iHeartMedia, Inc. and Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (CCOH) Announce Agreement On Material Terms To Fully Separate CCOH as Independent, Standalone Company Upon Completion of iHeartMedia’s Restructuring

William Eccleshare to Become Chief Executive Officer of the New Standalone CCOH

San Antonio, TX, [December 21, 2018] – iHeartMedia, Inc. (PINK: IHRTQ) (“iHeartMedia”) and Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCO) (“CCOH”) announced that they have reached an agreement on the material terms to fully separate CCOH’s business from iHeartMedia, which currently owns 89.1% of CCOH’s outstanding common stock.

The separation is expected to occur in conjunction with, and is subject to, iHeartMedia’s emergence from its ongoing restructuring process.  The material terms of the separation are outlined in CCOH’s Form 8-K, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, December 17, 2018.

Effective upon iHeartMedia’s emergence, William Eccleshare will become Chief Executive Officer of CCOH. Mr. Eccleshare, who currently serves as Chairman and CEO of Clear Channel International (CCI), has deep experience in creating value for advertisers across the out-of-home industry. He joined CCI in 2009 and went on to lead Clear Channel Outdoor, including full operational responsibility for CCI and Clear Channel Outdoor Americas (CCOA), before assuming his current role, in which he is responsible for overseeing CCI’s business operations in 22 countries across Asia, Europe and Latin America. Mr. Eccleshare will be based in London and will also continue to lead CCI as part of his new role.

Scott Wells will continue to lead CCOA as CEO, driving innovation and a customer-centric focus at the business. He will report to Mr. Eccleshare.

Until the company exits the restructuring process, Bob Pittman and Rich Bressler will continue their current leadership roles for CCOH, with Mr. Pittman as CEO and Mr. Bressler as President and Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. Eccleshare will also be a member of the new Board of Directors of CCOH, which will be announced prior to the separation.

“Today’s announcement is recognition that while iHeartMedia and CCOH are both very strong in their respective areas – iHeartMedia is America’s number one audio company and CCOH is one of the world’s largest outdoor advertising companies – their key constituencies have little strategic overlap. We believe that the separation of the two businesses makes strategic and financial sense, and will allow each company to better achieve their individual missions,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc. and current CEO of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. “Although both businesses are powerful advertising platforms, they each have valuable but different touch points within the advertising community and pursuing separate, highly-targeted strategies will unlock their full potential as freestanding companies.”

“William Eccleshare has a long, successful track record at CCOH, and throughout his career in the advertising industry, and has played an instrumental role in driving growth across CCOH’s business, especially in digital,” said Mr. Pittman. “Scott Wells will continue his successful leadership of CCOA, fostering deep relationships with advertising partners and growing the company’s offerings in exciting areas such as programmatic. With these strong leaders and CCOH’s creative, innovative and dedicated team, the future standalone company will be very well positioned for future growth and success.”

CCOH’s current leadership and Board of Directors will remain in place until iHeartMedia exits its restructuring process, at which time the new executives and Board will assume their responsibilities.

 

 

About iHeartMedia, Inc.

iHeartMedia (NASDAQ: IHRT) is the number one audio company in the United States, reaching nine out of 10 Americans every month. It consists of three business groups.

With its quarter of a billion monthly listeners, the iHeartMedia Multiplatform Group has a greater reach than any other media company in the U.S. Its leadership position in audio extends across multiple platforms, including more than 860 live broadcast stations in over 160 markets nationwide; its National Sales organization; and the company’s live and virtual events business. It also includes Premiere Networks, the industry’s largest Networks business, with its Total Traffic and Weather Network (TTWN); and BIN: Black Information Network, the first and only 24/7 national and local all news audio service for the Black community. iHeartMedia also leads the audio industry in analytics, targeting and attribution for its marketing partners with its SmartAudio suite of data targeting and attribution products using data from its massive consumer base.

The iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group includes the company’s fast-growing podcasting business -- iHeartMedia is the number one podcast publisher in downloads, unique listeners, revenue and earnings -- as well as its industry-leading iHeartRadio digital service, available across more than 250 platforms and 2,000 devices; the company’s digital sites, newsletters, digital services and programs; its digital advertising technology companies; and its audio industry-leading social media footprint.

The company’s Audio & Media Services reportable segment includes Katz Media Group, the nation’s largest media representation company, and RCS, the world's leading provider of broadcast and webcast software.

Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.