3   Understanding Financial Statements

Glenn Larkin and William Mangum1

To an untrained eye, looking at a typical financial statement can be a frustrating experience. What do all those numbers and terms mean? Can worthwhile information about the financial health and future of a media business be gleaned from this puzzling array of numbers and unfamiliar words? The answer, of course, is yes, given a little tutoring. William “Rick” Mangum and Glenn Larkin take away some of the mystery surrounding financial statements, and demonstrate how they can serve as valuable tools for making many management decisions. Rick Mangum is Vice President Broadcast Accounting for Clear Channel, one of the country’s largest media companies. Glenn Larkin wrote the ...

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