# ASC 440-920: Commitments — Entertainment—Broadcasters

Source: FASB Accounting Standards Codification, Basic View

[Read online](https://asc.understandingaccounting.org/asc/440/920/)

Study and research edition. Verify current requirements with the official source. Summaries, enrichment, and tags are machine-generated study aids. Paragraph html preserves source markup; snippet is abbreviated. Pending content is not necessarily effective.

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## ASC 440-920: Commitments — Entertainment—Broadcasters

### Machine-generated study aids

```json
{
  "summary": "This Subtopic governs disclosure by broadcasters of program license agreements that have been signed (executed) but that do not yet qualify for recognition as an asset and liability on the balance sheet. The single rule is that such executory license commitments must be disclosed in the notes, even though they are not recorded, because the recognition conditions in 920-350-25-2 have not been met.",
  "key_points": [
    "Per 440-920-05-1, the Subtopic addresses only the disclosure of executed broadcast license agreements that fail the conditions for recording a liability.",
    "Per 440-920-50-1, broadcasters shall disclose commitments for license agreements that have been executed but were not reported because they do not meet the recognition conditions in 920-350-25-2.",
    "Recognition of the license asset and corresponding liability is governed elsewhere (920-350-25-2); this Subtopic supplies only the disclosure requirement for the unrecognized commitments.",
    "Per 440-920-15-1, the scope follows the broadcaster scope and scope exceptions in Section 920-10-15."
  ],
  "categories": [
    "Disclosure",
    "Industry-specific",
    "Recognition"
  ],
  "audience_level": "intermediate",
  "student_note": "Exam trap: signing a program license contract does not by itself create a recorded liability for a broadcaster — recognition waits until the 920-350-25-2 conditions are met, but the signed commitment must still be disclosed in the notes.",
  "related_topics": [
    "920-350",
    "920-10",
    "440-10",
    "920-405"
  ],
  "key_concepts": [
    "program license agreement",
    "broadcaster",
    "unrecorded commitment",
    "executory contract",
    "license liability recognition conditions",
    "commitment disclosure"
  ]
}
```

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## ASC 440-920-05: 05 Overview and Background

[Read section](https://asc.understandingaccounting.org/asc/440/920/#05-overview-and-background)

SEC content: no

##### [440-920-05-1](https://asc.understandingaccounting.org/asc/440/920/#440-920-05-1)

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This Subtopic presents the required disclosures by [broadcasters](https://asc.understandingaccounting.org/glossary/b/#broadcaster "An entity or an affiliated group of entities that transmits radio or television program material.") for [license agreements](https://asc.understandingaccounting.org/glossary/l/#license-agreement "A typical license agreement for program material (for example, features, specials, series, or cartoons) covers several programs (a package) and grants a television station, group of stations, network, pay television, or cable television system (licensee) the right to broadcast either a specified number or an unlimited number of showings over a maximum period of time (license period) for a specified fee.") that have been executed but that do not meet the conditions for recording a liability in the financial statements.

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## ASC 440-920-15: 15 Scope and Scope Exceptions

[Read section](https://asc.understandingaccounting.org/asc/440/920/#15-scope-and-scope-exceptions)

SEC content: no

#### Overall Guidance

##### [440-920-15-1](https://asc.understandingaccounting.org/asc/440/920/#440-920-15-1)

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This Subtopic follows the same Scope and Scope Exceptions as outlined in the Overall Subtopic, see Section 920-10-15.

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## ASC 440-920-50: 50 Disclosure

[Read section](https://asc.understandingaccounting.org/asc/440/920/#50-disclosure)

SEC content: no

#### License Agreements for Program Material Where Criteria for Recognition Has Not Been Met

##### [440-920-50-1](https://asc.understandingaccounting.org/asc/440/920/#440-920-50-1)

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[Broadcasters](https://asc.understandingaccounting.org/glossary/b/#broadcaster "An entity or an affiliated group of entities that transmits radio or television program material.") shall disclose commitments for [license agreements](https://asc.understandingaccounting.org/glossary/l/#license-agreement "A typical license agreement for program material (for example, features, specials, series, or cartoons) covers several programs (a package) and grants a television station, group of stations, network, pay television, or cable television system (licensee) the right to broadcast either a specified number or an unlimited number of showings over a maximum period of time (license period) for a specified fee.") that have been executed but were not reported because they do not meet the conditions for recording a liability as specified in paragraph [920-350-25-2](https://asc.understandingaccounting.org/asc/350/920/#350-920-25-2).