception. Any damage to our reputation could harm our ability to attract and retain advertisers, customers and content creators, which could materially adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and business.

If we are unable to protect our domain names, our reputation and brands could be adversely affected.

We currently hold various domain name registrations relating to our brands. The registration and maintenance of domain names generally are regulated by governmental agencies and their designees. Governing bodies may establish additional top-level domains, appoint additional domain name registrars or modify the requirements for holding domain names. As a result, we may be unable to register or maintain relevant domain names. We may be unable, without significant cost or at all, to prevent third parties from registering domain names that are similar to, infringe upon or otherwise decrease the value of, our trademarks and other proprietary rights. Failure to protect our domain names could adversely affect our reputation and brands, and make it more difficult for users to find our websites and our services.

RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH REGULATIONS

The restrictions on ownership of multiple stations in each market may prevent us from implementing our cluster strategy.

As part of our growth strategy, we seek to acquire additional radio stations in markets in which we already have existing stations. However, our ability to acquire, operate and integrate any such future acquisitions as part of a cluster is limited by antitrust laws, the Communications Act, FCC regulations and other applicable laws and regulations. Changes to any of these laws or regulations may affect our ability to acquire additional stations in radio markets where we already own one or more radio stations. In 1996, Congress passed legislation that requires the FCC to periodically conduct reviews of its regulations, including ones that govern the maximum number of radio stations an entity may own or have joint arrangements with relating to programming, advertising sales and station operations (the “Ownership Limits”). The FCC has adopted radio multiple ownership rules that depend upon the total number of radio stations located in the market in determining the applicable Ownership Limits. In 2003, the FCC modified its

23

Table of Contents

definition of the term “market” and its method of determining the number of radio stations located in a “market.” Specifically, in larger markets the FCC replaced its “signal contour method” of defining a market and determining the number of radio stations located in the market with the use of “geographic markets” delineated by Arbitron, which is a commercial ratings service, as reported in the BIA database. For smaller radio markets for which Arbitron has not delineated a geographic market, the “signal contour method” continues to be the method of defining the market and determining the number of radio stations in the market. The methods the FCC uses to define markets affect the number of radio stations an entity may own or have joint arrangements with relating to programming, advertising sales and station operations in areas adjacent to a delineated Arbitron market. In 2010, the FCC opened a new phase of rulemaking concerning its broadcast ownership rules. The FCC sought public comments on the existing rules, including arguments and factual data on their impact on competition, localism, and diversity and held public meetings around the country on the issue of media ownership rules. The FCC 2010 quadrennial review of broadcast ownership rules is ongoing and expected to be completed in 2012.

We cannot predict the impact of possible modifications to the FCC’s local radio multiple ownership rules on our business operations. Likewise, we cannot predict whether there will be a change in the antitrust laws, Communications Act or other laws governing the ownership or operation of radio stations, or whether the FCC, DOJ or FTC will modify their regulations and policies governing or affecting the acquisition of additional radio stations in a market. In addition, we cannot predict whether a private party will challenge acquisitions we propose in the future. These events could adversely affect our ability to implement our cluster acquisition strategy.

Government regulation of the broadcasting industry by the FTC, DOJ and FCC may limit our ability to acquire or dispose of radio stations and enter into certain agreements.

The Communications Act and FCC rules and policies require prior FCC approval for transfers of control of, and assignments of, FCC broadcast licenses. The FTC and the DOJ evaluate transactions to determine whether those transactions should be challenged under federal antitrust laws. As we have gained a presence in a greater number of markets and percentage of the top 50 markets, our future proposed transactions may be subject to more frequent and aggressive review by the FTC or the DOJ due to market concentration concerns. This increased level of review may be accentuated in instances where we propose to engage in a transaction with parties who themselves have multiple stations in the relevant market. The FCC might not approve a proposed radio station acquisition or disposition when the DOJ has expressed market concentration concerns with respect to the buy or sell side of a given transaction, even if the proposed transaction would otherwise comply with the FCC’s numerical limits on in-market ownership. We cannot be sure that the DOJ or the FTC will not seek to prohibit or require the restructuring of our future acquisitions or dispositions on these or other bases.

Were a complaint to be filed against us or other FCC licensees involved in a transaction with us, or an objection to the transaction itself, the FCC could delay the grant of, or refuse to grant, its consent to an assignment or transfer of control of licenses and effectively prohibit a proposed acquisition or disposition.

