EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 104889
Filing Year: 2024
Filename: 104889_10-K_2024_0000104889-24-000010.json

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Item 1. Business.
Graham Holdings Company (the Company) is a diversified holding company whose operations include educational services, television broadcasting, manufacturing, healthcare, automotive dealerships and other businesses. Through Kaplan, Inc. (Kaplan), the Company provides a wide variety of educational services to students, schools, colleges, universities and businesses, both domestically and outside the United States (U.S.), including academic preparation programs for international students, English-language programs, operations support services for pre-college, certificate, undergraduate and graduate programs, exam preparation for high school and graduate students and for professional certifications and licensures, career and academic advisement services to businesses, and operates a United Kingdom (U.K.) sixth-form college that prepares students for A-level examinations. The Company’s television broadcasting segment owns and operates seven television broadcast stations and provides social media management tools designed to connect newsrooms with their users. The Company’s manufacturing companies comprise the ownership of a supplier of pressure-treated wood, a manufacturer of electrical solutions, a manufacturer of lifting solutions, and a supplier of parts used in electric utilities and industrial systems. The Company’s healthcare segment provides home health, hospice and palliative services, in-home specialty pharmacy infusion therapies, applied behavior analysis therapy, physician services for allergy, asthma and immunology patients, in-home aesthetics, and healthcare software-as-a-service technology. The Company’s automotive business comprises eight dealerships and valet repair services. The Company’s other businesses include an online art gallery and in-person art fair business; an online commerce platform featuring original art and designs on an array of consumer products; an owner and operator of websites; restaurants; a custom framing company; a marketing solutions provider; a customer data and analytics software company; Slate and Foreign Policy magazines; and a daily local news podcast and newsletter company.
Financial information concerning the principal segments of the Company’s business for the past three fiscal years is contained in Note 19 to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Revenues for each segment are shown in Note 19 gross of intersegment sales. Consolidated revenues are reported net of intersegment sales, which did not exceed 0.1% of consolidated operating revenues.
The Company’s operations in geographic areas outside the U.S. consist primarily of Kaplan’s non-U.S. operations. During each of the fiscal years 2023, 2022 and 2021, these operations accounted for approximately 21%, 20% and 22%, respectively, of the Company’s consolidated revenues, and the identifiable assets attributable to non-U.S. operations represented approximately 20% and 21% of the Company’s consolidated assets at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
EDUCATION
Kaplan provides an extensive range of education and related services worldwide for students, universities and businesses. Kaplan products and services reach learners directly or through Kaplan’s many relationships. These relationships include approximately 15,000 companies and approximately 3,300 universities, colleges, schools and school districts, which, along with individual students and professionals, pay for Kaplan’s products and services. In 2023, Kaplan was the provider for the educational needs of approximately 1.2 million students and professionals worldwide who engaged with Kaplan services and materials in-person, online, through their schools (K-12, college, or university) or through their employer education or coaching programs. In 2023, Kaplan’s reach also included sales of 1.8 million units of book/study aid products to individuals, businesses, schools, colleges and universities.
Kaplan conducts its business through two operating segments: Kaplan International (KI), and Kaplan North America (KNA). KNA conducts business through two operating segments, Higher Education and Supplemental Education. In addition, the results of the Kaplan Corporate segment consist of results of Kaplan’s investment activities in education technology companies.
Kaplan International
KI operates businesses in Europe and the Middle East, North America and the Asia Pacific region, each of which is discussed below.
Europe and the Middle East. In Europe, KI operates the following businesses, all of which are based in the U.K. and Ireland: Kaplan UK, KI Pathways, Kaplan Languages Group, Mander Portman Woodward, Dublin Business School, Kaplan Open Learning and BridgeU. In the Middle East, Kaplan Professional Middle East is based in the United Arab Emirates.
The Kaplan UK business in Europe, through Kaplan Financial Limited, is a provider of apprenticeship training and test preparation services for accounting and financial services professionals, including those studying for ACCA, CIMA and ICAEW qualifications. Headquartered in London, England, Kaplan UK has 14 training centers located throughout the U.K. In 2023, Kaplan UK provided courses to over 48,000 students in accountancy and financial
services. In 2018, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) awarded Kaplan UK the contract to become the sole authorized assessment provider for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) for all candidates seeking to become a solicitor in England and Wales. The first SQE assessments took place in 2021. The former Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS) exam for candidates seeking to become solicitors of England and Wales who are already qualified lawyers in certain recognized jurisdictions has now been discontinued as all candidates are required to take the SQE.
The KI Pathways business offers academic preparation programs designed for international students who wish to study for degrees at universities in English-speaking countries. KI Pathways also recruits international students for enrollment in certain U.S., U.K. and Canadian university partner programs. In 2023, university preparation programs were delivered in Australia, Japan, Singapore, the U.K. and the U.S.
The Kaplan Languages Group business provides English-language training, academic preparation programs and test preparation for English proficiency exams, principally for students wishing to study and travel in English-speaking countries. As of December 31, 2023, the Kaplan Languages Group operated 20 English-language schools, with 13 located in the U.K., Ireland and Canada and seven located in the U.S. In 2023, the Kaplan Languages Group served approximately 28,000 students for in-class and online English-language instruction. Through the Alpadia language schools located in France, Germany and Switzerland, Kaplan Languages Group also offers French and German language training to adolescents (from 16+) and adults. Alpadia also operates language camps for juniors (from 8+) and teens during the fall, spring and summer seasons in the U.K., France, Germany and Switzerland. As of December 31, 2023, the Alpadia language schools served approximately 8,200 students.
Mander Portman Woodward (MPW) is a U.K. independent sixth-form college that prepares domestic and international students for the A-level examinations that U.K. universities require for admission. MPW comprises three fifth- and sixth-form colleges in London, Cambridge and Birmingham.
KI also operates Dublin Business School in Ireland, a higher education institution, and Kaplan Open Learning in the U.K., an online learning institution working in partnership with the University of Essex and the University of Liverpool. At the end of 2023, these institutions enrolled an aggregate of approximately 11,500 students.
In 2023, Kaplan Professional Middle East, a financial training business operating in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, taught approximately 4,700 students.
U.K. Immigration Regulations. Certain KI businesses serve a significant number of international students; therefore, it is critical that these businesses are able to sponsor international students to come to the U.K. The United Kingdom Visas and Immigration Department (UKVI) administers certain regulations pursuant to which the KI Pathways business is required to hold or operate sponsorship licenses. KI Pathways is required to hold Student Route licenses for international students aged 16 and above who enter the U.K. on a Student Route Visa to enroll in the courses KI Pathways delivers.
Each Student Route license holder is required to hold Educational Oversight accreditation, which requires a current and satisfactory full risk assessment, audit or review by the appropriate governing academic standards body. Student Route license holders are also required to pass the annual Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA). For the twelfth consecutive year, all KI institutions have retained Educational Oversight accreditation, with high grades across colleges, and all Student Route annual BCA renewals have been approved with high scores in the core measurable requirements. Students at English language schools generally choose to enter the U.K. on a Visitor or Short Term Student visa. The MPW schools each hold current Student Route and Child Student Route (applicable to students aged 4-17) licenses and have performed well consistently, with good records in their inspections by their applicable oversight bodies.
The Higher Education and Research Act 2017 created a new regulator for higher education in England, the Office for Students (OfS). All of KI’s higher education businesses in the U.K., excluding Glasgow International College and University of York International Pathway College, retained registration with the OfS in 2023 to ensure that they could continue operating and retain their Student Route sponsor licenses and/or continue to accept students funded by U.K. student loans. Glasgow International College, located in Scotland, is not regulated by the OfS and remains overseen by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). The University of York International Pathway College forms part of the University of York’s OfS registration. No assurance can be given that each KI business in the U.K. will be able to maintain its Student Route or Child Student route license and Educational Oversight or OfS/QAA registration. Maintenance of each of these approvals requires compliance with several core metrics that may be difficult to sustain. The loss by one or more institutions of the Student Route or Child Student route license, Educational Oversight accreditation or OfS/QAA registration would have a material adverse effect on KI Europe’s operating results.
Asia Pacific. In the Asia Pacific region, Kaplan operates businesses primarily in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the People’s Republic of China, including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong).
Singapore. In Singapore, Kaplan operates two businesses: Kaplan Higher Education and Kaplan Financial (which comprises the former Kaplan Higher Education Academy (KHEA)-Genesis business unit). During 2023, the Kaplan Higher Education and Kaplan Financial divisions served more than 6,900 students from Singapore and approximately 3,100 students from other countries throughout Asia and Western Europe. Kaplan Financial provided short courses to approximately 600 professionals, managers, executives and businesspeople in 2023.
Kaplan Singapore’s Higher Education business provides students with the opportunity to earn bachelor’s and postgraduate degrees in various fields on either a part-time or full-time basis. Kaplan Singapore’s students receive degrees from affiliated educational institutions in Australia, Ireland and the U.K. In addition, this division offers pre-university and diploma programs.
Kaplan Singapore’s Kaplan Financial business provides preparatory courses for professional qualifications in accountancy and finance, such as the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
In June 2021, the Committee for Private Education (CPE) instructed Kaplan Singapore to cease new enrollments in a number of diploma programs. In 2022, Kaplan Singapore successfully applied for re-registration of certain diploma and additional full-time and part-time programs. In May 2022, CPE also renewed Kaplan Singapore’s registration as a private education institution for a four-year period expiring in 2026. In 2023, Kaplan Singapore successfully renewed the certification required for private education institutions to enroll international students and offer certain programs.
Australia. In Australia, Kaplan delivers a broad range of financial services programs from certificate level through master’s level, professional development offerings through Kaplan Professional, and higher education programs in business, accounting, business analytics, hospitality, and information technology through Kaplan Business School. In 2023, these businesses provided courses to approximately 9,700 students through face-to-face and online programs. Kaplan Professionals offered programs to approximately 26,000 students through online or distance-learning programs. In 2023, Kaplan Professional also had approximately 38,000 subscribers for Ontrack, its continuing professional development platform for financial services professionals.
The Kaplan Australia Pathways business is also part of KI Pathways. In 2023, it consisted of Murdoch College, the University of Newcastle College of International Education and the University of Adelaide College, and offered face-to-face pathways and foundational education to approximately 1,600 students wishing to enter associated universities. New programs were launched during 2023 at the University of Newcastle College of International Education. Murdoch College commenced English foundation studies and Murdoch University preparation courses in February 2023, and diploma programs in business and IT were approved by Australia’s national regulator, Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), and will begin in early 2024. Offering other planned programs is dependent on regulatory approval. Kaplan Australia ceased to offer any standalone English language courses in 2023 as planned.
Kaplan International New Zealand operates a pathways college in Aukland in partnership with Massey University, known as Massey University College. Kaplan Australia also owns Red Marker Pty Ltd., a machine learning and artificial intelligence-based provider of legal risk detection for digital, advertising and marketing content. Red Marker supports a wide variety of industries, including financial services, telecoms, automotive, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, media and government bodies. Red Marker’s Artemis product detects potentially noncompliant content as it is being created, helping advisers and licensees identify and remediate compliance risks.
Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, Kaplan operates three main business units: Kaplan Financial, Kaplan Language Training and Kaplan Higher Education, serving approximately 6,500 students annually.
Kaplan Hong Kong’s Financial division delivers preparatory courses to approximately 5,650 students and business executives wishing to earn professional qualifications in accountancy, financial markets designations and other professional fields.
Kaplan Hong Kong’s Language Training division offers test preparation for both overseas study and college applications, including TOEFL, IELTS, SAT and GMAT, to approximately 160 students.
Kaplan Hong Kong’s Higher Education division offers both part-time and full-time programs to local students in Hong Kong and international students from Europe; providing students with the opportunity to earn diplomas, bachelor’s and postgraduate degrees in various fields from affiliated educational institutions in Australia, the U.K. and Germany.
In 2014, Kaplan Holdings Limited (Hong Kong) signed a joint venture agreement with CITIC Press Corporation. Under the terms of the agreement, the parties incorporated a joint venture company, Kaplan CITIC Education Co. Limited, 49% of which is owned by Kaplan Holdings Limited. The joint venture company is carrying out the publishing and distribution of Kaplan Financial training products in the People’s Republic of China.
Each of Kaplan’s international businesses is subject to unique and often complex regulatory environments in the countries in which they operate, and the degree of consistency in the application and interpretation of such regulations can vary significantly in certain jurisdictions.
Kaplan North America
KNA is comprised of two segments, Kaplan North America Higher Education and Kaplan North America Supplemental Education.
Through its Higher Education and Supplemental Education units, KNA provides operations support services to institutions of higher education for online courses and programs as well as directly providing courses, programs and training to pre-college, certificate, undergraduate and graduate students, and professionals. These include professional training and exam preparation for professional certifications and licensures both direct to students and professionals and through agreements with institutions and corporate partner employees, online pre-college summer programs in partnership with traditional universities, and pre-college and graduate entrance exam test preparation services. KNA’s non-academic operations support services for online pre-college, certificate, undergraduate and graduate programs are provided to institutions including Purdue University, Purdue University Global, Creighton University, Wake Forest University and Lynn University.
Kaplan North America Higher Education
Transition and Support Operations for Purdue University Global. KNA provides operations support functions to Purdue University Global (Purdue Global) which operates largely online as an Indiana public university affiliated with Purdue University. The operations support activities that KNA provides to Purdue Global (and other institutions of higher education, including Purdue University) include technology support, helpdesk functions, human resources support for transferred faculty and employees, admissions support, financial aid processing, back-office business functions, certain test preparation and other non-academic functions.
The support functions provided to Purdue Global are provided under a Transition and Operations Support Agreement (TOSA), which was entered into in March 2018 at the time Kaplan transferred the institutional assets and academic operations of Kaplan University (its postsecondary education operations) to Purdue Global. The TOSA was amended in July 2019. Pursuant to the TOSA, KNA is not entitled to receive any reimbursement of costs incurred in providing support functions, or any fee, unless and until Purdue Global has first covered all of its academic costs (subject to a cap). If Purdue Global achieves cost efficiencies in its operations, Purdue Global may be entitled to an additional payment equal to 20% of such cost efficiencies (Purdue Efficiency Payment). In addition, during each of Purdue Global’s first five years until 2023, prior to any payment to KNA, Purdue Global was entitled to a priority payment of $10 million per year beyond costs (Purdue Priority Payment). Upon closing of the transaction, Kaplan paid to Purdue Global an advance in the amount of $20 million, representing, and in lieu of, a Purdue Priority Payment for each of the fiscal years ending June 30, 2019, and June 30, 2020. Kaplan is entitled to reimbursement of this advance, subject to available cash or upon termination of the TOSA.
To the extent that there is sufficient revenue, Purdue Global is reimbursed for its academic costs (subject to a cap) and is paid any Purdue Efficiency Payment and Purdue Priority Payment, if due. To the extent that there is remaining revenue, KNA is then reimbursed for its operating costs (subject to a cap) of providing the support functions. If KNA achieves cost efficiencies in its operations, then KNA may be entitled to an additional payment equal to 20% of such cost efficiencies (KNA Efficiency Payment). The TOSA, as amended, reflects the parties’ intent that, subject to available cash (calculated as cash balance minus cash deficiencies, if any, projected for the next six-month period based on applicable budget), KNA is entitled to receive a payment equal to 12.5% (increased to 13% beginning on June 30, 2023 and through June 30, 2027) of Purdue Global’s revenue, which served as the deferred purchase price for the transfer of Kaplan University to Purdue Global (Deferred Purchase Price). Separately, KNA is entitled to a fee for services provided equal to 8% of KNA’s costs of providing such services to Purdue Global (Contributor Service Fee). KNA’s Contributor Service Fee is deducted from any amounts owed to KNA for the Deferred Purchase Price. Together these payments are known as “Contributor Compensation.” In each case, the Contributor Compensation remains subject to available cash and certain limitations on unpaid amounts carrying over from year to year.
In addition, beginning in 2023, to the extent that there are sufficient revenues after payment of the KNA Efficiency Payment (if any), Purdue Global is entitled to an annual payment equal to 10% of the remaining revenue after the KNA Efficiency Payment (if any) is paid, subject to certain other adjustments.
The TOSA has a 30-year initial term, which will automatically renew for five-year periods unless terminated. After the sixth year, Purdue Global has the right to terminate the agreement upon payment of an early termination fee equal to 125% of Purdue Global’s total revenue earned during the preceding 12-month period, which payment would be made pursuant to a 10-year note, and at the election of Purdue Global, for no additional consideration, it may receive certain tangible assets used exclusively by KNA to provide the support functions pursuant to the TOSA. At the end of the 30-year term, if Purdue Global does not renew the TOSA, Purdue Global will be obligated to make a
final payment of 75% of its total revenue earned during the preceding 12-month period, which payment will be made pursuant to a 10-year note, and, at the election of Purdue Global, for no additional consideration, it may receive certain assets used exclusively by KNA to provide the support activities pursuant to the TOSA. Either party may terminate the TOSA at any time if Purdue Global generates (i) $25 million in cash operating losses for three consecutive years or (ii) aggregate cash operating losses greater than $75 million at any point during the initial term. Operating loss is defined as the amount by which the sum of (1) Purdue Global’s and KNA’s respective costs in performing academic and support functions and (2) the $10 million Purdue Priority Payment in each of the first five years following March 22, 2018, exceeds the revenue Purdue Global generates for the applicable fiscal year. Upon termination for any reason, Purdue Global will retain the assets that Kaplan contributed pursuant to the TOSA. Each party also has certain termination rights in connection with a material default or material breach of the TOSA by the other party. Short of termination, Purdue Global has the right to take over from Kaplan (in-source) the provision of certain back-office support functions at any time with nine months’ notice. Those functions include technology support, human resources, facility and property management, finance and accounting, communications, and default management. In 2022, Purdue Global began working with KNA to provide, pursuant to the TOSA, certain human resources, finance and accounting, facility management, and communications services in-house.
Postsecondary Online Managed Services. In addition to services provided to Purdue Global through the TOSA, KNA provides specific non-academic managed services to university online programs at institutions including Wake Forest, Creighton University, Lynn University and Purdue University. These services include analytics, technology support, marketing, student advising and admissions support, and curriculum development support. Kaplan receives payment from university clients for these services, which may be based in part on the revenue of the programs Kaplan supports.
Pre-college Programs. KNA’s Prelum provides online pre-college programs for high school students to explore careers and courses in partnership with leading postsecondary institutions. The programs also enable KNA’s university partners to build a relationship with prospective students and to introduce them to their academic offerings, unique educational approach and culture. KNA’s Prelum programs have served thousands of students all over the world and in all 50 states, and include more than 50 programs in partnership with eight university partners including Wake Forest, Rice University, Columbia University Business School, Georgetown University, and Parsons Paris.