As noted in the immediately preceding risk factor, the FCC’s local radio multiple ownership rules limit the maximum number of stations we may own or operate in a market. This may limit our ability to make future radio station acquisitions in certain markets. Additionally, this may limit our ability, in certain markets, to enter into agreements whereby we provide programming to or sell advertising on radio stations that we do not own. It could also limit our ability to sell stations to other entities that already own stations in some markets.

We may be adversely affected by statutes dealing with indecency.

The Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005 enhances the FCC’s enforcement of its rules concerning the broadcast of obscene, indecent, or profane material became law. This legislation increased the FCC’s authority in this area to impose substantially higher monetary forfeiture penalties, up to $325,000 per violation and a total of $3,000,000 for any one incident. While we do not anticipate these increased penalties to impact us as significantly as some of our competitors given the nature of our programming, we could face increased costs in the form of fines as a result of this legislation.

If we fail to maintain our broadcast licenses with the FCC, we would be prevented from operating affected radio stations.

We operate each of our radio stations pursuant to one or more FCC broadcast licenses, generally of eight years’ duration. As each license expires, we apply for renewal of the license. However, we cannot be sure that any of our licenses will be renewed, and renewal is subject to challenge by third parties or to denial by the FCC. In evaluating a broadcast license renewal application, the FCC must grant the renewal if: (1) the station has served the public interest, convenience and necessity; (2) there have been no serious violations of the Communications Act or the FCC’s rules; and (3) there have been no other violations which, taken together, constitute a pattern

24

Table of Contents

of abuse. If, however, the station fails to meet these standards, the FCC may deny the application, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing, or grant the application on terms and conditions that are appropriate, including renewal for less than the maximum term otherwise allowed. The failure to renew any of our licenses would prevent us from operating the affected station and generating revenue from it. If the FCC decides to include conditions or qualifications in any of our licenses, we may be limited in the manner in which we may operate the affected station.

Proposed legislation requires radio broadcasters to pay higher royalties to record labels and recording artists.

We must maintain music programming royalty arrangements with, and pay license fees to, Broadcast Music, Inc. (“BMI”), American Society Composers, Authors and Publishers (“ASCAP”), and SESAC, Inc. These organizations negotiate with copyright users, collect royalties and distribute them to songwriters and music publishers. Currently, we pay royalties to song composers and publishers through BMI, ASCAP and SESAC.

On December 18, 2007, legislation was introduced to Congress that would require terrestrial radio broadcasters to pay a royalty to record labels and performing artists for use of their recorded songs. The proposed legislation would add an additional layer of royalties to be paid directly to the record labels and artists. It is currently unknown what proposed legislation, if any, will become law, and what significance this royalty would have on our results from operations, cash flows or financial position.

Changes in regulations or user concerns regarding privacy and protection of user data, or any failure to comply with such laws, could diminish the value of our services and cause us to lose customers and revenue.

When a user visits our websites or certain pages of our customers’ websites, we use technologies, including “cookies,” to collect information related to the user, such as the user’s Internet Protocol, or IP, address, demographic information, and history of the user’s interactions with advertisements previously delivered by us. The information that we collect about users helps us deliver appropriate content and targeted advertising to the user. A variety of federal, state and international laws and regulations govern the collection, use, retention, sharing and security of data that we receive from and about our users. The existing privacy-related laws and regulations are evolving and subject to potentially differing interpretations. We post privacy policies on all of our owned and operated websites which set forth our policies and practices related to the collection and use of customer data. Any failure, or perceived failure, by us to comply with our posted privacy policies or with industry standards or laws or regulations could result in a loss of customer confidence in us, or result in actions against us by governmental entities or others, all of which could potentially cause us to lose customers and revenues.

In addition, various federal, state and foreign legislative and regulatory bodies may expand current or enact new laws regarding privacy matters. New laws may be enacted, or existing laws may be amended or re-interpreted, in a manner which limits our ability to analyze user data. If our access to user data is limited through legislation or any industry development, we may be unable to provide effective technologies and services to customers and we may lose customers and revenue.

Certain U.S. and foreign laws could subject us to claims or otherwise harm our business.

We are subject to a variety of laws in the U.S. and abroad that may subject us to claims or other remedies. Our failure to comply with applicable laws may subject us to additional liabilities, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Laws and regulations that are particularly relevant to our business address (a) privacy; (b) freedom of expression; (c) information security; (d) content and distribution of content, including liability for user reliance on such content; (e) intellectual property rights, including secondary liability for infringement by others; (f) domain name registration; and (g) online advertising and marketing, including email marketing and unsolicited commercial email.