Higher Education Regulatory Environment. KNA no longer owns or operates Kaplan University or any other institution participating in student financial aid programs created under Title IV of the U.S. Federal Higher Education Act of 1965 (Higher Education Act), as amended (Title IV). KNA provides services to Purdue Global, Purdue University, Wake Forest University, Lynn University, Creighton University, and other Title IV participating institutions that may require KNA to comply with certain laws and regulations, including applicable statutory provisions of Title IV. Currently, KNA also provides financial aid services to Purdue Global (but no other institution). Due to the provision of these services to Purdue Global, pursuant to current U.S. Department of Education (ED) guidance, KNA meets the definition of a “Third-Party Servicer” contained in the Title IV regulations. As a Third-Party Servicer, KNA is subject to applicable statutory provisions of Title IV and ED regulations that, among other things, require KNA to be jointly and severally liable with Purdue Global to the ED for any violation by KNA or Purdue Global of any Title IV statute or ED regulation or requirement. Changes to the ED’s guidance on Third-Party Servicers including a change to the definition of what entity or services fall within the scope of the Third-Party Servicer regulations could cause KNA to be considered a Third-Party Servicer for other university clients. KNA is also subject to other federal and state laws, including, but not limited to, federal and state consumer protection laws and rules prohibiting unfair or deceptive marketing practices, data privacy, data protection and information security requirements established by federal state and foreign governments, including, for example, the Federal Trade Commission and the applicable provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act regarding the privacy of student records. KNA’s failure to comply with these and other federal and state laws and regulations could result in adverse consequences to KNA’s business, including, for example:
•The imposition on KNA and/or Kaplan of fines, other sanctions or liabilities, including, without limitation, repayment obligations for Title IV funds to the ED or the termination or limitation on Kaplan’s eligibility to provide services as a Third-Party Servicer to any Title IV participating institution;
•Adverse effects on KNA’s business and results of operations from a reduction or loss in KNA’s revenues under the TOSA or any other agreement with any Title IV participating institution if a client institution loses or has limits placed on its Title IV eligibility, accreditation, operations or state licensure, or is subject to fines, repayment obligations or other adverse actions due to noncompliance by KNA (or the institution) with Title IV, accreditor, federal or state agency requirements;
•Liability under the TOSA or any other agreement with any Title IV participating institution for noncompliance with federal, state or accreditation requirements arising from KNA’s conduct; and
•Liability for noncompliance with Title IV or other federal or state laws and regulations occurring prior to the transfer of Kaplan University to Purdue.
The laws, regulations and other requirements applicable to KNA or any KNA client institutions are subject to change and to interpretation. For example, borrower defense to repayment regulations that allow students to discharge certain federal loans and provide a process for the ED to recover the discharged amounts from the students’ school, and closed school loan discharges may create liability for Kaplan as a past owner of Title IV eligible institutions. The ED also finalized changes to the borrower defense regulations which expand the types of claims that can be made by students, reinstating the ability of the ED to consider claims as a group, removing limitation periods on claims, and changing the process for seeking recoupment from institutions. In addition, as part of a Negotiated Rulemaking, new rules and changes to existing rules were finalized by the ED in the fourth quarter of 2022 and became effective on July 1, 2023. Included in these new rules is a change to the Title IV definition of “nonprofit” institution to generally exclude from that definition any institution that is an obligor on a debt owed to a former owner of the institution or that maintains a revenue-based service agreement with a former owner of the institution. The ED intends to apply this new definition to public institutions as well as private nonprofit institutions. Such regulatory changes including those described above could subject Kaplan or its partner institutions to additional regulatory requirements and liabilities.
Incentive compensation. Under the ED’s incentive compensation rule, an institution participating in Title IV programs may not provide any commission, bonus or other incentive payment to any person or entity engaged in any student recruiting or admission activities or in making decisions regarding the awarding of Title IV funds if such payment is based directly or indirectly on success in securing enrollments or financial aid. KNA is a third party providing bundled services to Title IV participating institutions that include recruiting and, in the case of Purdue Global, financial aid services. As such, KNA is also subject to the incentive compensation rules as applied to the institutions it serves and cannot provide any commission, bonus or other incentive payment to any covered employees, subcontractors or other party engaged in certain student recruiting, admission or financial aid activities based on success in securing enrollments or financial aid. In addition, tuition revenue-sharing payments to KNA under the TOSA (as well as any other agreement with any Title IV participating institution) must comply with the ED’s revenue sharing guidance related to bundled services agreements. For more information, see Item 1A. Risk Factors. Failure to Comply with the ED’s Title IV Incentive Compensation Rule Could Subject Kaplan to Liabilities, Sanctions and Fines.
Misrepresentations. A Title IV participating institution is required to comply with the ED regulations related to misrepresentations and with related federal and state laws. These laws and regulations are broad in scope and may extend to statements by servicers, such as KNA, that provide marketing or certain other services to such institutions. The laws and regulations may also apply to KNA’s employees and agents with respect to statements addressing the nature of an institution’s programs, financial charges or the employability of its graduates. Additionally, failure to comply with these and other federal and state laws and regulations regarding misrepresentations and marketing practices could result in the imposition on KNA or its client institutions of fines, other sanctions or liabilities, including, without limitation, federal student aid repayment obligations to the ED, the termination or limitation on KNA’s eligibility to provide services as a third-party servicer to Title IV participating institutions, the termination or limitation of a client institution’s eligibility to participate in the Title IV programs, or legal action by students or other third parties. A violation of misrepresentation regulations or other federal or state laws and regulations applicable to the services KNA provides to its client institutions arising out of statements by KNA, its employees or agents could require KNA to pay the costs associated with indemnifying its client institutions from losses resulting from the violation and could result in fines, other sanctions or liabilities imposed on KNA.
Compliance by client institutions with Title IV program requirements and other federal, state and accreditation requirements. KNA currently provides services to education institutions that are subject to federal and state laws and regulations and extensive accrediting body requirements. A material portion of KNA’s revenues is attributable to deferred purchase price and service fees it receives under the TOSA with Purdue Global, which are dependent upon revenues generated by Purdue Global and dependent upon Purdue Global’s eligibility to participate in the Title IV federal student aid program. To maintain Title IV eligibility, Purdue Global and KNA’s other client institutions must be certified by the ED as eligible institutions, maintain authorizations by applicable state education agencies and be accredited by an accrediting commission recognized by the ED. Purdue Global and KNA’s other client institutions must also comply with the extensive statutory and regulatory requirements of the Higher Education Act and other state and federal laws and accrediting standards relating to their financial aid management, educational programs, financial strength, disbursement and return of Title IV funds, facilities, recruiting practices, representations made by the school and other parties, and various other matters. Additionally, Purdue Global and other client institutions are subject to laws and regulations that, among other things, limit student default rates on the repayment of Title IV loans, permit borrower defenses to repayment of Title IV loans based on certain conduct of the institution, establish specific measures of financial responsibility and administrative capability, regulate the addition of new campuses
and programs and other institutional changes; require compliance with state professional licensure board requirements to the extent applicable to institutional programs and require state authorization and institutional and programmatic accreditation. If the ED finds that Purdue Global or other client institutions have failed to comply with Title IV requirements or improperly disbursed or retained Title IV program funds, it may take one or more of a number of actions, including, but not limited to:
•fining the school;
•requiring the school to repay Title IV program funds;
•limiting or terminating the school’s eligibility to participate in Title IV programs;
•initiating an emergency action to suspend the school’s participation in Title IV programs without prior notice or opportunity for a hearing;
•transferring the school to a method of Title IV payment that would adversely affect the timing of the institution’s receipt of Title IV funds;
•requiring the school to submit a letter of credit;
•denying or refusing to consider the school’s application for renewal of its certification to participate in the Title IV programs or for approval to add a new campus or educational program; and
•referring the matter for possible civil or criminal investigation.
If Purdue Global or other client institutions lose or have limits placed on their Title IV eligibility, accreditation or state licensure, or if they are subject to fines, repayment obligations or other adverse actions due to their or KNA’s noncompliance with Title IV regulations, accreditor or state agency requirements or other state or federal laws, KNA’s financial results of operations could be adversely affected. After acquiring Kaplan University, on August 3, 2018, Purdue Global received an updated Provisional Program Participation Agreement (PPPA) from the ED which is necessary for continued participation in the federal Title IV programs after the change in ownership from Kaplan to Purdue. The PPPA expired on June 30, 2021, but continued in effect until extended, replaced by a final approved Program Participation Agreement, or specifically terminated. On October 15, 2021, Purdue Global received from the ED a new PPPA granting provisional certification until June 30, 2022. This PPPA was again extended month to month until August 18, 2022, when the ED granted a new provisional certification until June 30, 2024. Under this most recent PPPA, Purdue Global must apply for and receive approval for expansion or any substantial change before it may award, disburse or distribute Title IV funds based on the substantial change. Substantial changes generally include, but are not limited to: (a) the establishment of an additional location; (b) an increase in the level of academic offering beyond those listed in the institution’s Eligibility and Certification Approval Report; (c) the addition of any educational program (including degree, non-degree or short-term training programs), or (d) the addition of any new degree program. In addition, the institution must pay any liabilities found in a currently open program review prior to the expiration of the PPPA. Purdue Global must also inform the ED on a quarterly basis of any governmental investigations involving the university and provide the ED with a summary of any student complaints. The provisional certification ends upon the ED’s notification to the institution of the ED’s decision to grant or deny a six-year certification to participate in the Title IV, Higher Education Act programs.
Compliance, regulatory actions, reviews and litigation. KNA and its client institutions are subject to reviews, audits, investigations and other compliance reviews conducted by various regulatory agencies and auditors, including, among others, the ED, the ED’s Office of the Inspector General, accrediting bodies and state and various other federal agencies. These compliance reviews could result in findings of noncompliance with statutory and regulatory requirements that could, in turn, result in the imposition of fines, liabilities, civil or criminal penalties or other sanctions against KNA and its client institutions. Separately, if KNA provides financial aid services to more than one Title IV participating institution (i.e., one or more participating institutions in addition to Purdue Global), or if the ED expands the current interpretation of the definition of Third-Party Servicer to include services in addition to providing financial aid services, KNA will be required to arrange for an independent auditor to conduct an annual Title IV compliance audit of KNA’s compliance with applicable ED requirements. KNA’s client institutions are also required to arrange for an independent auditor to conduct an annual Title IV compliance audit of their compliance with applicable ED requirements, including requirements related to services provided by KNA.
In May 2021, Kaplan received notice from the ED that it would be conducting a fact-finding process pursuant to the borrower defense to repayment (BDTR) regulations to determine the validity of BDTR claims and a request for documents related to several of Kaplan’s previously owned schools. In 2021, Kaplan received borrower defense applications from the ED seeking discharge of approximately $35 million in loans, excluding interest, from former Kaplan University students. It is not clear to what extent the ED will exclude claims based on the underlying statutes of limitations, evidence provided by Kaplan, prior settlements with these students relieving their debt outside of the BDTR process, or any prior investigation related to schools attended by the student applicants. The ED’s process
for adjudicating these claims is subject to the borrower defense regulations including those finalized in 2022 and effective July 1, 2023. Compared to the previous rule, the new rule in part, expands actions that can give rise to claims for discharge; provides that the borrower’s claim will be presumed true if the institution does not provide any responsive evidence; provides an easier process for group claims; and relies on current program review penalty hearing processes for discharge recoupment. Under the rule, the recoupment process applies only to loans first disbursed after July 1, 2023; however, the discharge process and standards apply to any pending application regardless of the loan date.
Kaplan believes it has substantive as well as procedural defenses to the borrower defense claims that would bar any student discharge or school liability including that the claims are barred by the applicable statute of limitations, are unproven, incomplete and fail to meet regulatory filing requirements. Kaplan expects to vigorously defend any attempt by the ED to hold Kaplan liable for any ultimate student discharges. Kaplan responded to the initial set of claims in 2021 with documentary and narrative evidence to refute the allegations, demonstrate their lack of merit, and support the denial of all such claims by the ED. Kaplan intends to similarly respond to any new claims that apply to Kaplan University or prior Kaplan-owned schools. If the claims are successful, the ED may seek reimbursement for the amount discharged from Kaplan. If the ED initiates a reimbursement action against Kaplan following approval of former students’ BDTR applications, Kaplan may be subject to significant liability.
As part of the Sweet v. Cardona settlement described below, the ED agreed to review any borrower defense applications submitted between June 23, 2022, and November 15, 2022 on an expedited basis. In January 2024, Kaplan was informed that the ED received applications during this time period regarding former Kaplan University and Purdue Global students and Kaplan has begun to receive them. Unknown at this time is the total discharge amount sought or how much of that amount would apply to Kaplan University students. The Sweet v. Cardona settlement requires the ED to adjudicate applications received during the designated time period pursuant to the requirements of the 2016 Borrower Defense Regulation. To the extent these applications apply to Kaplan University, Kaplan anticipates that it will have defenses similar to those described above. As noted, if the claims are successful, the ED may seek reimbursement for the amount discharged from Kaplan. If the ED initiates a reimbursement action against Kaplan following approval of additional former students’ borrower defense to repayment applications, Kaplan may be subject to significant liability.
In November 2022 the Northern District of California approved the settlement agreement in the lawsuit Sweet v. Cardona. The Plaintiffs in that lawsuit claimed that the ED failed to properly consider and decide pending BDTR claims. As part of the settlement, the ED agreed to discharge loans of borrowers who attended 150 specific schools, including all schools formerly owned by Kaplan, and who had BDTR claims pending as of the June 22, 2022 settlement execution date. This discharge will likely cover each of the first set of applications the ED sent to Kaplan and to which Kaplan previously responded. The ED and the Court made clear that these discharges as part of a settlement are not determinations that the pending BDTR claims are valid and the fact of the settlement discharge cannot be used as evidence of any determination of wrongdoing by the institutions. However, despite the fact that the loans are discharged per the settlement, the ED may still attempt to separately adjudicate the associated BDTR claims and follow the regulatory process for seeking recoupment from the institutions for such claims. As noted above, this settlement likely also applies to the resolution, future adjudication, and possible discharge of the newly noticed claims. As also noted, the ED could attempt to recoup from Kaplan some or all of any discharged amount for the newly noticed claims.
In addition, Kaplan could be the subject of future compliance reviews or lawsuits related to formerly owned Kaplan University and Kaplan Higher Education (KHE) schools in connection with the pre-sale conduct of such schools that could result in monetary liabilities or fines or other sanctions against Kaplan.
Kaplan North America Supplemental Education
KNA’s Supplemental Education includes exam preparation, professional licensure and certification, corporate training and continuing education. KNA offers a wide array of programs and services across various markets focusing on lifetime value creation and professional lifecycles. These markets are discussed below.
In 2023, KNA served over 943,000 students through its exam preparation, professional licensure and certification, and corporate training and continuing education programs and related products (such as tutoring, online question banks and online practice tests), excluding sales of test prep books by third-party retailers. Virtually all KNA exam preparation programs are offered online, typically in a live online classroom or a self-study format, although some programs are offered in person. Private tutoring services are provided online. In 2023, KNA served approximately 3,200 business-to-business clients, including approximately 158 Fortune 500 companies.
Pre-college and Social Sciences. KNA provides exam preparation for high school and graduate students under the Kaplan Test Prep, Manhattan Prep and Barron’s Educational Series brands for a broad range of standardized, high-stakes tests, including the SAT, ACT, GMAT and GRE. KNA also provides admissions consulting, tutoring and other advisory services.
Healthcare. KNA provides exam preparation for the medical college admissions test (MCAT) and professional licensure exam preparation for physicians (USMLE), nurses (NCLEX), pharmacists (NAPLEX), dentists (NBDE) and physician assistants (PANCE). Under the brand i-Human Patients, KNA offers online, simulated patient interaction training for medical health professionals, which is typically purchased by medical, nursing and physician assistant schools. KNA’s USMLE in-person programs are accredited and the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) is approved for students and operates under the Kaplan Medical Prep brand. Under the brand, Projects in Knowledge, KNA offers continuing medical education for physicians, nurses and pharmacists which is accredited by Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education.
Legal and Government. KNA offers exam preparation for the law school admissions test (LSAT) and state bar licensure exam preparation for lawyers in 50 jurisdictions through Kaplan Bar Review and Preliminary Multistate Bar Review (PMBR). For the military, KNA offers the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) that measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success in the military and offers practice test questions for Navy advancement exams on a subscription basis through the brand, Bluejacketeer.
Business and Financial. Professional licensure products are operated under the brands Dearborn Real Estate Education, Kaplan Real Estate Education, Bob Hogue School of Real Estate, Kaplan Financial Education and Kaplan Schweser. KNA helps professionals obtain certifications, licenses and designations to enable them to advance their careers. Additionally, KNA collaborates with organizations to solve their talent management challenges through customized corporate learning and development solutions. Through live and online instruction, KNA provides professional license test preparation, licensing and continuing education, as well as leadership and professional development programs to businesses and individuals in the accounting, insurance, securities, real estate, financial services and wealth management areas.
Technology and Engineering. KNA offers licensing exam preparation for engineers, architects and designers under the brand name PPI.
Publishing. Kaplan Publishing focuses on Kaplan Test Prep, Barron’s, and Manhattan Prep test preparation and reference resources sold through retail channels. At the end of 2023, Kaplan Publishing had 1,100 products available in print and digital formats, including 305 digital products.
TELEVISION BROADCASTING
Graham Media Group, Inc. (GMG), a subsidiary of the Company, owns seven television stations located in Houston, TX; Detroit, MI; Orlando, FL; San Antonio, TX; Jacksonville, FL; and Roanoke, VA, as well as SocialNewsDesk, a provider of social media management tools designed to connect newsrooms with their users. The following table sets forth certain information with respect to each of the Company’s television stations:
Station, Location and
Year Commercial
Operation Commenced National
Market
Ranking (a) Primary
Network
Affiliation Expiration
Date of FCC
License Expiration Date
of Network
Agreement Total Commercial
Stations
in DMA (b)
KPRC, Houston, TX, 1949
6th
NBC
Aug. 1, 2030
Dec. 31, 2025
WDIV, Detroit, MI, 1947 14th NBC Oct. 1, 2029 Dec. 31, 2025 8
WKMG, Orlando, FL, 1954
16th
CBS
Feb. 1, 2029
June 30, 2026
KSAT, San Antonio, TX, 1957 31st ABC Aug. 1, 2030 March 31, 2026 12
WJXT, Jacksonville, FL, 1947 41st None Feb. 1, 2029 - 8
WCWJ, Jacksonville, FL, 1966 41st CW Feb. 1, 2029 Aug. 31, 2025 8
WSLS, Roanoke, VA, 1952 70th
NBC Oct. 1, 2028 Dec. 31, 2025 7
_________________________________________________________________________________
(a) Source: 2023/2024 Local Television Market Universe Estimates, the Nielsen Company, November 2023 and effective January 1, 2024, based on television homes in DMA (see note (b) below).