Many applicable laws were adopted prior to the advent of the Internet and do not contemplate or address the unique issues of the Internet. Moreover, the applicability and scope of the laws that do address the Internet remain uncertain. For example, the laws relating to the liability of providers of online services are evolving. Claims have been either threatened or filed against us under both U.S. and foreign laws for defamation, copyright infringement, cybersquatting and trademark infringement. In the future, claims may also be alleged against us based on tort claims and other theories based on our content, products and services or content generated by our users.

We receive, process and store large amounts of personal user data on our owned and operated websites and from our freelance content creators. Our privacy and data security policies govern the collection, use, sharing, disclosure and protection of this data. The storing, sharing, use, disclosure and protection of personal information and user data are subject to federal, state and international privacy laws, the purpose of which is to protect the privacy of personal information that is collected, processed and transmitted in or

25

Table of Contents

from the governing jurisdiction. If requirements regarding the manner in which certain personal information and other user data are processed and stored change significantly, our business may be adversely affected, impacting our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we may be exposed to potential liabilities as a result of differing views on the level of privacy required for customer and other user data we collect. Our failure or the failure of various third-party vendors and service providers to comply with applicable privacy policies or applicable laws and regulations or any compromise of security that results in the unauthorized release of personal information or other user data could adversely affect our business, revenue, financial condition and results of operations.

Government regulation of the Internet is evolving, and unfavorable developments could have an adverse affect on our operating results.

We are subject to general business regulations and laws, as well as regulations and laws specific to the Internet. Such laws and regulations cover taxation, user privacy, data collection and protection, copyrights, electronic contracts, sales procedures, automatic subscription renewals, credit card processing procedures, customer protections, broadband Internet access and content restrictions. We cannot guarantee that we have been or will be fully compliant in every jurisdiction, as it is not entirely clear how existing laws and regulations governing issues such as privacy, taxation and consumer protection apply to the Internet. Moreover, as Internet commerce continues to evolve, increasing regulation by federal, state and foreign agencies becomes more likely. The adoption of any laws or regulations that adversely affect the popularity or growth in use of the Internet, including laws limiting Internet neutrality, could decrease listener demand for our service offerings and increase our cost of doing business. Future regulations, or changes in laws and regulations or their existing interpretations or applications, could also hinder our operational flexibility, raise compliance costs and result in additional historical or future liabilities for us, resulting in adverse impacts on our business and our operating results.

Environmental, health, safety and land use laws and regulations may limit or restrict some of our operations.

We must comply with various federal, state and local environmental, health, safety and land use laws and regulations that have a tendency to affect broadcast facilities differently than other uses. We and our properties are subject to such laws and regulations relating to the use, storage, disposal, emission and release of hazardous and non-hazardous substances and employee health and safety, as well as zoning restrictions that may affect, among other things, the ability for us to improve or relocate our radio broadcasting facilities. Historically, we have not incurred significant expenditures to comply with these laws. However, existing laws, and those that may be applied in the future, or a finding of a violation of or liability, could require us to make significant expenditures and otherwise limit or restrict some of our operations.

RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR SUBSTANTIAL INDEBTEDNESS

Capital requirements necessary to implement acquisitions could pose risks.

We face competition from other companies for acquisition opportunities. If the prices sought by sellers of these companies were to rise, we may find fewer acceptable acquisition opportunities. In addition, the purchase price of possible acquisitions could require additional debt or equity financing on our part. Since the terms and availability of this financing depend to a large degree upon general economic conditions and third parties over which we have no control, we can give no assurance that we will obtain the needed financing or that we will obtain such financing on attractive terms. In addition, our ability to obtain financing depends on a number of other factors, many of which are also beyond our control, such as interest rates and national and local business conditions. If the cost of obtaining needed financing is too high or the terms of such financing are otherwise unacceptable in relation to the acquisition opportunity we are presented with, we may decide to forego that opportunity. Additional indebtedness could increase our leverage and make us more vulnerable to economic downturns and may limit our ability to withstand competitive pressures.

If we are unable to execute our acquisition strategy successfully, our business may not continue to grow.