(b) Full-power commercial TV stations, Designated Market Area (DMA) is a market designation of the Nielsen Company that defines each television market exclusive of another, based on measured viewing patterns.
Revenue from broadcasting operations is derived primarily from the sale of advertising to local, regional and national advertisers. In 2023, advertising revenue accounted for 55% of the total for GMG’s operations. Advertising revenue is sensitive to a number of factors, some specific to a particular station or market and others more general in nature. These factors include a station’s audience share and market ranking; seasonal fluctuations in demand for airtime; annual or biannual events, such as sporting events and political elections; and broader economic and other market trends, including alternative advertising platforms, among others.
Regulation of Broadcasting and Related Matters
GMG’s television broadcasting operations are subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under the U.S. Federal Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the Communications Act). Each GMG television station holds an FCC license that is renewable upon application for an eight-year period. As shown in the table above, the current terms of the GMG station licenses expire between 2028 and 2030. GMG expects the FCC to grant future license renewal applications for its stations in due course, but cannot provide any assurances that the FCC will do so.
Digital Television (DTV) and Spectrum Issues. Each GMG station (and each full-power television station nationwide) broadcasts only in a digital format, which allows transmission of HDTV programming and multiple channels of standard-definition television programming (multicasting).
Television stations may receive interference from a variety of sources, including interference from other broadcast stations, that is below a threshold established by the FCC. That interference could limit viewers’ ability to receive television stations’ signals. The amount of interference received by television stations could increase in the future because of the FCC’s decision to allow electronic devices, known as “white space” devices, to operate in the television frequency band on an unlicensed basis on channels not used by nearby television stations.
In November 2017, the FCC voted to adopt rules authorizing broadcast television stations to voluntarily transition to a new technical standard, called Next Generation TV (NextGenTV) or ATSC 3.0. The new standard is designed to allow broadcasters to provide consumers with better sound and picture quality; hyper-localized programming, including news and weather; enhanced emergency alerts; and improved mobile reception. The ATSC 3.0 standard allows for the use of targeted advertising and more efficient use of spectrum by, for example, allowing for more multicast streams to be aired on the same six-megahertz channel. ATSC 3.0 is not backward compatible with existing television equipment, and the FCC’s rules require full-power television stations that transition to the new standard to continue broadcasting a signal in the existing DTV standard (ATSC 1.0) until the FCC phases out the requirement in a future order. A transitioning station’s DTV-formatted content must be substantially similar to the programming aired on its ATSC 3.0 channel until July 17, 2027, to ensure that viewers continue to have access to the same DTV-formatted programming during the transition to the NextGen TV standard. GMG is broadcasting in the ATSC 3.0 standard in Detroit (WDIV-TV), Orlando (WKMG-TV), Houston (KPRC-TV) and Roanoke (WSLS-TV). GMG is preparing to launch an ATSC 3.0 stream in San Antonio (KSAT-TV) to be followed by a launch of ATSC 3.0 in Jacksonville (WJXT-TV and WCWJ-TV). It is too soon to predict precisely how the use of broadcast spectrum for ATSC 3.0 services could impact the broadcast industry.
In recent years, the FCC has authorized the use, by wireless broadband providers and other unlicensed devices of certain bands of spectrum that have historically been used by broadcast stations and satellite operators. Broadcasters have urged the FCC to ensure that broadcast operations are protected against interference from unlicensed devices operating in those bands. In November 2023, GMG timely filed a certification identifying all of its current, active authorizations in the 12.7-13.25 GHz band of spectrum, as required by the FCC as it considers whether to allow unlicensed devices to operate in that band. The extent to which GMG’s broadcast business will be affected by the FCC action allowing unlicensed devices to operate in bands of spectrum used by broadcasters is not yet known.
Carriage of Local Broadcast Signals. Congress has established, and periodically extended or otherwise modified, various statutory copyright licensing regimes governing the local and distant carriage of broadcast television signals on cable and satellite systems. GMG cannot predict whether or how Congress may maintain or modify these regimes in the future, or what effect such decisions would have on its broadcast operations.
The Communications Act and the FCC rules allow a commercial television broadcast station, under certain circumstances, to insist on mandatory carriage of its signal on cable systems serving the station’s market area (must carry). Alternatively, stations may elect, at three-year intervals, to forgo must-carry rights and allow their signals to be carried by cable systems only pursuant to a “retransmission consent” agreement. Commercial television stations may also elect either mandatory carriage or retransmission consent with respect to the carriage of their signals on direct broadcast satellite (DBS) systems that provide “local-into-local” service (i.e., distribute the signals of local television stations to viewers in the local market area). Stations that elect retransmission consent may negotiate for compensation from cable and DBS systems in exchange for the right to carry their signals. Each of GMG’s television stations has elected retransmission consent for both cable and DBS operators, and each is carried on all of the major cable and DBS systems serving each station’s respective local market pursuant to retransmission consent agreements. Retransmission consent elections must be made every three years. The most recent election deadline was October 1, 2023; all GMG stations elected retransmission consent for both cable and DBS operators.
Recent statutory changes have required the FCC to modify its rules governing retransmission consent negotiations. The Television Viewer Protection Act, enacted on December 20, 2019, made changes to the “good faith” standards
for retransmission consent negotiations, calling for the FCC to implement regulations requiring “large station groups” (groups of television broadcast stations that have a national audience reach of more than 20%) to negotiate in good faith with Multichannel Video Programming Distributor (MVPD) “buying groups” (entities that negotiate on behalf of multiple small MVPDs). GMG does not qualify as a “large station group” under the statute and therefore is not subject to this obligation. While GMG does not anticipate that these rules will materially affect its bargaining position in retransmission consent negotiations, if Congress or the FCC were to enact further changes to the retransmission consent rules (such as by requiring small station groups like GMG to negotiate with MVPD buying groups, mandating continued carriage of a station’s signal by an MVPD during a retransmission consent dispute, or otherwise giving MVPDs heightened bargaining power), such changes could have a material effect on retransmission consent revenues.
In 2014, the FCC opened a proceeding to consider whether certain internet-based programming distribution services, called “virtual” MVPDs, should be classified as MVPDs and thus subject to the retransmission consent rules. More than nine years later, the FCC has taken no action in that proceeding. Because the retransmission consent rules at present do not apply to virtual MVPDs such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and DIRECTV Stream, the broadcast networks negotiate agreements with virtual MVPDs that are presented to their affiliates as “opt-in” agreements, and local affiliates of the broadcast networks are unable to negotiate directly with virtual MVPDs to reach agreements for the carriage of their signals. Unless the FCC rules that virtual MVPDs should be classified as MVPDs, GMG may be unable to negotiate carriage agreements with these distribution services that include the payment of market-based retransmission fees. The current rules are significant to GMG stations as virtual MVPD subscriber numbers continue to increase.
The FCC has also considered proposals to alter its rules governing network non-duplication and syndicated exclusivity. Nearly ten years ago, in March 2014, the FCC solicited comments on a proposal to eliminate its network non-duplication and syndicated exclusivity rules, which restrict the ability of cable operators, direct broadcast satellite systems and other distributors classified by the FCC as MVPDs to import the signals of out-of-market television stations with duplicate programming during retransmission consent disputes or otherwise. The FCC has not acted on that proposal to date. If Congress or the FCC were to enact further changes to the exclusivity rules, such changes could materially affect the GMG stations’ bargaining position in future retransmission consent negotiations.
Ownership Limits. The Communications Act and the FCC’s rules limit the number and types of media outlets in which a single person or entity may have an attributable interest. The FCC is required by statute to review its media ownership rules (with the exception of the national television ownership rule, discussed below) every four years to determine whether those rules remain necessary in the public interest as a result of competition. This process is referred to as the quadrennial review. The media ownership rule most relevant to GMG is the local television ownership rule. The rule prohibits one broadcaster from owning (or having an attributable interest in) two full-power television stations licensed to the same Nielsen DMA if both of them are ranked among the top four stations in the market, unless the broadcaster can demonstrate to the FCC that the combination serves the public interest. Ownership of more than two top-four, full-power television stations is generally prohibited.
The Commission initiated the 2018 quadrennial review in December 2018 and completed it via a Report and Order dated December 26, 2023 (Order). The Order largely retains the current local television ownership rule without significant substantive change, with one exception: going forward, the rule generally will prohibit a broadcaster from acquiring a second (or additional) top-four network affiliation and placing it on a station’s multicast stream or on a commonly owned low power television station in the same market. The Order exempts from this restriction ownership of two or more top-four network affiliations resulting from organic growth of a station’s market share or from a network’s choice to move an affiliation between stations in a market. The 2022 quadrennial, which the FCC initiated in December 2022, is pending.
It remains to be seen whether and how the FCC order resolving the 2018 quadrennial review might affect the FCC’s action in the 2022 proceeding. GMG’s ability to enter into certain transactions in the future may be affected by ownership rules articulated in the 2018 quadrennial review and/or by the resolution of the 2022 quadrennial review proceeding.
Under the national television ownership rule, a single person or entity may have an attributable interest in an unlimited number of television stations nationwide, as long as the aggregate audience reach of such stations does not exceed 39% of nationwide television households and as long as such interest complies with the FCC’s other ownership restrictions. That calculation takes into account the 50% Ultra High Frequency (UHF) discount, under which stations broadcasting on UHF channels are credited with only half the number of households in their market. In December 2017, the FCC initiated a rule-making proceeding seeking comments regarding its authority to modify or eliminate the national television ownership cap, as well as the potential elimination of the UHF discount. That proceeding remains open.
Programming. Six of GMG’s seven stations are affiliated with one or more of the national television networks that provide a substantial amount of programming to their television station affiliates. The expiration dates of GMG’s affiliation agreements are set forth in the table at the beginning of this Television Broadcasting section. WJXT, one of GMG’s Jacksonville stations, has operated as an independent station since 2002. In addition, each of the GMG stations receives programming from syndicators and other third-party programming providers. GMG’s performance depends in part on the quality and availability of third-party programming broadcast by its stations, and any substantial decline in the quality or availability of this programming could materially affect the ability of GMG and its competitors to attract viewers, generate advertising revenues, or enter into certain transactions in the future.
Public Interest Obligations. To satisfy FCC requirements, stations are generally expected to air a specified number of hours of programming intended to serve the educational and informational needs of children and to complete reports on an annual basis concerning children’s programming. In July 2019, the FCC modified these rules to provide broadcasters with more flexibility in meeting the public interest obligations. Among other things, the current rules allow up to 52 hours per year of children’s programming to consist of educational specials and/or short-form programming. The prior rules required all qualifying programming to be regularly scheduled and aired in 30-minute blocks. While stations are required to air the substantial majority of their educational and informational children’s programming on their primary program stream, under the current rules they may now air up to 13 hours per quarter of regularly scheduled weekly programming on a multicast stream. In addition, the FCC requires stations to limit the amount of advertising that appears during certain children’s programs.
Other FCC regulations and policies ensure that broadcast licensees operate in the public interest, including rules requiring the disclosure of certain information and documents in an online public inspection file; rules requiring the closed-captioning of programming to assist television viewing by the hearing impaired; video description rules to assist television viewing by the visually impaired; rules concerning the captioning of video programming distributed via the internet; rules governing the broadcast of emergency alerts; and rules concerning the volume of commercials. Compliance with these rules imposes additional costs on the GMG stations that could affect GMG’s operations.
Political Advertising. The FCC regulates the sale of advertising by GMG’s stations to candidates for public office and imposes other obligations regarding the broadcast of political announcements more generally, including the disclosure of certain information related to such advertising in the station’s online public inspection file. The application of these regulations may limit the advertising revenues of GMG’s television stations during the periods preceding elections. Failure to comply with the political advertising rules may result in enforcement actions by the FCC. The Company has procedures in place regarding compliance with the FCC’s political advertising rules, but cannot predict how the FCC’s future application of these rules will affect GMG’s stations.
Broadcast Indecency. The FCC’s policies prohibit the broadcast of indecent and profane material during certain hours of the day, and the FCC may impose monetary forfeitures when it determines that a television station has violated that policy. Broadcasters have repeatedly challenged these rules, arguing, among other things, that the FCC has failed to justify its indecency decisions adequately, that the FCC’s policy is too subjective to guide broadcasters’ programming decisions and that its enforcement approach otherwise violates the First Amendment. The Company cannot predict how GMG’s stations may be affected by the FCC’s current or future interpretation and enforcement of its indecency policies.
MANUFACTURING
Hoover Treated Wood Products, Inc.
Hoover Treated Wood Products, Inc. (Hoover) is a supplier of pressure-impregnated kiln-dried lumber and plywood products for fire-retardant and preservative applications. Hoover, founded in 1955 and acquired by the Company in 2017, is headquartered in Thomson, GA. It operates 11 facilities across the country and services a stocking distributor network of more than 100 locations spanning the U.S. and Canada.
Group Dekko Inc.
Group Dekko Inc. (Dekko) is an electrical solutions company that focuses on innovative power charging and data systems; industrial and commercial indoor lighting solutions; and the manufacture of electrical components and assemblies for medical equipment, transportation, industrial and appliance products. Dekko, founded in 1952, is headquartered in Fort Wayne, IN, and operates 11 facilities in four states and Mexico.
Joyce/Dayton Corp.
Joyce/Dayton Corp. (Joyce/Dayton) is a leading manufacturer of screw jacks, linear actuators and related linear motion products and lifting systems in North America. Joyce/Dayton provides its lifting and positioning products to customers across a diverse range of industrial end markets, including renewable energy, metals and metalworking, oil and gas, satellite antennae and material handling sectors.
Forney Corporation
Forney Corporation (Forney) is a global supplier of burners, igniters, dampers, and controls for combustion processes in electric utility and industrial applications. Forney is headquartered in Addison, TX, and its manufacturing plant is in Monterrey, Mexico. Forney’s customers include power plants and industrial systems around the world.
HEALTHCARE
Graham Healthcare Group
Graham Healthcare Group (GHG) provides home health, hospice, palliative, home infusion and other healthcare services. GHG served approximately 120,000 patients in 2023. Its home health, palliative and hospice operations provides services to approximately 80,000 patients annually across the states of Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, and Florida. GHG’s brands include Residential Home Health, Residential Hospice, Allegheny (AHN) Healthcare@Home, and Mary Free Bed at Home and across these companies there are 18 home health, 12 hospice, and six palliative care operating units. Sixteen of GHG’s 36 operating units are operated through joint ventures with health systems and physician groups and the remainder are wholly-owned. Home health, palliative and hospice services include a wide range of health care services that are provided wherever home may be and are tailored to the unique needs and goals of the patients. Home health care helps patients gain independence and remain safe at home as active community members. Hospice care supports patients and their families’ unique physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, while focusing on optimizing quality of life, comfort, and dignity. Palliative care complements curative treatments and is provided by in-home nurse practitioners who aim to treat advanced pain and uncomfortable symptoms of disease. All home health, palliative, and hospice operating units are Medicare certified and accredited. GHG derives 90% of its revenues for home health, palliative, and hospice services from Medicare. The remaining sources of revenue are from Medicaid, commercial insurance, and private payors.
GHG additionally manages and operates five companies across the healthcare industry: CSI Pharmacy, Clarus, Impact Medical, Skin Clique, and Surpass Behavioral Health.
CSI Pharmacy, headquartered in Nash, Texas, is a nationwide specialty home infusion pharmacy licensed in 48 states serving patients suffering from chronic and rare illness. CSI Pharmacy specializes in treating rare diseases with biologics and plasma-derived therapies, with revenues derived primarily from intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy. CSI Pharmacy delivers products to patients’ homes and employs nurses to provide the specialized infusion therapies to patients.
Clarus, based in Nashville, Tennessee, provides call management solutions to physician groups and hospitals. Clarus replaces traditional human-staffed answering services with a SaaS-based solution. Clarus streamlines call handling, provider call coverage management, eliminates patient hold times, and manages referrals and new appointments. The solution eliminates delays, call routing errors, and malpractice risk inherent with traditional call centers.
Impact Medical operates a full-service physician practice dedicated to providing advanced care for allergies, asthma, and immunology throughout New Jersey, New York, and the surrounding areas.
Skin Clique is a concierge in-home provider of aesthetic products and services. Skin Clique generates much of its revenue from neurotoxin injections and the remaining revenue from skin peels, skin consultations, Ultherapy, dermal fillers, and medical grade skin care products. Skin Clique, based in Charleston, South Carolina, serves clients across approximately 30 states.
Surpass Behavioral Health operates approximately 16 Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) clinics throughout Kentucky, South Carolina, Illinois, Georgia, and Pennsylvania as well as a school program in Pennsylvania and a positive behavior support program in Kentucky. Surpass Behavioral Health is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The majority of its revenue is center-based, with a smaller portion coming from school settings, and the remaining from telehealth and adult programs.
AUTOMOTIVE
Graham Automotive LLC
The Company owns a 90% interest in eight automotive dealerships in the Washington, D.C. area: Honda of Tysons Corner in Virginia, Lexus of Rockville in Maryland, Jeep in Bethesda, Maryland, Ford of Manassas in Virginia, Toyota of Woodbridge and Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram of Woodbridge in Virginia, and in September 2023, the Company acquired a 90% interest in a Toyota dealership in Henrico, VA, and in December 2023, opened a new Kia franchise in Bethesda, Maryland. The Company has a management services agreement with an entity affiliated with
Christopher J. Ourisman, a member of the Ourisman Automotive Group family of dealerships, to operate and manage the operations of the dealerships. The Company also owns Roda (formerly CarCare To Go), which provides valet repair services in the Washington, D.C. area.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Saatchi Online, Inc. (Saatchi Art Group)
Saatchi Online, Inc. (Saatchi Art Group) including SaatchiArt.com (Saatchi Art) and its art fair event brand, The Other Art Fair, provides an online art gallery where a global community of artists exhibit and sell their original artwork directly to consumers through an online gallery as well as through virtual reality and in-person art fairs hosted in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia. Saatchi Art’s online art gallery features a wide selection of original paintings, drawings, sculptures and photography.
Society6, LLC
Society6 is an online art and design marketplace where artists and designers can market and sell their original art and designs printed on a wide variety of products. Its made-to-order marketplaces, consisting of Society6.com (Society6) and its wholesale channel Deny Designs (together, Society6 Group), provide artists and designers with an online commerce platform to feature and sell their original art and designs on an array of consumer products primarily in the home décor category. Society6 Group’s wholesale channel sells products to trade and hospitality clients, as well as retail distribution partners.
World of Good Brands
World of Good Brands (WGB), (formerly Leaf Media), consists of a diverse portfolio of media properties that educate and inform consumers across a wide variety of life topics, including fitness and wellness brands such as Well+Good and Livestrong.com and Only In Your State in the travel sector. Together with these premium brands, WGB owns and operates or hosts and operates over 45 websites focused on specific categories or interests. WGB generates the majority of its media revenue from the sale of advertising.
Clyde’s Restaurant Group
Clyde’s Restaurant Group (Clyde’s), founded in 1963, owns and operates 12 restaurants and entertainment venues in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including six Clyde’s locations, Old Ebbitt Grill, The Hamilton, Hamilton Live, 1789 Restaurant, Fitzgerald’s and The Tombs. Clyde’s has three new restaurants under development and/or construction with planned openings in 2024 and 2025.
Framebridge, Inc.
Framebridge provides high-quality, affordable and fast custom framing directly to consumers. Through its website, app and retail locations, Framebridge offers consumers the option to drop off or ship artwork, pictures and other personal objects directly to Framebridge to be custom framed and then delivered directly to a customer or a retail store for in-store pick up. Framebridge is headquartered in Washington, D.C., has six retail locations in the Washington, D.C./Maryland/Northern Virginia market, nine in the New York metropolitan area, three in Chicago, two in Atlanta, GA, one in Boston, one in Philadelphia, two manufacturing facilities in Kentucky and New Jersey.
Code3
Code3 is a marketing and insights company that manages digital advertising for global and mid-market brands and early-stage companies. It delivers media, creative and data services to transform consumer and performance data into planning, content, media activation and measurement to maximize ROI. Code3 works across platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, Google, TikTok, Twitter/X, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube, as well as direct digital media relationships and streaming TV and audio solutions. The legacy business surrounding the Audience Intelligence Platform has been operated since the beginning of 2021 as a separate software company under the name, Decile LLC.
Decile LLC
Decile LLC (Decile) is a customer data and analytics software company that helps marketers extract value from their proprietary first-party customer and sales data. Decile provides software and services to help its business clients better understand customer personas, customer acquisition and retention, product analytics and how to increase profitable growth.
The Slate Group LLC
The Slate Group LLC (Slate) publishes Slate, an online magazine. Slate features articles and podcasts analyzing news, politics and contemporary culture and adds new material on a daily basis. Content is supplied by the magazine’s own editorial staff, as well as by independent contributors. As measured by The Slate Group, Slate had an average of more than 11 million unique visitors per month and averaged more than 34 million page views per month across desktop and mobile platforms in 2023. The Slate Group owns an interest in E2J2 SAS, a company incorporated in France that produces two French-language news magazine websites at slate.fr and slateafrique.com.
The FP Group
The FP Group produces Foreign Policy magazine and the ForeignPolicy.com website, which cover developments in national security, international politics, global economics and related issues. The site features blogs, unique news content, specialized channels and newsletters, and podcasts focusing on regions and topics of interest. The FP Group provides insight and analysis into global affairs for government, military, business, media and academic leaders. FP Events also produces a growing number of live and virtual events, bringing together government, military, business and investment leaders to discuss important regional and topical developments and their implications.
City Cast LLC
City Cast LLC (City Cast) is a network of daily local news podcasts in cities around the country, accompanied by a daily email newsletter about local communities. The podcasts and newsletters cover local news, events and places. Currently City Cast is available in Chicago, IL; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Salt Lake City, UT; Pittsburgh, PA; Washington, D.C.; Madison, WI; Portland, OR; Philadelphia, PA; Las Vegas, NV; Boise, ID; Austin, TX; and Nashville, TN.
COMPETITION
EDUCATION
Kaplan’s businesses operate in fragmented and competitive markets. Each of KI’s businesses competes in disaggregated markets with for-profit institutions and companies (ranging in size from large for-profit universities to small competitors offering English-language courses) and, in certain instances, with government-supported schools and institutions that provide similar training and educational programs. Competitive factors vary by business and include program offerings, ranking of university partners, convenience, quality of instruction, reputation, placement rates, student services and cost. KI derives its competitive advantage from, among other things, delivering high-quality education and training experiences to students, having name-brand recognition across multiple markets, developing strong relationships with corporate clients and recruitment partners and offering competitive pricing. KNA competes with companies that provide various education technology solutions, consumer test and licensure preparation and course delivery, corporate training, university administrative support for online programs and courses, curriculum development, overall online program development and analytics for colleges and universities, as well as support for corporate, employer and employee education programs. The market for KNA’s services and products, and especially its higher education services and products, is dynamic and rapidly evolving, and several competitors offer a mix of some of the same products and services or are seeking to move into the markets in which KNA operates. Competitive factors in these KNA markets include 1) the ability to deliver a wide range of educational services and programs to clients across all levels of programs and administrative functions; 2) cost effectiveness; 3) expertise in marketing, recruitment and program delivery; 4) student outcomes and satisfaction; 5) the ability to invest in start-up and scaling initiatives; 6) reputation; and 7) compliance with laws and the ability to navigate complex regulatory requirements. KNA’s ability to effectively compete in the higher education services markets will depend in large part on its successful delivery and navigation of these factors. While the competitive landscape is expanding, KNA’s resources, capabilities and experience are key differentiators in the market. Similarly, KNA’s supplemental education products and services compete with a wide range of national, regional, local, online and location-based competitors. In the area of test prep, competitors vary by test, with many focused on preparing students for a single high-stakes test. For its curricular and assessment services, KNA has a number of national competitors as well as competitors focused on preparation for particular tests. Competitive factors for the supplemental education products vary by product line and include price, features, modality, schedule and reputation. Although KNA faces intense competition and shifting consumer preferences in these areas, particularly with respect to online test preparation, where some new competitors are offering lower-cost and free test preparation products, KNA and Kaplan remain leading names in test preparation owing in part to their technical expertise and capabilities, quality of instructors, content, curricula, longevity and reputation in the industry. KNA’s professional licensure training and preparation and corporate training products and services offer a broad portfolio of products, many within highly regulated and mature industries, including securities, insurance, real estate and
wealth management, where competition includes a wide variety of national, regional and local companies seeking the same market share and resulting in deep price discounting and commoditization of offerings.
TELEVISION BROADCASTING
GMG competes for audiences and advertising revenues with television and radio stations, cable systems, video services offered by telephone and broadband companies serving the same or nearby areas, DBS services, digital media services, and, to a lesser degree, with other media providers, such as newspapers and magazines. Cable systems operate in substantially all of the areas served by the Company’s television stations, where they compete for television viewers by importing out-of-market television signals; by distributing pay-cable, advertiser-supported, and other programming that are originated for cable systems; and by offering movies and other programming on an on-demand, digital or pay-per-view basis. In addition, DBS services provide nationwide distribution of television programming, including pay-per-view programming and programming packages unique to DBS, using digital transmission technologies. Moreover, to the extent that competing television stations in the Company’s television markets continue to transition to ATSC 3.0, such stations may pose an increased competitive challenge to the Company’s stations in the future, such as by offering an increased number of multicast channels or by offering advanced features.
Competition continues to increase from established and emerging online distribution platforms. Movies and other video programming are increasingly available on an on-demand basis through a variety of online platforms, which include free access to the websites and apps of the major TV networks, ad-supported viewing on platforms such as Hulu, and subscription-based access through services such as Netflix. In addition, online-only subscription services offering live television services have been launched both by traditional pay-TV competitors (such as DISH and DIRECTV) and other entrants (such as YouTube TV and Fubo). The Company has entered into agreements for some of its stations to be distributed via certain of these services, typically through opt-in agreements negotiated by the stations’ affiliated networks. Participation in these services has given the Company’s stations access to new distribution platforms. At the same time, competition from these various platforms could adversely affect the viewership of the Company’s television stations via traditional platforms and/or the Company’s strategic position in negotiations with pay-TV services. In addition, the networks’ increased role in negotiating online distribution arrangements for their affiliated stations, together with the networks’ imposition of higher fees on affiliated stations in exchange for broadcast and traditional pay-TV retransmission rights, may have broader effects on the overall network-affiliate relationship, which the Company cannot predict.
MANUFACTURING
Hoover Treated Wood Products, Inc.
Hoover’s predominant product line is fire-retardant-treated wood products for building interior applications that are specified by architects in accordance with building code requirements for multi-family residential, commercial and institutional nonresidential buildings. Hoover’s fire-retardant product lines are sold through a stocking distributor network of more than 100 locations spanning the U.S. and Canada. Hoover’s competitors are licensees of other chemical suppliers to the wood-treating industry who compete with Hoover’s stocking distributors on a local basis. The primary areas of competition are product availability and price, although brand loyalty due to product quality is significant. Wood products are commodities with volatile market pricing; however, Hoover’s reputation for quality products and its unique distribution model, which provides superior product availability, enable Hoover to maintain a leading position across the continent.
Group Dekko, Inc.
Dekko has three distinct product families that compete in fragmented, competitive global markets: power and data distribution for office and furniture products, lighting solutions, and electrical harness manufacturing. These products are sold through dealer and distribution channels and original equipment manufacturer customers, focused primarily on the North American market. While all markets and products are price sensitive, technology, engineering solutions, quality and delivery performance are critical in purchase decisions. Dekko’s multiple long-term relationships, high-quality manufacturing facilities, engineering support and reputation as a solutions provider, in addition to being a product supplier, all contribute to sustaining its competitive advantages.
HEALTHCARE
Graham Healthcare Group
The home health and hospice industries are extremely competitive and fragmented, consisting of both for-profit and nonprofit companies. According to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s July 2023 Data Book, there are approximately 11,353 Medicare-certified home health agencies and approximately 5,358 hospices in the U.S. GHG markets its services to physicians, discharge planners and social workers at hospitals, nursing homes, senior living communities and physicians’ offices through a direct sales model. GHG differentiates its offerings based on
response time, clinical programming, clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. Throughout the states in which it operates, GHG competes primarily with both privately owned and hospital-operated home health and hospice service providers. The competitive landscape for other healthcare services provided by GHG is highly fragmented, with competition from a number of small providers and a few national companies.
AUTOMOTIVE
Graham Automotive LLC
The retail automotive industry is highly competitive and fragmented. Automobile dealerships compete with dealerships offering the same brands as well as those offering other manufacturers’ brands. Competitors include small local dealerships and large national multi-franchise automotive dealership groups. In addition to competition for vehicle sales, dealerships compete for parts and service business with other dealerships, automotive parts retailers and independent mechanics. The principal competitive factors in vehicle sales are price, selection of vehicles, location of dealerships and quality of customer service. The principal competitive factors in parts and service sales are price, the use of factory-approved replacement parts, factory-trained technicians and the quality of customer service.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Saatchi Online, Inc. (Saatchi Art Group)
Saatchi Art Group competes with a wide variety of online and brick-and-mortar companies selling comparable products. Its online art gallery and in-person art fair business compete with traditional offline art galleries, art consultants and online platforms selling original artwork, such as Artfinder, Artspace, Rise Art, Singulart, eBay and Amazon Art, home retailers that sell wall art such as West Elm, Crate and Barrel, and Restoration Hardware and various art fairs that feature reasonably priced artwork from emerging artists, such as The Affordable Art Fair.
Society6, LLC
Operating an e-commerce marketplace is highly competitive, and Society6 Group expects competition to increase in the future. Society6 Group competes with a wide variety of online and brick-and-mortar companies selling comparable products. Its made-to-order marketplace business primarily competes with companies that also utilize a made-to-order business model whereby consumer products featuring artist designs are produced by third-party fulfillment partners and shipped directly to customers, such as Redbubble, Zazzle, Art.com, Shutterfly and Minted, as well as companies that offer broader home décor and apparel products, such as Amazon, Etsy, and Wayfair. Additionally, Society6 Group is facing, and will likely continue to face, increased international competition from brands offering ultra-low-cost goods, such as Shein and Temu.
World of Good Brands
WGB operates in highly competitive and developing industries that are characterized by rapid technological change, a variety of business models and frequent disruption of incumbents by innovative entrants. WGB faces intense competition from a wide range of competitors, including those of much larger scale. These markets are rapidly evolving and highly fragmented, and competition could increase in the future as more companies enter the space. WGB competes for advertisers on the basis of a number of factors, including return on marketing expenditures, price of its offerings, and the ability to deliver large audiences or precise types of segmented audiences. Principal competitors in this space currently include various online media companies ranging from large internet media companies to specialized and enthusiast properties that focus on particular areas of consumer interest, as well as social media outlets such as Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram and Pinterest, where brands and advertisers are focusing a significant portion of their online advertising spend in order to connect with their customers. Some of its competitors have larger audiences and more financial resources and many of them are making significant investments in order to compete with various aspects of this business. Many of WGB’s current competitors have, and potential competitors may have, substantially greater financial, marketing and other resources than WGB; greater technical capabilities; greater brand recognition; longer operating histories; differentiated products and services; and larger customer bases. These resources may help some of these competitors and potential competitors respond more quickly as the industry and technology evolve, focus more on product innovation, adopt more aggressive pricing policies and devote substantially more resources to website and system development.
Clyde’s Restaurant Group
The restaurant industry is highly competitive. Clyde’s competes with national and regional chains and independent, locally owned restaurants for customers and personnel. The principal bases for competition are types of food and service, quality, price, location, brand and attractiveness of facilities.
Framebridge, Inc.
Framebridge operates in a highly fragmented market. Competitors include small local retail operations and a few national retail chains. The competitive factors in the framing industry are price, selection and convenience. Framebridge’s centralized manufacturing, clear and transparent pricing, retail stores that are optimized for foot traffic and a curated buying experience rather than framing workshops, and strong e-commerce and digital capabilities contribute to its competitive advantages.
Code3
The business of managed digital advertising is highly competitive. Public multinational advertising agencies may exacerbate price competition in an attempt to protect existing relationships with advertising clients in traditional media formats such as television. Public and private advertising technology companies, digital media agencies and newer market entrants such as consulting firms also compete on price, service and technology offerings. Code3 seeks to maintain a competitive advantage and maximize its clients’ return on advertising budgets by utilizing a combination of best-in-class third-party technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and the deep expertise of its employees, who manage media spending on the largest digital platforms and a full-service creative team with a nuanced understanding of digital media.
Decile LLC
Decile faces competition from lower-cost providers that provide a narrower data analytics and reporting offering. In addition, at higher price points aimed at larger marketers ($50M+ annual revenue), there are several large customer data platform competitors that attempt to unify many disparate sources of data to improve omnichannel advertising outcomes. Decile seeks to maintain a competitive advantage by providing a better view of high-value customers and personas and their associated value and making it easier for clients to activate those customers in a more personalized way. Decile’s third-party data enrichment capabilities and advanced analytics serve as key differentiators in the mid-market space where those capabilities are not available at a competitive price.
The Slate Group LLC
As a digital media company, Slate operates in highly competitive markets for subscribers, audiences and advertisers. For written work, Slate faces competition from other online publishers, especially magazines and newspapers. In podcasting, Slate faces competition from other podcast networks, as well as traditional radio networks. In the face of stiff competition, Slate is able to attract and retain a large educated, affluent audience and subscriber base by creating high-quality content, and is then able to compete for advertisers who wish to reach that audience on trusted, brand-safe properties.
City Cast LLC
City Cast is the only national network of daily local podcasts and newsletters. City Cast faces significant competition in all aspects of its business. Several companies operate large national networks of local daily newsletters, notably Axios and 6am City, both of which have many more subscribers than City Cast. There are also single-city daily newsletters-often created by the local newspaper-in every city where City Cast is located. On the podcasting side, public radio stations in most City Cast markets create local podcasts, as do some commercial radio stations. City Cast competes for advertising dollars with all these newsletter and podcast competitors, as well as with local radio, newspaper, TV and digital outlets.
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The executive officers of the Company, each of whom is elected annually by the Board of Directors, are as follows:
Donald E. Graham, age 78, Chairman Emeritus, served as Chairman of the Board of the Company from September 1993 until May 2023 and served as Chief Executive Officer of the Company from May 1991 until November 2015. Mr. Graham served as President of the Company from May 1991 until September 1993 and prior to that had been a Vice President of the Company for more than five years. Mr. Graham also served as Publisher of The Washington Post (the Post) from 1979 until September 2000 and as Chairman of the Post from September 2000 to February 2008.
Timothy J. O’Shaughnessy, age 42, became Chief Executive Officer of the Company in November 2015. From November 2014 until November 2015, he served as President of the Company. He was elected to the Board of Directors in November 2014. From 2007 to August 2014, Mr. O’Shaughnessy served as chief executive officer of LivingSocial, an e-commerce and marketing company that he co-founded in 2007. Mr. O’Shaughnessy is the son-in-law of Donald E. Graham, Chairman Emeritus of the Company.
Andrew S. Rosen, age 63, became Executive Vice President of the Company in April 2014. He became Chairman of Kaplan, Inc. in November 2008 and served as Chief Executive Officer of Kaplan, Inc. from November 2008 to April 2014 and from August 2015 to the present. Mr. Rosen has spent more than 37 years at the Company and its affiliates. He joined the Company in 1986 as a staff attorney with the Post and later served as assistant counsel at Newsweek. He moved to Kaplan in 1992 and held numerous leadership positions there before being named Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kaplan, Inc.
Wallace R. Cooney, age 61, became Senior Vice President-Finance and Chief Financial Officer of the Company in April 2017. Mr. Cooney served as the Company’s Vice President-Finance and Chief Accounting Officer from 2008 to 2017. He joined the Company in 2001 as Controller.
Jacob M. Maas, age 47, became Executive Vice President of the Company in January 2022, prior to which he served as Senior Vice President-Planning and Development beginning October 2015. Prior to joining the Company, he served as executive vice president of operations and head of corporate development at LivingSocial, an e-commerce and marketing company that he joined as chief financial officer in 2008.
Nicole M. Maddrey, age 59, became Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the Company in April 2015. Ms. Maddrey joined the Company in 2007 as Associate General Counsel. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Maddrey served as Special Counsel in the Division of Corporation Finance at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Marcel A. Snyman, age 49, became Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of the Company in January 2018. Mr. Snyman served as Controller of the Company from 2016 to 2018, prior to which he served as Assistant Controller beginning in April 2014 and Director of Accounting Policy beginning in July 2008.
Sandra M. Stonesifer, age 39, became Vice President-Chief Human Resources Officer of the Company in January 2021. Prior to joining the Company, Mrs. Stonesifer was a consultant with S-Squared Consulting, an organization development consulting company.
HUMAN CAPITAL
The Company employs approximately 19,900 people worldwide, of which approximately 12,511 are employed in the U.S. and approximately 7,390 are employed outside the U.S. Employment across each of the Company’s businesses is further discussed below.