We intend to continue to selectively acquire radio stations, complementary publishing and Internet media businesses. With respect to the acquisition of radio stations, our acquisition strategy has been, and will continue to focus primarily on, the acquisition of stations in the top 50 markets. However, we may not be able to identify and consummate future acquisitions successfully, and stations that we do acquire may not increase our station operating income or yield other anticipated benefits. Acquisitions in markets in which we already own stations may not increase our station operating income due to saturation of audience demand. Acquisitions in smaller markets may have less potential to increase operating revenues. With respect to our acquisition strategy of Internet and publishing businesses, we may not be able to identify and consummate the acquisition of future businesses successfully. Additionally, we may not be able to effectively integrate the operation of newly acquired businesses with our existing businesses that could result in reduced operating income from our businesses. Our failure to execute our acquisition strategy successfully in the future could limit our ability to continue to grow in terms of number of stations or profitability.

26

Table of Contents

If we are not able to obtain financing or generate sufficient cash flows from operations, we may be unable to fund future acquisitions.

We may require significant financing to fund our acquisition strategy. This financing may not be available to us. The availability of funds under our senior credit facility at any time is dependent upon, among other factors, our ability to satisfy financial covenants. Our future operating performance will be subject to financial, economic, business, competitive, regulatory and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that our future cash flows or borrowing capacity will be sufficient to allow us to complete future acquisitions or implement our business plan, which could have a material negative impact on our business and results of operations.

We have substantial debt and have the ability to incur additional debt. The principal and interest payment obligations of such debt may restrict our future operations and impair our ability to meet our obligations under such debt.

At December 31, 2011, we and our subsidiary guarantors have approximately $275.0 million aggregate principal amount of outstanding indebtedness, of which $235.0 million is outstanding on the 9⁵/₈% Notes and $9.0 million is outstanding on Affiliate Letters of Credit. The balance outstanding on the Revolver of approximately $31.0 million effectively ranks senior to the outstanding notes to the extent of the assets securing such debt. In addition, the terms of the Revolver and the indenture governing the 9⁵/ ₈% Notes permit us to incur additional indebtedness, including up to approximately $40 million that would be available under our Revolver, subject to our ability to meet certain borrowing conditions.

Our substantial debt may have important consequences. For instance, it could:

Our ability to satisfy our obligations and to reduce our total debt depends on our future operating performance and on economic, financial, competitive and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. Our business may not generate sufficient cash flow, and future financings may not be available to provide sufficient net proceeds, to meet these obligations or to successfully execute our business strategy.

The agreements governing our various debt obligations impose restrictions on our business and adversely affect our ability to undertake certain corporate actions.

The agreements governing our various debt obligations, including the indenture governing the 9⁵/₈% Notes and the agreements governing our Revolver, include covenants imposing significant restrictions on our business. These restrictions may affect our ability to operate our business and may limit our ability to take advantage of potential business opportunities as they arise. These covenants place restrictions on our ability to, among other things:

Our Revolver also requires us to comply with a number of financial ratios and covenants and restricts our ability to make certain capital expenditures.

Our ability to comply with these agreements may be affected by events beyond our control, including prevailing economic, financial and industry conditions. These covenants could have an adverse effect on our business by limiting our ability to take

27

Table of Contents

advantage of financing, merger and acquisition or other corporate opportunities. The breach of any of these covenants or restrictions could result in a default under the indenture governing the 9⁵/ ₈% Notes or the Revolver. An event of default under any of our debt agreements could permit some of our lenders, including the lenders under the Revolver, to declare all amounts borrowed from them to be immediately due and payable, together with accrued and unpaid interest, which could, in turn, trigger defaults under other debt obligations and the commitments of the lenders to make further extensions of credit under our Revolver could be terminated. If we were unable to repay debt to our lenders, or are otherwise in default under any provision governing our outstanding secured debt obligations, our secured lenders could proceed against us and the subsidiary guarantors and against the collateral securing that debt. In addition, acceleration of our other indebtedness may cause us to be unable to make interest payments on the 9⁵/₈% Notes and repay the principal amount of or repurchase the 9⁵/₈% Notes or may cause the subsidiary guarantors to be unable to make payments under the guarantees.

To service our indebtedness, we will require a significant amount of cash. However, our ability to generate cash depends on many factors beyond our control.

Our ability to make payments on, and to refinance, our indebtedness, and to fund capital expenditures, will depend on our ability to generate cash in the future, which, in turn, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, regulatory and other factors, many of which are beyond our control.