Worldwide, Kaplan employs approximately 7,015 people on a full-time basis in 27 countries. Kaplan also employs substantial numbers of part-time employees who serve in instructional and administrative capacities. Kaplan’s part-time workforce comprises approximately 3,533 individuals in 16 countries. Collectively, in the U.S. and Canada, approximately 95 Kaplan employees are represented by a union. In countries where Kaplan has a presence but union membership is not disclosed to the employer-the U.K., Australia, and Singapore-there may be union-represented employees as well.
GMG has approximately 946 employees, including 913 full-time employees and 33 part-time employees, of whom approximately 95 are represented by a union.
In the manufacturing segment, Hoover has approximately 477 full-time employees, of whom 15 are represented by a union. Dekko has approximately 1,164 full-time employees and approximately two part-time employees, none of whom is represented by a union. Joyce/Dayton has approximately 181 full-time employees and two part-time employees, none of whom is represented by a union. Forney has approximately 107 full-time employees. Of those employees, 45 are represented by a union, all of whom are employed in Mexico.
In the healthcare segment, GHG has approximately 1,861 full-time employees and 524 part-time employees. None of these employees is represented by a union.
Graham Automotive employs approximately 950 full-time employees, none of whom is represented by a union.
In other businesses, Saatchi Art, Society6 and WGB employ approximately 261 full-time and part-time employees collectively, none of whom is represented by a union. Clyde’s has approximately 181 full-time employees and 1,630 part-time employees, none of whom is represented by a union. Framebridge has approximately 482 employees and 60 part-time employees, none of whom is represented by a union. Code3 has approximately 143 full-time employees, none of whom is represented by a union. Decile has 39 full-time employees, none of whom is represented by a union. Slate employs 125 full-time employees and three part-time employees, of whom approximately 53 are represented by a union. The FP Group has approximately 62 full-time employees, approximately 15 of whom are represented by a union. City Cast employs 66 full-time employees and two part-time employees, none of whom is represented by a union.
The parent Company has approximately 84 full-time employees, none of whom is represented by a union.
The Company recognizes the importance of attracting, developing, and retaining highly qualified employees throughout each of its businesses. The following is a description of the Company’s efforts to manage and promote human capital within its organization.
Oversight and Management. The Company’s human resources organization and the human resource organizations of its various businesses manage employment-related matters, including recruiting and hiring, training, compensation, workplace safety, performance management, support for specific needs including supporting employees who are caregivers or working remotely, and creating diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies. The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors provides oversight of certain human capital matters, including compensation and benefits, executive development, workforce diversity and inclusion initiatives, and succession planning.
The Company’s culture of trust and integrity is led and driven by senior management and supported by our internal practices, regular communications, and ongoing training efforts. Employees and stakeholders are encouraged to address any concerns with their managers and business leaders. The Company also provides a dedicated communication channel, the Ethics Hotline, to report possible violations of the Code of Business Conduct or concerns about ethics or integrity in the workplace. The Company’s Ethics Hotline is independently operated by a third party and anonymity is ensured upon request. Reports are forwarded to appropriate individuals within the Company for investigation. Every allegation is professionally and confidentially handled.
Compensation and Benefits. The Company offers strong compensation and benefits programs to its employees. Depending on the business unit, employee benefits may include healthcare and insurance benefits, health savings and flexible spending accounts, paid time off, family leave, employee assistance programs, tuition assistance programs, a matching gifts program, bonuses, long-term incentive compensation plans, Company-paid pension contributions and a 401(k) Plan. The Company offers discounts on courses and programs offered by Purdue Global to all full-time employees through the Gift of Knowledge program. The Company also offers a small group of eligible employees certain equity-based grants under the Company’s Incentive Compensation Plan with vesting and performance conditions to facilitate the attraction, retention, motivation and reward of key employees and to align their interests with those of the Company’s stockholders.
Training and Talent Development. The Company is committed to the continued growth and development of its employees across all businesses. While development opportunities vary across businesses, the Company seeks to offer a variety of learning opportunities, including virtual learning, on-the-job mentoring and coaching. U.S. employees complete core harassment and discrimination training and ethics training and all employees are offered specific skills training designed to support the growth and advancement of their professional skills.
For example, GHG offers ongoing resources and support to all clinical field employees to ensure they are confident in their ability to advance in their careers. In 2023, they launched a career mobility resource center where employees can access career promoting resources across various job functions. In 2023, Joyce/Dayton continued conducting assessments for all current and new employees to gain insight into individual strengths, foster effective team dynamics, and support ongoing business success. Additionally, key leadership team members completed a six-month immersive leadership program to enhance their strategic leadership skills.
At GMG, employees have access to several development and training programs, including Boss School, a management training session, PROduce! for high potential producers to enhance their innovative mindset and leadership skills, and access to several other resources that provide individual learning and group activities on a variety of leadership and workplace collaboration topics.
Kaplan offers personalized and immersive learning experiences to support employees, managers, and leaders in building capabilities and driving personal and business growth. In 2023, Kaplan Languages Group hosted its annual “Learning at Work Week”, a series of sessions where employees can explore topics ranging from developing their careers in the language travel sector to new product development and managing quality in schools. Additionally, they conducted a comprehensive training needs analysis and deployed several trainings focused on key areas, including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) for managers, unconscious bias awareness, conflict resolution, change management, and critical thinking skills. To further support their commitment to tailored individual development, Kaplan offers four days a year of study leave for employees to invest in professional development activities.
Diversity and Inclusion. Diversity and inclusion remain a high priority within the Company. The Company requires all business units to set actionable goals and promote policies prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion. The progress on those goals is presented to the Board annually. The GHC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, a panel of DEI practitioners from across the business units, continues to meet to build community and accountability and support ongoing progress. Additionally, the Company has an internal podcast focused on sharing insights and best practices about DEI with all employees.
The Company is committed to a culture in which its diverse employee base can thrive in an inclusive and respectful environment. As of December 2023, the diversity of the Company’s employees in the U.S. was: 54% female; 46% male; 63% White; 15% Hispanic or Latino; 13% Black or African American; 6% Asian; and 3% Other.
The businesses have launched various initiatives to support their diversity, equity and inclusion strategies in ways that are tailored to their employees, customers, and products. For example, Kaplan focuses on improving diversity, equity and inclusion in its workforce through a number of external partnerships as well as educating current employees and leaders on their DEI roles. In 2023, DEI-focused education campaigns were infused throughout newsletters, the Kaplan INSPIRE: Global Inclusion Week, panel discussions, and updated Inclusive Leader training. Kaplan’s talent teams worked with organizations committed to recruit, train, and mentor diverse and under-represented youth for careers across different sectors. Kaplan also continues to advance diverse representation across Kaplan by conducting a ‘Race in the Workplace’ survey to gather data points that help create an environment where ethnically diverse employees thrive. Kaplan continues to explore ways they can cultivate diversity across their supplier networks by educating functional leaders on how to incorporate supplier diversity dashboards and metrics, sourcing guidance and identification of diverse suppliers, and raising awareness of organizations that could attract even more diverse suppliers. In 2023, Code3 established several dedicated spaces and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Roundtables to foster a sense of belonging among employees and gain valuable real-time feedback about their culture. Additionally, they launched a committee dedicated to highlighting areas of the business where they want to incorporate DEIB principles and elevate underrepresented-owned brands they serve.
Community Impact. The Company has a long history of investing in the communities it serves. In addition to philanthropy managed at the corporate level, the Company’s businesses engage in charitable works, community and civic activities, and volunteer projects in the communities they serve. While the Company’s businesses operate in a variety of industries in markets around the world, the Company is unified in its connection to the places where its teams live and work.
In 2023, the Corporate office provided approximately $1.4 million in financial support to 77 non-profit and civic organizations in the areas of education, health and human services, civics and community, and culture and art. Corporate philanthropy is primarily focused on providing resources, access and services to the most underserved members of the community. The Company has forged deep relationships with its partners in service and philanthropy, and it works closely in collaboration with them to support their very important work.
The service-oriented nature of the Company’s businesses, along with its core values, enables its businesses to authentically engage in service through its normal business activities. For example, at the education segment, Kaplan is the primary donor and supporter of The Kaplan Educational Foundation (KEF), an independent public charity founded by Kaplan executives to help promote equity through higher education. The program has provided academic, financial, and social support to low-income underserved students working with the City University of New York (CUNY) and other community colleges in the New York area, to help high-achieving, underrepresented community college students prepare for, gain acceptance to, pay for, and succeed at top four-year institutions such as Stanford University, Yale University, Brown University, Morehouse College, Smith College, and numerous others. The Foundation relies on Kaplan grants, in-kind service, donations from the Kaplan community, and volunteers from Kaplan’s employee base. A number of KEF alumni have been hired by Kaplan as full-time employees or served as interns at Kaplan over the years; and many have secured post-graduation employment with Fortune 500 and multinational corporations.
Additionally at Kaplan, through a partnership with ACT, Inc., maker of the ACT® college admissions test, Kaplan provides free ACT prep for low-income students. In 2023, Kaplan enrolled approximately 150,000 students who qualified as such - according to eligibility in ACT’s fee waiver program - delivering over $17 million in free ACT prep to low-income students.
In the U.K., Kaplan Financial UK supports RefuAid, a charitable fund in the U.K. that helps refugees with language tuition, education, finance, or meaningful employment, by providing free accountancy and English language training to enable them to get their professional qualification and find work in accounting. Additionally, at Kaplan International Pathways, Kaplan provides funding support for Plan International U.K., a development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls, through three programs across sub-Saharan Africa: supporting 1,000 girls, aged 9-16, across 16 schools in Senegal in improving their education, giving 483 young women in Sierra Leone the chance to become teachers, and working with communities across 11 Zimbabwean districts to offer a way back into education for 16,500 out-of-school girls.
At GMG, its stations and their employees are committed to their local communities by providing educational, public affairs and special broadcasts addressing current affairs and issues related to their communities. Additionally, each media hub elevates the work of several non-profit and community organizations by spotlighting their work in the community, hosting community forums to voice and address community concerns, volunteering at local classrooms to conduct science experiments and partnering with local organizations to assist people who have been impacted by natural disasters. For example, stations WJXT and WCWJ in Jacksonville, FL promoted awareness of a variety of
community issues and related fund-raising events, such as the Wolfson Children’s Challenge to raise funds and provide awareness of services for students who are deaf or hard of hearing; the Annual Kilwins Jacksonville Ice Cream Run in which 725 runners raised over $100,000 in funds to help families in need; the Walk to Defeat ALS to raise awareness of ALS which raised over $181,000 to help support people in the community with ALS; Kick for the Kids - a back to school shoe drive for children in need at which 1,004 students received new shoes for school; and, Wreaths Across America whereby employees volunteered at Jacksonville National Cemetery and laid 200 wreaths on the headstones of fallen soldiers. At station WDIV, the station sponsored BookStock - a used book and media sale that raised over $2 million for education and literacy programs in the Metro Detroit area. Station WDIV also teamed up with the U.S. Marine Corp to sponsor two Toys for Tots drives to help collect toys for underprivileged children in the Metro Detroit area. Each year WDIV partners with DTE Energy for a “Gift of Warmth Telethon” to raise money for the Heat and Warmth Fund. “THAW” helps neighbors in an energy crisis pay their utility bills. Neighbors include seniors, unemployed, underemployed and people with disabilities. This annual telethon raises over $1 million dollars each year.
At the Company’s healthcare segment, GHG partners with We Honor Veterans to serve the unique hospice needs of veterans and their families. Additionally, GHG is proud to be a regional corporate sponsor for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, a disease that directly impacts many of the communities and patients that GHG serves.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
All public statements made by the Company and its representatives that are not statements of historical fact, including certain statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and in the Company’s 2023 Annual Report to Stockholders, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on expectations, forecasts, and assumptions by the Company’s management and involve a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ from those stated, including, without limitation, comments about expectations related to acquisitions or dispositions or related business activities, the Company’s business strategies and objectives, the prospects for growth in the Company’s various business operations, the Company’s future financial performance, and the risks and uncertainties described in Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on any forward-looking statement made by or on behalf of the Company. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement after the date on which such statement is made, even if new information subsequently becomes available.
AVAILABLE INFORMATION
The Company’s internet address is www.ghco.com. The Company makes available free of charge through its website its Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, definitive proxy statements on Schedule 14A and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) as soon as reasonably practicable after such documents are electronically filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In addition, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, its Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Charters of the Audit and Compensation Committees of the Company’s Board of Directors and the codes of conduct adopted by the Company and referred to in Item 10 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K are all available on the Company’s website; printed copies of such documents may be obtained by any stockholder upon written request to the Secretary, Graham Holdings Company at 1300 North 17th Street, Arlington, VA 22209. The contents of the Company’s website are not incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K and shall not be deemed “filed” under the Exchange Act.
The SEC website, www.sec.gov, contains the reports, proxy statements and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
SUMMARY RISK FACTORS
This risk factor summary does not contain all of the information that may be important to you, and you should read this risk factor summary together with the more detailed discussion of risks and uncertainties set forth following this section under the heading “Risk Factors,” as well as elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Additional risks, beyond those summarized below or discussed elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, may apply to the Company’s business, activities or operations as currently conducted or as may be conducted in the future. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:
Risks Related to the Company’s Education Business
• Changes in International Laws and Regulations, Travel Restrictions and Sanctions.
•Difficulties of Managing Properties in the U.K.
• Difficulties in Managing Foreign Operations and Failure to Comply with Foreign Regulatory Requirements.
• Changes in U.K. Tax Laws.
• Failure to Comply with Statutory and Regulatory Requirements as a Third-Party Servicer to Title IV Participating Institutions.
• Failure to Comply with the ED’s Title IV Incentive Compensation Rule.
• Failure to Comply with the ED’s Title IV Misrepresentation Regulations.
• Compliance Reviews, Program Reviews, Audits and Investigations, Including in Connection with Borrower Defense to Repayment Claims.
• Noncompliance with Regulations by KNA’s Client Institutions.
• Failure to Realize the Anticipated Benefits of the Purdue Global Transaction.
• Regulatory Changes and Developments.
• Reductions in the Use of Standardized Tests and Increased Competition.
• Changes in the Extent to Which Licensing and Proficiency Examinations Are Used.
Risks Related to the Company’s Television Broadcasting and Media Businesses
• Changing Perceptions About the Effectiveness of Television Broadcasting in Delivering Advertising.
• Increased Competition Resulting from Technological Innovations and Changing Consumer Behavior.
• Changes in the Nature and Extent of Government Regulations.
• Transition to New Technical Standards for Broadcast Television Stations.
• Changes in MVPD Subscriber Numbers, Retransmission Consent Fees, “Reverse Retransmission Consent” Payments to the Networks, and Broadcast Exclusivity.
Risks Related to the Company’s Manufacturing Businesses
• Failure to Recruit and Retain Production Staff Needed to Meet Customer Demand.
• Potential Liability Claims.
Risks Related to the Company’s Healthcare Business
• Extensive Regulation of the Healthcare Industry.
•Federal and State Changes to Reimbursement and Other Aspects of Medicare and Medicaid.
•Continued Nursing Staffing Shortages.
•Negative Impact on Medicare Reimbursement from Value-based Purchasing Requirements.
•Limited Ability to Control Rates Received for Services.
Risks Related to the Company’s Automotive Businesses
• Termination or Non-renewal of Dealership Agreements and Limitations on the Company’s Ability to Acquire Additional Dealerships.
• Changes Affecting Automobile Manufacturers.
• Changes to State Dealer Franchise Laws and Technological Innovations.
•Changes in Economic Conditions and Vehicle Inventories.
Risks Related to the Company’s Other Businesses
•Failure by Saatchi Art Group, Society6 and WGB to Attract and Retain Artists, Customers and Visitors, and Successfully Drive Traffic to their Marketplaces and Media Properties.
•Failure by WGB to Effectively Distribute Media Content on Social Media Platforms and Mobile Devices.
• Failure to Recruit and Retain Employees in the Company’s Restaurants.
• Food-Borne Illness Concerns and Damage to the Company’s Reputation.
• Concentration of the Company’s Restaurants in the Washington, D.C. Region.
Risks Related to the Company’s Stock Ownership and Operations
• As a Controlled Company, the Rights of Class B Common Stockholders are Limited.
• Pandemics or Other Outbreaks of Disease.
• Failure to Comply with Environmental and Health and Safety Laws.
• Failure to Successfully Integrate Acquired Businesses.
• Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets Impairment.
• Changes in International Income Tax Laws.
Risks Related to Cybersecurity, Privacy, Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property
• System Disruptions and Security Threats to the Company’s Information Technology Infrastructure.
• Failure to Comply with Privacy Laws or Regulations.
• Artificial Intelligence Concerns.
• Potential Liability for Intellectual Property Infringement.
RISK FACTORS
The Company faces a number of risks and uncertainties in connection with its operations. Described below are the most material risks faced by the Company. These risks and uncertainties may not be the only ones faced by the Company. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known, or currently deemed immaterial, may adversely affect the Company in the future. In addition to the other information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, investors should carefully consider the following risk factors. If any of the events or developments described below occurs, it could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations.
Risks Related to the Company’s Education Business
• Changes in International Laws and Regulations and Travel Restrictions Have Materially Adversely Affected and Together with Changes in Immigration Laws or Sanctions Could Continue to Materially Adversely Affect International Student Enrollments and Kaplan’s Business.
Kaplan is subject to a wide range of laws and regulations relating to its international operations. These include domestic laws with extraterritorial reach, such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, international laws, such as the U.K. Bribery Act, as well as the local regulatory regimes of the countries in which Kaplan operates. These laws and regulations change frequently. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations could result in significant penalties or the revocation of Kaplan’s authority to operate in the applicable jurisdiction, each of which could have a material adverse effect on Kaplan’s operating results.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many governments imposed student travel restrictions (applicable to exit and entry), made recommendations for their students to return home and closed physical campus locations, and many state and professional bodies postponed or canceled examination dates related to state examinations and professional education programs, all of which have materially adversely affected Kaplan International’s operations and resulted in significant losses at Kaplan Languages Group during the pandemic. The emergence of new variants of COVID-19, and consequential changes to travel and study arrangements could further negatively affect Kaplan International and its operating results.
Further changes to the regulatory environment, including changes to government policy or practice in oversight and enforcement, or other factors, including geopolitical instability, imposition or extension of international sanctions, a natural disaster or a pandemic in either the students’ countries of origin or countries in which they desire to study, could continue to negatively affect Kaplan’s ability to attract and retain students and negatively affect Kaplan’s operating results. Additionally, increasingly, governments have begun imposing sales taxes on digital services, such as education, offered in their jurisdictions by foreign providers. Any significant changes to the availability of government funding for education, visa policies for students and their dependents, or other administrative immigration requirements, or the tax environment, including changes to tax laws, policies and practices, in any one or more countries in which KI operates or makes its services available could negatively affect its operating results. KI’s operations, institutions and programs in the U.S. may be subject to state-level regulation and oversight by state regulatory agencies, whose approval or exemption from approval is necessary to allow an institution to operate in the state. These agencies may establish standards for instruction, qualifications of faculty, location and nature of facilities, financial policies and responsibilities and other operational matters. Institutions that seek to admit international students are required to be federally certified and legally authorized to operate in the state in which the institution is physically located in order to be allowed to issue the relevant documentation to permit international students to obtain a visa.
A substantial portion of KI’s revenue comes from programs that prepare international students to study and travel in English-speaking countries. In 2023, university preparation programs were principally delivered in Australia, Singapore and the U.K. KI’s ability to enroll students in these programs is directly dependent on its ability to comply with complex regulatory environments.
KI’s ability to enroll international students in programs in the U.K., Singapore, Australia, and other countries and to recruit students for study with KI’s partners is directly dependent on the laws and regulations governing student immigration. Changes have already been proposed to Australian and Canadian student immigration rules, and are under consideration for the U.K. Overall, there is a trend of tightening of student immigration regulations and access to student visas worldwide.
Changes to levels of direct and indirect government funding for international education programs would also materially affect the success of KI’s operations. For example, if access to student loans or other funding were to be lost for KI operations that admit students who are entitled to receive the benefit of this funding, Kaplan’s operating results could be materially adversely affected.
In January 2021, President Biden reversed a previously enacted ban on travel from certain countries to the U.S. and directed the State Department to restart visa processing for individuals from the affected countries. There have since been new, unrelated travel restrictions in the U.S. due to COVID-19, and those restrictions can be expected to continue changing. On September 25, 2020, the previous U.S. presidential administration proposed significant changes to the visa rules governing entry of non-immigrant academic students and exchange visitors. In July 2021, the Biden administration formally withdrew the notice of proposed rulemaking regarding these changes. Nevertheless, negative perceptions regarding travel to the U.S. could continue to have a significant negative impact on KI’s ability to recruit international students, and Kaplan’s business could be materially adversely affected.
•Difficulties of Managing Properties in the U.K. Could Materially Impact Kaplan’s Expenses
Kaplan has a number of real estate investments in the U.K., usually on long-term leases. The U.K. has substantially updated its building and fire safety laws in the last few years. As the tenant, Kaplan is required to keep the buildings in repair. Kaplan usually benefits from a package of contractor and subcontractor arrangements in relation to defects that arise as a result of poor construction or failure to adhere to property regulations. If, however, the entities who have entered into these collateral agreements become insolvent, Kaplan, as the tenant, may be expected to remedy the relevant defect. The relevant costs may be material.
• Difficulties in Managing Foreign Operations and Failure to Comply with Foreign Regulatory Requirements Have Negatively Impacted and Could Continue to Negatively Affect Kaplan’s Business.
Kaplan has operations and investments in a growing number of foreign countries and regions, including Australia, Canada, the People’s Republic of China, Colombia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the U.K. and the United Arab Emirates. Operating in foreign countries and regions presents a number of inherent risks, including the difficulties of complying with unfamiliar laws and regulations, effectively managing and staffing foreign operations, successfully navigating local customs and practices, preparing for potential political and economic instability and adapting to currency exchange rate fluctuations. Countries have also increasingly begun imposing national data protection laws, which increases compliance costs and creates additional legal risk in relation to operating internationally. Failure to effectively manage these risks could have a material adverse effect on Kaplan’s operating results.
In 2021, CPE in Singapore instructed Kaplan Singapore to cease new enrollments for certain diploma programs. Kaplan Singapore successfully applied for re-registration of certain diploma and additional full-time and part-time programs in 2022. In May 2022, CPE also renewed Kaplan Singapore’s registration as a private education institution for a four-year period expiring in 2026. In 2023, Kaplan Singapore successfully renewed the certification required for private education institutions to enroll international students and offer certain programs. As enrollments in diploma programs and undergraduate degree programs are not yet at levels existing prior to the regulatory actions in 2021, the impact from regulatory actions by the CPE will continue to have an adverse impact on Kaplan Singapore’s revenues, operating results and cash flows in the future while enrollment levels stabilize.
• Changes in U.K. Tax Laws Could Have a Material Adverse Effect on Kaplan International.
The UK Pathways Colleges located in England were required to register with the OfS to ensure they could continue operating as English higher education providers. The UK Pathways Colleges (excluding Glasgow and York) were entered on the OfS register of approved providers with Approved Fee Cap Status in August 2020. These colleges now operate under the regulatory oversight of the OfS. Colleges registered with the OfS under Approved Fee Cap status do not charge students Value Added Tax (VAT) on tuition fees based on a statutory exemption available to Approved Fee Cap providers. The York College forms part of the University of York’s Approved Fee Cap registration. If KI Pathways were to lose its Approved Fee Cap status with the OfS, KI Pathways Colleges’ financial results may be materially adversely impacted.
The Glasgow College is not currently included in the OfS registration as it is located in Scotland. Under a different statutory VAT exemption, bodies that qualify for VAT purposes as “colleges of a university” are able to exempt their tuition fees from VAT, and UK Pathways Glasgow International College applies this status. In 2019, a tax case was determined by the U.K. Supreme Court on the meaning of “college of a university.” The U.K. Supreme Court decided the case in the college’s favor. The result was more favorable to private providers working in collaboration with a university. The U.K. Supreme Court emphasized five principal tests for a private provider to meet, for it to be sufficiently integrated with a university, to qualify as a “college of a university” even if it does not have a constitutional link to the university. Although the focus on these five tests has now been incorporated into official His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) guidance, it is not yet clear how HMRC will apply the Supreme Court judgment and the five key tests in practice. If the HMRC’s application of the Supreme Court judgment and the five key tests deem Glasgow International College not to constitute a “college of a university” and not entitled to a VAT exemption, KI Pathways Colleges’ financial results may be materially adversely impacted if they are not able to meet any new requirements.
Following the departure of the U.K. from the European Union (EU) on December 31, 2020, the U.K. may further develop its VAT rules in this complex area separate from the EU rules but has not yet done so. Kaplan continues to closely monitor this area.
The next U.K. general election will be no later than January 28, 2025, but is expected to be held in 2024. If the Labour Party forms a new government following this election, their policy is to end the VAT exemption for private schools and may make other changes to U.K. tax laws which increase the tax costs of these schools. KI management presently believes it is likely that such a change would only affect MPW but would need to carefully review the implementation of this policy.
• Failure to Comply with Statutory and Regulatory Requirements as a Third-Party Servicer to Title IV Participating Institutions Could Result in Monetary Liabilities or Subject Kaplan to Other Material Adverse Consequences.
KNA provides services to Purdue Global, including financial aid services, and as such, KNA is a “Third-Party Servicer” for Purdue Global as currently defined by the ED and in the Title IV regulations. As a result, KNA is subject to applicable statutory provisions of Title IV and ED regulations that, among other things, require Kaplan to be jointly and severally liable with its Title IV participating client institution(s) to the ED for any violation by such client institution(s) of any Title IV statute or ED regulation or requirement. Separately, if the ED expands the definition of what services or entities fall within the Third-Party Servicer regulations, and/or, if KNA provides financial aid services to more than one Title IV participating institution, it will be required to arrange for an independent auditor to conduct an annual Title IV audit of KNA’s compliance with applicable ED requirements. KNA provides non-financial aid services to institutions such as Purdue University, Wake Forest University, and other Title IV participating institutions. As such, if the Third-Party Servicer regulations or the interpretation of those regulations by the ED change, KNA could be considered a Third-Party Servicer to its multiple client institutions as well.
KNA is also subject to other federal and state laws, including federal and state consumer protection laws and rules prohibiting unfair or deceptive marketing practices; data privacy, data protection and information security requirements established by federal, state and foreign governments, including, for example, the Federal Trade Commission; and applicable provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act regarding the privacy of student records.
Failure to comply with these and other federal and state laws and regulations could result in adverse consequences, including, for example:
•The imposition on Kaplan of fines, other sanctions or liabilities, including repayment obligations for Title IV funds to the ED or the termination or limitation of Kaplan’s eligibility to provide services as a Third-Party Servicer to any Title IV participating institution if KNA fails to comply with statutory or regulatory requirements applicable to such service providers;
•Adverse effects on Kaplan’s business and operations from a reduction or loss in KNA’s revenues under the TOSA or any other agreement with any Title IV participating institution if a client institution loses or has limits placed on its Title IV eligibility, accreditation, operations or state licensure or is subject to fines, repayment obligations or other adverse actions owing to noncompliance by KNA (or the institution) with Title IV, accreditor, federal or state agency requirements;
•Liability under the TOSA or any other agreement with any Title IV participating institution for noncompliance with federal, state or accreditation requirements arising from KNA’s conduct; and
•Liability for noncompliance with Title IV or other federal or state requirements occurring prior to the transfer of Kaplan University to Purdue.
Although KNA endeavors to comply with all U.S. federal and state laws and regulations, KNA cannot guarantee that its implementation of the relevant rules will be upheld by the ED or other agencies or upon judicial review. The laws, regulations and other requirements applicable to KNA and its client institutions are subject to change and to interpretation. In addition, there are other factors related to KNA’s client institutions’ compliance with federal, state and accrediting agency requirements, some of which are outside of KNA’s control, that could have a material adverse effect on KNA’s client institutions’ revenues and, in turn, on KNA’s operating results.
• Failure to Comply with the ED’s Title IV Incentive Compensation Rule Could Subject Kaplan to Liabilities, Sanctions and Fines.
Under the ED’s incentive compensation rule, an institution participating in Title IV programs may not provide any commission, bonus or other incentive payment to any person or entity engaged in any student recruiting or admission activities or in making decisions regarding the awarding of Title IV funds if such payment is based directly or indirectly on success in securing enrollments or financial aid. KNA is a third party providing bundled services to Title IV participating institutions, including recruiting and, in the case of Purdue Global, financial aid services. As such, KNA is also subject to the incentive compensation rule and cannot provide any commission, bonus or other incentive payment to any covered employees, subcontractors or other parties engaged in certain student recruiting, admission or financial aid activities based on success in securing enrollments or financial aid. In addition, KNA’s client Title IV institutions’ payments to KNA (including payments under the TOSA with Purdue Global) must comply with revenue sharing guidance provided by the ED related to bundled services agreements. In 2011 guidance, the ED provided that in certain arrangements with Title IV participating institutions where student recruiting services are “bundled” with other non-recruiting services, revenue sharing may be allowable despite the incentive compensation rule’s general prohibition on such revenue sharing with entities or individuals that provide recruiting services. Because this guidance is not codified in any rule or law, but is instead ED guidance on the applicability of the
incentive compensation rule, such guidance can be revoked at any time and without notice. The ED has indicated it is considering a change to this guidance as some lawmakers and states, such as California, have publicly called for the revocation of this guidance or sought to introduce federal and state legislation seeking to prevent any such revenue sharing with entities that engage in recruiting students. The change of control of the executive branch in 2021 increased the likelihood of changes to this guidance and to the incentive compensation rule or limitations on the bundled service allowance through additional federal rulemaking. As previously described, the TOSA revenue sharing provisions are deferred purchase price payments rather than payments for services. KNA’s services under the TOSA are paid for as a percentage of KNA’s costs of delivering those services to Purdue Global. KNA cannot predict how the ED or a federal court will interpret, revise or enforce all aspects of the incentive compensation rule or the bundled service revenue sharing guidance in the future or how they would be applied to the TOSA or any of KNA’s agreements by the ED or in any litigation. Any revisions or changes in interpretation or enforcement could require KNA and its client institutions to change their practices or renegotiate the tuition revenue sharing payment terms of KNA’s agreements with such client institutions and could have a material adverse effect on Kaplan’s business and results of operations. Additionally, failure to comply with the incentive compensation rule could result in litigation or enforcement actions against KNA or its clients and could result in liabilities, fines or other sanctions against KNA or its clients, which could have a material adverse effect on Kaplan’s business and results of operations.
• Failure to Comply with the ED’s Title IV Misrepresentation Regulations Could Subject Kaplan to Liabilities, Sanctions and Fines.
A Title IV participating institution is required to comply with the ED regulations related to misrepresentations and with related federal and state laws. These laws and regulations are broad in scope and may extend to statements by servicers, such as KNA, that provide marketing or certain other services to such institutions. These laws and regulations may also apply to KNA’s employees and agents, with respect to statements addressing the nature of an institution’s programs, financial charges or the employability of its graduates. KNA provides marketing and other services to Title IV participating institutions. On October 31, 2022, the ED published a new final rule governing the “Borrower Defense to Repayment” rules that became effective July 1, 2023. Among other things, the final rule refines the standard for aggressive and deceptive recruitment tactics that might constitute misrepresentation and provides additional bases for future borrowers’ defense claims against their current or former institutions. The failure to comply with these or other federal and state laws and regulations regarding misrepresentation and marketing practices could result in the imposition on KNA or its client institutions of fines, other sanctions or liabilities, including federal student aid repayment obligations to the ED, the termination or limitation of Kaplan’s eligibility to provide services as a third-party servicer to Title IV participating institutions, the termination or limitation of a client institution’s eligibility to participate in the Title IV programs, or legal action by students or other third parties. A violation of misrepresentation regulations or other federal or state laws and regulations applicable to the services KNA provides to its client institutions arising out of statements by KNA, its employees or agents could require KNA to pay the costs associated with indemnifying its client institutions from applicable losses resulting from the violation or could result in termination by such client institutions of their services agreements with KNA.
• Compliance Reviews, Program Reviews, Audits and Investigations, Including in Connection with Borrower Defense to Repayment Claims, Could Result in Findings of Noncompliance with Statutory and Regulatory Requirements and Result in Liabilities, Sanctions and Fines.
KNA and its client institutions are subject to reviews, audits, investigations and other compliance reviews conducted by various regulatory agencies and auditors, including, among others, the ED, the ED’s Office of the Inspector General, accrediting bodies and state and various other federal agencies. These compliance reviews can result in findings of noncompliance with statutory and regulatory requirements that can, in turn, result in the imposition of fines, liabilities, civil or criminal penalties or other sanctions against KNA and its client institutions, which could have an adverse effect on Kaplan’s financial results and operations. Separately, if KNA provides financial aid services to more than one Title IV participating institution, it will be required to arrange for an independent auditor to conduct an annual Title IV compliance audit of KNA’s compliance with applicable ED requirements. KNA’s client institutions are also required to arrange for an independent auditor to conduct an annual Title IV audit of their compliance with applicable ED requirements, including requirements related to services provided by KNA.
On September 3, 2015, Kaplan sold substantially all of the assets of the former Kaplan Higher Education Campuses (KHE Campuses). As part of the transaction, similar to the transfer of Kaplan University, Kaplan retained liability for the pre-sale conduct of the KHE schools. Although Kaplan no longer owns Kaplan University or the former KHE Campuses, Kaplan may be liable to the current owners of Kaplan University and the former KHE Campuses, for the pre-sale conduct of the schools, and the pre-sale conduct of the schools has been and could be the subject of future compliance reviews, regulatory proceedings or lawsuits that could result in monetary liabilities or fines or other sanctions.
In May 2021, Kaplan received notice from the ED that it would be conducting a fact-finding process pursuant to the borrower defense to repayment regulations to determine the validity of borrower defense to repayment claims and a
request for documents related to several of Kaplan’s previously owned schools. In 2021, Kaplan received claims and related information requests seeking discharge of approximately $35 million in loans, excluding interest, from former Kaplan University students. Kaplan believes it has defenses that would bar any student discharge or school liability including that the claims are barred by the applicable statute of limitations, unproven, incomplete and fail to meet regulatory filing requirements. The ED’s process for adjudicating these claims is subject to the borrower defense regulations but it is not clear to what extent the ED will exclude claims based on the underlying statutes of limitations, evidence provided by Kaplan, or any prior investigation related to schools attended by the student applicants. On August 16, 2022, the ED announced the approval of discharges for just under 100 borrowers who had enrolled in the medical assistant  or medical billing and coding program at Kaplan Career Institute’s Kenmore Square location in Massachusetts from July 1, 2011 to February 16, 2012, when the institution stopped enrolling new students. These are borrowers the Massachusetts Attorney General identified as part of an investigation in 2013-2015. The location closed in February 2013. To date, the ED has not sought to recoup any discharged amount from Kaplan. Although the ED did not announce the total amount discharged, Kaplan believes it to be approximately $200,000. Kaplan believes that each of the students subject to discharge was likely previously covered by Kaplan’s prior settlement with the Massachusetts Attorney General through which they should have received refunds of all or part of their tuition.
As part of the Sweet v. Cardona settlement described below, the ED agreed to review any borrower defense applications submitted between June 23, 2022, and November 15, 2022 on an expedited basis. In January 2024, Kaplan was informed that the ED received applications during this time period regarding former Kaplan University and Purdue Global students and Kaplan has begun to receive them. Unknown at this time is the total discharge amount sought or how much of that amount would apply to Kaplan University students. The Sweet v. Cardona settlement requires the ED to adjudicate applications received during the designated time period pursuant to the requirements of the 2016 Borrower Defense Regulation. To the extent these applications apply to Kaplan University, Kaplan anticipates that it will have defenses similar to those described above.
The settlement agreement in Sweet v. Cardona, a case brought by plaintiffs against the ED and described below, discharges all pending BDTR claims against Kaplan filed through the date of the settlement agreement in June 2022. Although the ED may argue that it has the right to separately adjudicate those BDTR claims to attempt to seek recoupment from Kaplan, it is not clear whether a federal court would hold that the Sweet settlement resolves or moots all such claims. As noted above, the Sweet settlement also applies to claims filed prior to November 15, 2022. Although those post-June 23, 2022 claims were not automatically discharged, the settlement commits the ED to adjudicate those claims prior to January 2026.
In any case, Kaplan expects to vigorously defend any attempt by the ED to hold Kaplan liable for any ultimate student discharges and responded to the prior claims with documentary and narrative evidence to refute the allegations, demonstrate their lack of merit and support the denial of all such claims by the ED. Kaplan will similarly respond to all future claims it receives. As noted, if the claims are successful, the ED may seek reimbursement for the amount discharged from Kaplan. If the ED initiates a reimbursement action against Kaplan following approval of additional former students’ borrower defense to repayment applications, Kaplan may be subject to significant liability.
• Noncompliance with Regulations by KNA’s Client Institutions May Adversely Impact Kaplan’s Results of Operations.