Our business may not generate sufficient cash flow from operations and we may not have available to us future borrowings in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay our indebtedness, including the 9⁵/₈% Notes, or to fund our other liquidity needs. In these circumstances, we may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness on or before maturity. We may not be able to refinance any of our indebtedness, including our Revolver, the 9⁵/₈% Notes, and the Affiliate Lines of Credit on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Without this financing, we could be forced to sell assets or secure additional financing to make up for any shortfall in our payment obligations under unfavorable circumstances. However, we may not be able to secure additional financing on terms favorable to us or at all and, in addition, the terms of our revolver and the indenture governing the 9⁵/₈% Notes limit our ability to sell assets and also restrict the use of proceeds from such a sale. In addition, we may not be able to sell assets quickly enough or for sufficient amounts to enable us to meet our obligations.

Not Applicable.

No one physical property is material to our overall operations. We believe that our properties are in good condition and suitable for our operations; however, we continually evaluate opportunities to upgrade our properties. We believe we will be able to renew existing leases when applicable or obtain comparable facilities, as necessary.

Corporate

Our corporate headquarters are located in Camarillo, California where we own an approximately 40,000 square foot office building.

Radio Broadcasting

The types of properties required to support our radio stations include offices, studios, transmitter, antenna and tower sites. A station’s studios are generally located in an office in a downtown or business district. Transmitter, antenna and tower sites are located in areas that provide maximum market coverage. We either own or lease our radio transmitting properties under agreements that generally range from five to twenty-five years. We believe we will be able to renew any such lease that expires or obtain comparable facilities, as necessary. Our SRN and SMR offices and Dallas radio stations are located in an office building in the Dallas, Texas metropolitan area, where we own an approximately 34,000 square foot office building. Our radio network operates from various offices and studios from which the programming originates or is relayed from a remote point of origination. Our network leases satellite transponders used for delivery of its programming. We also own office buildings in Honolulu, Hawaii; Tampa, Florida; Miami, Florida; and Altamonte Springs, Florida.

We lease certain property from our principal stockholders or trusts and partnerships created for the benefit of the principal stockholders and their families. These leases are described in Note 12 of our consolidated financial statements. All such leases have

28

Table of Contents

cost of living adjustments. Based upon our management’s assessment and analysis of local market conditions for comparable properties, we believe such leases have terms that are as favorable as, or more favorable, to the company than those that would have been available from unaffiliated parties.

Salem Web Network

Salem Web Network operates from leased office facilities in Nashville, Tennessee, Tarzana, California, and Richmond, Virginia. The lease agreements range from one to ten years remaining on the lease term. We believe we will be able to renew any such lease that expires or obtain comparable facilities, as necessary.

Salem Publishing

Salem Publishing operates from leased office facilities in Nashville, Tennessee, and Orlando, Florida. The lease agreements range from one to ten years remaining on the lease term. We believe we will be able to renew any such lease that expires or obtain comparable facilities, as necessary.

We and our subsidiaries, incident to our business activities, are parties to a number of legal proceedings, lawsuits, arbitration and other claims. Such matters are subject to many uncertainties and outcomes that are not predictable with assurance. We maintain insurance that may provide coverage for such matters. Consequently, we are unable to ascertain the ultimate aggregate amount of monetary liability or the financial impact with respect to these matters. We believe, at this time, that the final resolution of these matters, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect upon our annual consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

On July 10, 2010, Asia Vision, Inc. and Rehan Siddiqi amended a complaint they had previously filed against third parties in the 152nd Judicial District Court of Harris County, Houston, Texas, naming Salem Communications Corporation, South Texas Broadcasting, Inc. and one of Salem’s officers as defendants. In their complaint, Asia Vision claims that the Salem defendants interfered with Asia Vision’s contractual right to purchase radio station KTEK-AM from Business Radio Licensee, LLC. In their complaint, Asia Vision and Rehan Siddiqi make a claim for injunctive relief and monetary damages. On July 21, 2010, Salem Communications and South Texas Broadcasting were served with the complaint but the Salem officer has not been served. On March 7, 2011, Salem entered into a tentative settlement of the matter. The court approved the settlement on October 27, 2011. No appeals were filed and as a result, the order became final and we closed on the purchase on December 21, 2011.

Not Applicable.