KNA currently provides services to higher education institutions that are heavily regulated by federal and state laws and regulations and by accrediting bodies. Currently, a substantial portion of KNA’s revenue is attributable to service fees and deferred purchase price payments it receives under its agreement with Purdue Global, which, in the case of the deferred purchase price, are dependent upon revenue generated by Purdue Global and upon Purdue Global’s eligibility to participate in the Title IV federal student aid program. To maintain Title IV eligibility, Purdue Global and KNA’s other client institutions must be certified by the ED as eligible institutions, maintain authorizations by applicable state education agencies and be accredited by an accrediting commission recognized by the ED. Purdue Global and KNA’s other client institutions must also comply with the extensive statutory and regulatory requirements of the Higher Education Act and other state and federal laws and accrediting standards relating to their financial aid management, educational programs, financial strength, disbursement and return of Title IV funds, facilities, recruiting practices, representations made by the school and other parties, and various other matters. Additionally, Purdue Global and other client institutions are subject to laws and regulations that, among other things, limit student default rates on the repayment of Title IV loans; permit borrower defenses to repayment of Title IV loans based on certain conduct of the institution; establish specific measures of financial responsibility and administrative capability; regulate the addition of new campuses and programs and other institutional changes; require compliance with state professional licensure board requirements to the extent applicable to institutional programs; require compliance with the Title IV definition of nonprofit institution; and require state authorization and institutional and programmatic accreditation. In addition, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and subsequent guidance from the ED have created
changes in the administration of federal financial assistance programs, the interpretation of which may not yet be fully understood.
If the ED finds that Purdue Global or any other KNA client institution has failed to comply with Title IV requirements or improperly disbursed or retained Title IV program funds, it may take one or more of a number of actions, including: fining the school, requiring the school to repay Title IV program funds, limiting or terminating the school’s eligibility to participate in Title IV programs, initiating an emergency action to suspend the school’s participation in the Title IV programs without prior notice or opportunity for a hearing, transferring the school to a method of Title IV payment that would adversely affect the timing of the institution’s receipt of Title IV funds, requiring the school to submit a letter of credit, denying or refusing to consider the school’s application for renewal of its certification to participate in the Title IV programs or for approval to add a new campus or educational program, requiring the institution to comply with additional regulatory requirements reserved for schools not meeting the definition of a nonprofit institution including 90/10 and Gainful Employment requirements, and/or referring the matter for possible civil or criminal investigation. There can be no assurance that the ED will not take any of these or other actions in the future, whether as a result of lawsuits, program reviews or otherwise. In addition, on August 18, 2022 the ED granted Purdue Global a new provisional certification (“PPPA”) until June 30, 2024. Under this most recent PPPA, Purdue Global must apply for and receive approval for expansion or any substantial change before it may award, disburse or distribute Title IV funds based on the substantial change. Substantial changes generally include, but are not limited to: (a) the establishment of an additional location; (b) an increase in the level of academic offering beyond those listed in the institution’s Eligibility and Certification Approval Report; (c) the addition of any educational program (including degree, non-degree or short-term training programs), or (d) the addition of any new degree program. In addition, the institution must pay any liabilities found in a currently open program review prior to the expiration of the PPPA. Purdue Global must also quarterly inform the ED of any governmental investigations involving the university as well as provide a summary of any student complaints. The provisional certification ends upon the ED’s notification to the institution of the ED’s decision to grant or deny a six-year certification to participate in the Title IV, Higher Education Act programs. If Purdue Global or another KNA client institution loses or has limits placed on its Title IV eligibility, accreditation or state licensure, or if Purdue Global or another KNA client institution is subject to fines, repayment obligations or other adverse actions owing to its or Kaplan’s noncompliance with Title IV regulations, accreditor or state agency requirements, or other state or federal laws, Kaplan’s financial results of operations could be adversely affected. Additionally, as a prior owner of Title IV institutions, KNA may retain certain liability for student loans related to the current or future BDTR applications described above or future similar applications.
In turn, any of the aforementioned consequences could have a material adverse effect on Kaplan’s operating results even though such institution’s compliance is affected by circumstances beyond Kaplan’s control, including, for example:
•a reduction or loss in KNA’s revenues under the TOSA or other client agreements if Purdue Global or any other KNA client institution loses or has limits placed on its Title IV eligibility, accreditation or state licensure;
•a reduction or loss in KNA’s revenues under the TOSA or other client agreements if Purdue Global or any other client institution is subject to fines, repayment obligations or other adverse actions owing to noncompliance by the institution (or Kaplan) with Title IV, accreditor or state agency requirements;
•the imposition on KNA of fines or repayment obligations to the ED or the termination or limitation on Kaplan’s eligibility to provide services to Purdue Global or other Title IV participating institutions if findings of noncompliance by Purdue Global or such other institution result in a determination that Kaplan failed to comply with statutory or regulatory requirements applicable to service providers; and
•liability under the TOSA or other client agreements for noncompliance with federal, state or accreditation requirements arising from KNA’s conduct.
• Kaplan May Fail to Realize the Anticipated Benefits of the Purdue Global Transaction.
Kaplan’s ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the Purdue Global transaction will depend, in part, on its ability to successfully and efficiently provide services to Purdue Global. Achieving the anticipated benefits is subject to a number of uncertainties, including whether the services can be provided in the manner and at the cost Kaplan anticipated and whether Purdue Global is able to realize anticipated student enrollment levels. If Kaplan is unable to effectively execute its post-transaction strategy, it may take longer than anticipated to achieve the benefits of the transaction or it may not realize those benefits at all. In 2022 Purdue Global began working with KNA to provide certain human resources, finance and accounting, facility management, and communications services itself, in-house. The TOSA (Kaplan’s service agreement with Purdue Global) acknowledges that the Purdue Global Board of Trustees controls the university. While the TOSA provides financial protections to Kaplan to ensure payment of certain of its fees, actions by Purdue Global that change university policies, direct the provision of certain non-
academic service functions, or increase costs associated with the non-academic service functions could impact Kaplan’s ability to achieve the benefits of the transaction.
• Regulatory Changes and Developments Could Negatively Impact Kaplan’s Results of Operations.
Any legislative, regulatory or other development that has the effect of materially reducing the amount of Title IV financial assistance or other federal, state or private financial assistance available to the students of Purdue Global or any other client institution could have a material adverse effect on Kaplan’s business and results of operations. In addition, any development that has the effect of making the terms on which Title IV financial assistance or other financial assistance funds are available to Purdue Global’s or other client institutions’ students materially less attractive could have a material adverse effect on Kaplan’s business and results of operations.
The laws, regulations and other requirements applicable to KNA or any KNA client institutions are subject to change and to interpretation. Regulations drafted as a result of the 2021 Negotiated Rulemaking and released in 2022 and effective in July 2023 include restrictions on revenue-sharing arrangements between universities and former university owners, as discussed above. This could impact KNA Higher Education managed service provider contracts with Purdue Global. In addition, any change in general to the currently allowed revenue sharing requirements or limitations could impact other KNA client institutions such as Wake Forest, Purdue, Creighton, or Lynn (or others). These and other regulatory, policy or legal changes could include imposing outcome metrics on universities, a form of free community college, and changes to the financial aid system, including broad loan forgiveness. In addition, the 2021 Negotiated Rulemaking also resulted in new rules that cover, in part, rules related to the borrower defense to repayment adjudication process and recovery from institutions, closed school loan discharges, disability loan discharges, public loan forgiveness, income-driven repayment plans and arbitration agreements. The ED also changed the Title IV definition of “nonprofit” institution to generally exclude from that definition any institution that is an obligor on a debt owed to a former owner of the institution or maintains a revenue-based service agreement with a former owner of the institution. Such regulatory changes as well as those described above could subject Purdue Global to additional regulatory requirements. The new rules and changes to existing rules became effective July 1, 2023. In addition, there are other factors related to Purdue Global’s and other client institutions’ compliance with federal, state and accrediting agency requirements-many of which are largely outside of Kaplan’s control-that could have a material adverse effect on Purdue Global’s and other client institutions’ revenues and, in turn, on Kaplan’s operating results, including, for example:
Reduction in Title IV or other federal, state or private financial assistance: KNA receives revenue based on its agreements with client institutions and particularly revenue from Purdue Global under the TOSA. Purdue Global is expected to derive a significant percentage of its tuition revenues from its participation in Title IV programs. Any legislative, regulatory or other development that materially reduces the amount of Title IV, federal, state or private financial assistance available to the students of Purdue Global and other client institutions could have a material adverse effect on Kaplan’s business and results of operations. In addition, any development that makes the terms of such financial assistance less attractive could have a material adverse effect on Kaplan’s business and results of operations.
Compliance reviews and litigation: Institutions participating in the Title IV programs, including Purdue Global and other client institutions, are subject to program reviews, audits, investigations and other compliance reviews conducted by various regulatory agencies and auditors, including, among others, the ED, the ED’s Office of the Inspector General, accrediting bodies and state and various other federal agencies, as well as annual audits by an independent certified public accountant of compliance with Title IV statutory and regulatory requirements. Purdue Global and other client institutions may also be subject to various lawsuits and claims related to a variety of matters, including but not limited to alleged violations of federal and state laws and accrediting agency requirements. These compliance reviews and litigation matters could extend to activities conducted by KNA on behalf of Purdue Global or other client institutions and to KNA itself as a third-party servicer subject to Title IV regulations.
Legislative and regulatory change: Congress periodically revises the Higher Education Act and other laws and enacts new laws governing the Title IV programs and annually determines the funding level for each Title IV program and may make changes in the laws at any time. The ED and other federal and state agencies may also issue new regulations and guidance or change their interpretation of regulations at any time. For example, on October 27, 2022 and October 31, 2022 the ED released new final regulations (effective July 1, 2023) that further change the borrower defense regulations, including changes affecting the ability of student borrowers to obtain discharges of their obligations to repay certain Title IV loans that were first disbursed on or after July 1, 2023; relating to recoupment of BDTR discharges from institutions; adding a new definition for nonprofit institutions that limits the ability of such institutions to contract with former owners; and, establishing new accountability rules for colleges and universities undergoing changes in ownership. The application of these regulations to KNA for loans disbursed between July 1, 2017, and March 22, 2018, the close of the Purdue Global transaction, could materially affect Kaplan’s revenues. Additionally, changes to the ability of students to discharge loans owing to prior school closures could
impose liability on Kaplan for loans made to students at institutions previously owned by Kaplan and closed during Kaplan’s ownership. Any action by Congress or the ED that significantly reduces funding for Title IV programs or the ability of Purdue Global or other client institutions to receive funding through these programs could reduce Purdue Global’s or other client institutions’ enrollments and tuition revenues and, in turn, the revenues KNA receives under the TOSA or other agreements. Any action by Congress or the ED that impacts the ability of Purdue Global to contract with KNA to receive a share of revenue as deferred payment for the sale of Kaplan University or the ability of KNA to contract with any client institution to provide bundled services in exchange for a share of tuition revenue could require KNA to modify the TOSA, other agreements or its practices and could impact the revenues KNA may receive under such agreements. Congress, the ED and other federal and state regulators may create new laws or take actions that may require Purdue Global, other client institutions or KNA to modify practices in ways that could have a material adverse effect on Kaplan’s business and results of operations.
Increased regulatory scrutiny of postsecondary education and service providers: The increased scrutiny of online schools that offer programs similar to those offered by Purdue Global or other client institutions and of service providers that provide services similar to Kaplan’s has resulted, and may continue to result, in additional enforcement actions, investigations and lawsuits by the ED, other federal agencies, Congress, state Attorneys General and state licensing agencies, or private plaintiffs. Recent enforcement actions have resulted in substantial liabilities, restrictions and sanctions and in some cases have led to the loss of Title IV eligibility and closure of institutions. The change of control of the executive branch and Congress in 2021 could increase the amount of regulation and scrutiny of service companies like Kaplan and online schools like Kaplan’s client institutions, and has resulted in new regulations as described in part above. This increased activity and other current and future activity may result in further legislation, rulemaking and other governmental actions affecting the amount of student financial assistance for which Purdue Global’s or other client institutions’ students are eligible, or Kaplan’s participation in Title IV programs as a third-party servicer to Purdue Global or such other client institutions. In addition, increased scrutiny and legislative proposals restricting the ability of entities like KNA that provide certain admissions-related services to Title IV participating institutions under revenue sharing arrangements could impact KNA agreements. Such scrutiny could result in requests to Kaplan for information or negative publicity that could adversely affect KNA and its client institutions.
• Reductions in the Use of Standardized Tests in the Admissions Process by Colleges or Graduate Schools and Increased Competition Could Reduce Demand for KNA Supplemental Education Test Preparation Offerings.
KNA Supplemental Education Exam Preparation provides courses that prepare students for a broad range of admissions examinations that are considered by colleges and graduate schools. Historically, colleges and graduate schools have required standardized tests as part of the admissions process. Certain colleges have moved away from the historical reliance on standardized admissions tests. Reductions in the use of standardized tests in college or graduate school admissions processes have had and could continue to have an adverse effect on KNA’s operating results.
Additionally, KNA faces increased competition from competitors offering lower-cost or free test prep products that may be used by students to piece together alternatives to traditional comprehensive test prep programs. Kaplan’s operating results may be adversely affected if student demand for KNA’s traditional comprehensive programs shifts to KNA’s lower-cost, stand-alone offerings, or if competitors offer lower-cost, stand-alone offerings or free test prep products that are more attractive to students than KNA’s products.
• Changes in the Extent to Which Licensing and Proficiency Examinations Are Used to Qualify Individuals to Pursue Certain Careers Could Reduce Demand for Kaplan’s Offerings.
A material portion of KNA’s and KI’s revenue comes from preparing individuals for licensing or technical proficiency examinations in various fields. Any significant relaxation or elimination of licensing or technical proficiency requirements in those fields served by KNA’s and KI’s businesses could negatively affect Kaplan’s operating results.
Risks Related to the Company’s Television Broadcasting and Media Businesses
• Changing Perceptions About the Effectiveness of Television Broadcasting in Delivering Advertising Could Adversely Affect the Profitability of Television Broadcasting.
Historically, television broadcasting has been viewed as a cost-effective method of delivering various forms of advertising. There can be no guarantee that this historical perception will guide future decisions by advertisers. To the extent that advertisers shift advertising expenditures, including local advertising, away from broadcast television to other media outlets, including digital distribution platforms, the profitability of the Company’s television broadcasting business could be adversely affected.
• Increased Competition Resulting from Technological Innovations in News, Information and Video Programming Distribution Systems and Changing Consumer Behavior Could Adversely Affect the Company’s Operating Results.
The continuing growth and technological expansion of internet-based services has increased competitive pressure on the Company’s media businesses. Examples of such developments include delivery of programming via online platforms, including both ad-supported and subscription video programming services and the national broadcast networks’ direct-to-consumer services, technologies that enable users to fast-forward or skip advertisements, and devices that allow users to consume content on demand and in remote locations while avoiding traditional commercial advertisements or cable and satellite subscriptions. Changing consumer behavior may also put pressure on the Company’s media businesses to change traditional distribution methods. The Company obtains significant revenue from its retransmission consent agreements with traditional cable and satellite distributors. These payments are calculated on a per-subscriber basis, so that payments to the Company may decrease as customers “cut the cord” and cancel their cable and satellite subscriptions. The Company also receives payments for the distribution of its stations’ signals on certain internet-based services; however, these revenues may be less than those received from traditional cable and satellite distribution. Anticipating and adapting to changes in technology and consumer behavior on a timely basis will affect the ability of the Company’s media businesses to continue to increase their revenue. The development and deployment of new technologies and changing consumer behavior have the potential to negatively and significantly affect the Company’s media businesses in ways that cannot now be reliably predicted and that may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operating results.
• Changes in the Nature and Extent of Government Regulations Could Adversely Affect the Company’s Television Broadcasting Business and Other Businesses.
The Company’s television broadcasting business operates in a highly regulated environment. Complying with applicable regulations has significantly increased, and may continue to increase, the costs, and has reduced the revenues, of the business. Changes in regulations have the potential to negatively impact the television broadcasting business, not only by increasing compliance costs and reducing revenues through restrictions on certain types of advertising, limitations on pricing flexibility, or other means, but also by possibly creating more favorable regulatory environments for the providers of competing services, including unregulated digital programming distribution platforms. In addition, changes to the FCC’s rules governing broadcast ownership may affect the Company’s ability to expand its television broadcasting business and/or may enable the Company’s competitors to improve their market positions through consolidation. More generally, significant changes in applicable regulations could adversely affect the profitability and/or competitive positions of the Company’s businesses.
• Transition to New Technical Standards for Broadcast Television Stations May Alter the Competitive Environment in the Company’s Stations’ Markets or Cause the Company to Incur Increased Costs.
The Company cannot predict how the market will evolve as the new broadcast television station technical standard, ATSC 3.0, is made available in a growing number of television markets across the country; today, ATSC 3.0 streams are available in more than 70 markets. Competing stations that transition to ATSC 3.0 may increase competition for the Company’s stations and/or create competitive pressure for the Company’s stations to launch ATSC 3.0 streams. As noted above, GMG stations WDIV-TV, WKMG-TV, WSLS-TV, and KPRC-TV have begun broadcasting ATSC 3.0 streams, and it is anticipated that KSAT-TV, WJXT-TV and WCWJ-TV will launch ATSC 3.0 streams this year. The pace of transition to the ATSC 3.0 broadcasting standard may also be affected by the availability of ATSC 3.0-capable consumer devices. Equipment manufacturers began releasing certain TV models with built-in ATSC 3.0-capable receivers in 2020, and an increasing number of external tuners or converter boxes are available, but ATSC 3.0-capable consumer devices are not yet widely available or in use in the U.S. The ongoing transition to ATSC 3.0 may cause the Company to incur substantial costs over time. More generally, the deployment of ATSC 3.0 may have other material effects on the Company’s media businesses that cannot now be reliably predicted and that may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operating results.
• Changes in MVPD Subscriber Numbers, Retransmission Consent Fees, “Reverse Retransmission Consent” Payments to the Networks, and Broadcast Exclusivity Could Adversely Affect the Company’s Revenues.
As the number of subscribers to traditional cable, satellite and telecommunications services declines, the Company faces the possibility of declining revenues under its existing retransmission agreements, which typically provide for payment to the Company on a per-subscriber basis. Those subscribers who “cut the cord” and move to internet-based streaming services may not generate the same revenues as the Company receives under its existing retransmission consent agreements, because the distribution agreements that apply to “virtual” MVPDs are negotiated by the national networks, and the per-subscriber fees paid to network-affiliated stations are determined by the network rather than by the Company in direct negotiation with those distributors.