PART II

The company’s Class A common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Market^® (“NASDAQ-NGM”) under the symbol SALM. On March 1, 2012, the company had approximately 73 stockholders of record (not including the number of persons or entities holding stock in nominee or street name through various brokerage firms) and 18,735,555 outstanding shares of its Class A common stock and two stockholders of record and 5,553,696 outstanding shares of its Class B common stock. The following table sets forth for the fiscal quarters indicated the range of high and low sales price information per share of the Class A common stock of the company as reported on the NASDAQ-NGM.

There is no established public trading market for the company’s Class B common stock.

29

Table of Contents

DIVIDEND POLICY

After careful review and consideration of its earnings, financial position, capital requirements, the Revolver and the indenture governing the 9⁵/₈% Notes, the company paid a $0.20 per share special cash distribution, or approximately $4.8 million to shareholders of record as of the close of business on December 6, 2010. There were no dividends or distributions paid during the year ended December 31, 2011.

The company’s sole source of cash available for making any future dividend payments will be dividends paid to the company or payments made to the company by its subsidiaries. The ability of subsidiaries of the company to make such payments may be restricted by applicable state laws or terms of agreements to which they are or may become a party; the company’s Revolver and the terms of the indenture governing the 9⁵/₈% Notes restrict the payment of dividends on its common stock unless certain specified conditions are satisfied.

UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS

None.

The following table sets forth selected financial data and other operating information of Salem. The selected financial data in the table is derived from the consolidated financial statements of Salem. The data should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements, related notes, and other financial information included (incorporated by reference) herein. The selected financial data should be read in conjunction with, and is qualified by reference to, our consolidated financial statements and related notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and specifically the disclosure concerning a reconciliation for historical Non-GAAP measures presented in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations–Non-GAAP Financial Measures” included in Item 7 of this report.

Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year financial statements to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications include the separation of our non-broadcast segment into two operating segments, Internet and Publishing. We believe that this information regarding our non-broadcast segments is useful to readers of our financial statements. Additionally, due to growth within our Internet operations, including the acquisition of WorshipHouse Media as discussed in Note 3, our Internet segment qualifies for disclosure as a reportable segment. All prior periods are updated to reflect the separation of these non-broadcast segments. These reclassifications also include the accounting for discontinued operations.

In December 2011, due to operating results that were below expectations, we ceased operations of Samaritan Fundraising. All employees of the entity were terminated as of December 31, 2011. The Statements of Operations Data for all periods presented are updated to reflect the operating results of Samaritan Fundraising as a discontinued operation. The accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets reflect the net assets of this entity as assets of discontinued operations for each applicable period presented.

In January 2010, we collected a $0.2 million termination fee from the buyer of radio station WRFD-AM, Columbus, Ohio pursuant to termination of the asset purchase agreement. The accompanying Statements of Operations Data for all periods presented are updated to reflect the operating results of WRFD-AM, Columbus, Ohio in continuing operations from discontinued operations. The accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets reflect the net assets of this entity within our assets from continuing operations for each period presented. We had entered into an asset purchase agreement on July 31, 2008, to sell this radio station and exit the Columbus market. We accounted for this market as a discontinued operation until being notified in December 2009 that the buyer would not be able to meet the terms of the asset purchase agreement.

We ceased publishing CCM Magazine as of the March 2008 publication. The Statements of Operations Data for periods prior to this final publication are updated to reflect the operating results of CCM Magazine as a discontinued operation.

During the year ending December 31, 2008, we sold radio stations WRRD-AM, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and WFZH-FM, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Statements of Operations Data presented for periods prior to the sale are updated to reflect the operating results of this market as discontinued operations.

30

Table of Contents

31

Table of Contents

Station operating income (“SOI”) is not a measure of performance calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Therefore, SOI should be viewed as a supplement to and not a substitute for results of operations presented on the basis of GAAP. Management believes that station operating income is useful, when considered in conjunction with operating income, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, because it is generally recognized by the radio broadcasting industry as a tool in measuring performance and in applying valuation methodologies for companies in the media, entertainment and communications industries. This measure is used by investors and by analysts who report on the industry to provide comparisons between broadcast groups. Additionally, we use station operating income as one of our key measures of operating efficiency and contribution to profitability. Station operating income does not purport to represent cash provided by operating activities. Our statement of cash flows presents our cash flow activity and our income statement presents our historical performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. Our station operating income is not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures employed by other companies.

RECONCILIATION OF STATION OPERATING INCOME TO OPERATING INCOME