At the same time, the Company’s network affiliation agreements typically require payments to the networks with which GMG stations are affiliated in the form of “reverse retransmission consent fees,” which require the Company to share a specified portion of retransmission consent fees with the respective networks. As reverse retransmission consent fee payments required to be paid to the networks escalate, the Company potentially could retain smaller shares of revenues generated by its retransmission consent agreements. The reverse retransmission consent fee obligations are sometimes structured as annual flat fees. In those cases, as the number of subscribers to traditional MVPD platforms decreases, the Company alone bears the costs and risks of declining retransmission consent revenues.
As the national networks have launched and continue to invest in their direct-to-consumer platforms, an increasing amount of network programming that was once available exclusively on an in-market network-affiliated station is now being made available on ad-supported or subscription services, either exclusively or simultaneously with its over-the-air broadcast. The diminishing program exclusivity provided by network affiliation could decrease local broadcasters’ leverage in retransmission consent negotiations with MVPDs.
Taken together, these factors together could adversely affect GMG’s revenues and operating results.
Risks Related to the Company’s Manufacturing Businesses
• Failure to Recruit and Retain Production Staff Needed to Meet Customer Demand Could Have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company’s Manufacturing Businesses.
The Company’s manufacturing operations are experiencing a highly competitive market for production labor that may limit its ability to meet customer demand. If staffing cannot be hired at a cost-efficient wage rate relative to product pricing, volume will be impacted.
• The Company May Be Subject to Liability Claims That Could Have a Material Adverse Effect on Its Business.
The Company’s manufacturing operations are subject to hazards inherent in manufacturing and production-related facilities. An accident involving these operations or equipment may result in losses due to personal injury; loss of life; damage or destruction of property, equipment or the environment; or a suspension of operations. Insurance may not protect the Company against liability for certain kinds of events, including those involving pollution or losses resulting from business interruption. Any damages caused by the Company’s operations that are not covered by insurance, or are in excess of policy limits, could materially adversely affect the Company’s results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
Risks Related to the Company’s Healthcare Business
• Extensive Regulation of the Healthcare Industry Could Adversely Affect the Company’s Healthcare Businesses and Results of Operations.
The home health and hospice industries are subject to extensive federal, state and local laws, with regulations affecting a wide range of matters, including licensure and certification, quality of services, qualifications of personnel, confidentiality and security of medical records, relationships with physicians and other referral sources, operating policies and procedures, and billing and coding practices. These laws and regulations change frequently, and the manner in which they will be interpreted is subject to change in ways that cannot be predicted.
Reimbursement for services by third-party payors, including Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurance providers, may decline, while authorization, audit and compliance requirements continue to add to the cost of providing those services.
Managed-care organizations, hospitals, physician practices and other third-party payors continue to consolidate in response to the evolving regulatory environment, thereby enhancing their ability to influence the delivery of healthcare services and decreasing the number of organizations serving patients. This consolidation could adversely impact GHG’s businesses if they are unable to maintain their ability to participate in established networks. In addition, CSI Pharmacy and Weiss Medical both face risks from manufacturer supply shortages, competitive vertical integration and pricing power, and government intervention on drug pricing.
GHG is also subject to periodic and routine reviews, audits and investigations by federal and state government agencies and private payors, which could result in negative findings that adversely impact the business. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) increasingly uses third-party, for-profit contractors to conduct these reviews, many of which share in the amounts that CMS denies. These reviews, audits and investigations consume significant staff and financial resources and may take years to resolve.
•Federal and State Changes to Reimbursement and Other Aspects of Medicare and Medicaid Could Have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company’s Healthcare Business
The Company’s Healthcare business derives revenue primarily from Medicare. Payments received from Medicare are subject to changes made through federal legislation. When changes are implemented, internal billing processes and procedures must be modified, which can require significant time and expense. These changes can include changes to base payments, adjustments for home health services, changes to cap limits and per diem rates for hospice services, changes to Medicare eligibility and documentation requirements and changes designed to restrict utilization. Health care reform and legislation and continuing efforts of governmental payors to contain health care costs could decrease payments made for services. Within the Medicare program, the hospice benefit is often specifically targeted for cuts. Reimbursement payments under governmental payor programs, including Medicare supplemental insurance policies, may not remain at levels comparable to present levels or be sufficient to cover the costs allocable to patients eligible for reimbursement pursuant to these programs. Any such changes, including retroactive adjustments, could have a material adverse effect on our business and consolidated financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
•Continued Nursing Staffing Shortages Could Adversely Affect the Growth of the Company’s Healthcare Businesses.
The country’s severe shortage of nurses could adversely affect GHG’s ability to meet customer demand and may impact its ability to take on new business. In addition, competition to attract new nurses necessitates offering increased wages and benefits, which increases costs.
• Value-based Purchasing Could Negatively Impact Medicare Reimbursement.
Both private and government payors are increasingly looking to value-based purchasing to lower costs. Value-based purchasing focuses on quality of outcomes and care efficiency, rather than quantity of care. Effective January 1, 2023, under the 2022 Home Health final rule for Medicare home health providers, value-based purchasing was expanded to all 50 states. Under the expanded model, home health agencies receive adjustments to their Medicare fee-for-service payments based on their performance against a set of quality measures, relative to their peers’ performance. Performance on these quality measures in a specified year (performance year) impacts payment adjustments in a later year (payment year). The Home Health Final Rule for 2024, published on November 1, 2023, contained many changes that will impact the home health value-based purchasing model in 2025. However, the value-based purchasing model will remain unchanged in 2024, with the baseline year of 2022 still in effect. CMS could also create a similar plan for hospice providers in the future. Private and government payors’ implementation of value-based purchasing requirements could negatively impact Medicare reimbursement and have an adverse effect on GHG’s financial condition, results of operations and overall cash flows.
•The Company’s Healthcare Business is Limited in its Ability to Control Rates Received for its Services Which Could Materially Adversely Affect its Business if it is Unable to Maintain or Reduce Costs to Provide Such Services.
Medicare is the primary payor for the Company’s Healthcare business and rates are established through federal legislation. Additionally, non-Medicare rates are difficult to negotiate because such payors are under pressure to reduce their own costs. As a result, the Healthcare business must manage costs in order to achieve a desired level of profitability including, but not limited to, centralization of various processes, utilization of technology and management of the number of employees utilized. If the Healthcare business is unable to streamline its processes and reduce costs, its business and consolidated financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.
Risks Related to the Company’s Automotive Businesses
•Termination or Non-renewal of a Dealership Agreement by an Automobile Manufacturer and Limitations on the Company’s Ability to Acquire Additional Dealerships Could Adversely Affect the Company’s Automotive Business and Results of Operations.
The Company’s automobile dealerships are dependent on maintaining strong relationships with manufacturers, and the Company’s ownership and operation of automobile dealerships is subject to its ability to comply with various requirements established by automobile manufacturers. The Company’s dealerships operate under separate agreements with each applicable automobile manufacturer. Manufacturers may terminate their agreements for a variety of reasons, including a dealership’s failure to meet a manufacturer’s standards for financial and sales performance, customer satisfaction, facilities and the quality of dealership management; and any unapproved change in ownership or management. These agreements also limit the Company’s ability to acquire multiple dealerships of the same brand within a particular market and preclude the Company from establishing new dealerships within an area already served by another dealer of the same vehicle brand. In addition, dealerships controlled by related parties of the management team operating the Company’s dealerships may restrict the
Company’s ability to acquire new dealerships within an area in which such dealerships operate. Manufacturers also have the right of first refusal if the Company seeks to sell dealerships and may limit the Company’s ability to transfer ownership of a dealership without the prior approval of the manufacturer. Failure to maintain ownership of the dealerships in compliance with manufacturer agreements could constitute a breach of the agreements and could result in termination or non-renewal of existing dealer agreements. If one of the Company’s manufacturers does not renew its dealer agreement or terminates the agreement, the Company’s dealership would be unable to sell or distribute new vehicles or perform manufacturer-authorized warranty service, which would adversely affect the Company’s automotive business.
•Changes Affecting Automobile Manufacturers Could Adversely Affect the Company’s Automotive Business.
The Company’s dealerships are dependent on the products and services offered by the brand of automobiles that its dealerships sell. The ability of the Company’s dealerships to sell and service these brands may be adversely affected by negative conditions faced by manufacturers such as negative changes to a manufacturer’s financial condition, negative publicity concerning a manufacturer or vehicle model, declines in consumer demand or brand preferences, changes in consumer preferences driven by fuel price volatility, disruptions in production and delivery, including those caused by natural disasters or labor strikes, new laws or regulations, including more stringent fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards, and technological innovations in ride-sharing, electric vehicles and autonomous driving. The ability of the Company’s dealerships to align with manufacturers and adapt to evolving consumer demand for electric vehicles could adversely affect new and used vehicle sales volumes, parts and service revenue and results of operations.
•Changes to State Dealer Franchise Laws to Permit Manufacturers to Enter the Retail Market Directly and Technological Innovations Could Adversely Impact the Company’s Traditional Dealership Model.
Changes to state dealer franchise laws to permit the sale of new vehicles without the involvement of franchised dealers could adversely affect the Company’s dealerships. Certain manufacturers have been challenging state dealer franchise laws in many states and some have expressed interest in selling directly to customers. The Company’s dealership model could be adversely affected if new vehicle sales are allowed to be conducted on the internet without the involvement of franchised dealers.
•Changes in Economic Conditions and Vehicle Inventories Are Difficult to Predict and May Adversely Impact the Results of Operations of the Company’s Dealerships.
Sales of new and used vehicles are cyclical. Historically there have been periods of downturns characterized by weak demand due to general economic conditions, excess supplies, consumer confidence, discretionary income and credit availability. Recently, supply shortages have led to a period of higher average new and used selling prices as a result of strong consumer demand and inventory shortages related to supply chain disruptions and production delays at vehicle manufacturers. These conditions may deteriorate in the future. Changes in these conditions could materially adversely impact sales and related margins of new and used vehicles, parts and repair and maintenance services.
Risks Related to the Company’s Other Businesses
•If Saatchi Art Group, Society6 and WGB are Unable to Attract and Retain Artists, Customers and Visitors, and Successfully Drive Traffic to their Marketplaces and Media Properties their Business and Results of Operations Would be Adversely Affected.
Saatchi Art Group’s business and results of operation depend upon attracting and retaining artists whose artwork adds value to the marketplaces and that consumers want to purchase, and upon attracting customers who convert into new and repeat purchasers. Saatchi Art Group must continue to ensure there is a strong value proposition for artists to join and remain in the marketplace due to the quality of the service offered and the sales commissions they can generate. Society6 Group’s business and results of operation depend upon attracting and retaining artists who upload quality content that consumers want to purchase and upon attracting and retaining customers who convert into new and repeat purchasers. Their ability to attract new customers, some of whom may already purchase similar products from competitors, depends in part on their ability to successfully drive traffic to their marketplaces using social media platforms, email marketing campaigns and promotions, paid referrals, and search engines.
In order for WGB’s business to grow, WGB must attract new visitors to its media properties and retain its existing visitors. WGB’s success in attracting traffic to its media properties and converting these visitors into repeat users depends, in part, upon WGB’s ability to identify, create and distribute high-quality and reliable content and WGB’s ability to meet rapidly changing consumer demand. WGB may not be able to identify and create the desired content or produce an engaging user experience in a cost-effective or timely manner, if at all. WGB depends on search engines, primarily Google, to direct a significant amount of traffic to its media and marketplace properties, and WGB utilizes search engine optimization efforts to help generate search referral traffic to its media and marketplace
properties. Changes in the methodologies or algorithms used by search engines to display results could cause WGB’s properties to receive less favorable placements in the search results. If WGB is unable to successfully modify its search engine optimization practices in response to changes regularly implemented by search engine algorithms and in search query trends, or if WGB is unable to generate increased or diversified traffic from other sources such as social media, email, direct navigation and online marketing activities, WGB could experience substantial declines in traffic to its media properties which would adversely impact WGB’s business and results of operations.
•If WGB is Unable to Effectively Distribute its Media Content on Social Media Platforms or Mobile Devices, WGB’s Business and Results of Operation Could Be Negatively Impacted.
The number of people who access the internet through mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, rather than through desktop or laptop computers, has increased substantially in recent years. Additionally, individuals are increasingly consuming publisher content through social media platforms. If WGB cannot effectively distribute its media content, products and services on these devices or through these platforms, WGB could experience a decline in visits and traffic and a corresponding decline in revenue. Consumption of WGB’s media content on mobile devices rather than through desktop or laptop computers decreases revenue per visits. As a result of these factors, the increasing use of mobile devices and social media platforms to access WGB’s content could negatively impact its business and results of operations.
•Failure to Recruit and Retain Employees in the Company’s Restaurants Could Adversely Impact the Company’s Restaurant Business.
Historically, competition among restaurant companies for qualified management and staff has been very high. The Company’s ability to recruit and retain managers and staff to operate the Company’s restaurants is critical to a customer’s dining experience. Failure to recruit and retain employees, low levels of unemployment or high turnover levels could negatively affect the Company’s restaurant business. Tipped wage legislation is presenting new challenges to balance menu pricing, service standards, staffing levels, operating costs and public awareness as new wage laws are implemented.
•Food-Borne Illness Concerns and Damage to the Company’s Reputation Could Harm the Company’s Restaurant Business.
Historically, reports of food-borne illness or food safety issues at restaurants, even if caused by food suppliers or distributors, have had negative effects on restaurant sales. Because food safety issues could be experienced at the source by food suppliers or distributors, food safety could, in part, be out of the Company’s control. Even instances of food-borne illness at a location served by one of the Company’s competitors could result in negative publicity regarding the food service industry generally and could negatively impact restaurant revenue. Regardless of the source or cause, negative publicity about food-borne illness or other food safety issues could adversely impact the Company’s reputation. Similarly, publicity about litigation, violence, complaints, or government investigations could have a negative effect on restaurant sales.
• Concentration of the Company’s Restaurants in the Washington, D.C. Region Subjects the Company’s Restaurant Business to Regional Economic Conditions.
The concentration of the Company’s restaurants in the Washington, D.C. region subjects it to adverse economic conditions and trends in the region that are out of the Company’s control. For example, increases in the level of unemployment, a temporary government shutdown or a decrease in tourism would decrease customers’ disposable income available for discretionary spending. These and other national, regional and local economic pressures could result in decreases in customer traffic and lower sales and profits.
Risks Related to the Company’s Stock Ownership and Operations
• As a Controlled Company, the Rights of Class B Common Stockholders are Limited
The Company has two classes of shares, Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock. Class B Common Stock has limited voting rights, including the right to elect 30% of the Company’s Board of Directors, to vote on the reservation of shares for option grants and on the acquisition of the stock or assets of other companies under certain circumstances. The descendants of Katharine Graham and trusts for the benefit of those descendants own the majority of the shares of Class A Common Stock and have the right to vote for 70% of the Board of Directors and to vote on all other matters. As a result, control of the Company has been and is expected to remain with members of the Graham family. In addition, the Company is a “controlled company” under the corporate governance rules of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and as such, the Company is exempt from certain corporate governance requirements of the NYSE.
• Pandemics or Other Outbreaks of Disease, Such as the COVID-19 Pandemic, Have Had, and Future Outbreaks, Could Have, Adverse Impacts on the Company’s Business, Results of Operations and Cash Flows.
Pandemics and other disease outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have materially affected, and may in the future, materially adversely affect the Company’s businesses, including the demand for its products and services. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions and school closures impeded the ability of students to travel to undertake overseas study resulting in reduced enrollments for programs offered by Kaplan International, reduced demand for student housing and delays and cancellations of standardized tests. The COVID-19 pandemic also led to plant closures and disruptions in the Company’s supply chains, declines in demand for products and advertising, closures of the Company’s restaurants and live art fairs, and increased competition for labor and absenteeism affecting the Company’s media, manufacturing, healthcare, automotive and other businesses. The adverse impact of a new health crisis could include, and in the past has included, reduced demand for the Company’s products and services, supply chain disruptions, asset impairment charges, labor disruptions and manufacturing, restaurant and other closures. Additionally, to the extent a pandemic or other health crisis adversely affects the Company’s business operations, financial condition or operating results, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section.
•Failure to Comply with Environmental and Health and Safety Laws Applicable to the Company’s Operations Could Negatively Impact the Company’s Businesses.
The Company’s operations are subject to extensive federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the environment, as well as health and workplace safety, including those set forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state and local regulatory authorities in the U.S. as well as similar laws and regulations internationally where the Company operates. Such laws and regulations affect operations and require compliance with various environmental registrations, licenses, permits, inspections and other approvals. In the U.K., the Company will be subject to new registration requirements under the U.K. Building Safety Act in 2022 with respect to its dormitories as well as compliance with existing U.K. and local legislation regarding licensing occupancy of such dormitories. The Company incurs substantial costs to comply with these regulations, and any failure to comply may expose the Company to civil, criminal and administrative fees, fines, penalties and interruptions in operations that could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
Environmental laws and regulations to which the Company is subject include those governing discharges into the air and water, the operation and removal of above-ground and underground storage tanks, the use, handling, storage and disposal of hazardous substances and other materials, and the investigation and remediation of environmental contamination at facilities that are owned or operated. The Company may be subject to liability, for example, in the automotive business, because the business involves the generation, use, handling and contracting for recycling or disposal of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, including environmentally sensitive materials such as motor oil, filters, transmission fluid, antifreeze, refrigerant, batteries, solvents, lubricants, tires and fuel. In addition, climate change could cause increases in hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other risks that could produce losses affecting our businesses. Although in connection with certain acquisitions, the Company has obtained indemnification for certain environmental liabilities and insurance policies, such rights and policies may not be sufficient to reimburse the Company for all losses that it might incur. The Company has incurred, and will continue to incur, capital and operating expenditures and other costs in complying with such laws and regulations and changes to such regulations, including any new regulations related to climate change, could give rise to additional compliance or remedial costs.
• Failure to Successfully Integrate Acquired Businesses Could Negatively Affect the Company’s Business.
Acquisitions involve various inherent risks and uncertainties, including difficulties in efficiently integrating the service offerings, accounting and other administrative systems of an acquired business; the challenges of assimilating and retaining key personnel; the consequences of diverting the attention of senior management from existing operations; the possibility that an acquired business does not meet or exceed the financial projections that supported the purchase price; and the possible failure of the due diligence process to identify significant business risks or liabilities associated with the acquired business. A failure to effectively manage growth and integrate acquired businesses could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operating results.
• Changes in Business Conditions Have Caused and May in the Future Cause Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets to Become Impaired.
Goodwill generally represents the purchase price paid in excess of the fair value of net tangible and intangible assets acquired in a business combination. Goodwill is not amortized and remains on the Company’s balance sheet indefinitely unless there is an impairment or a sale of a portion of the business. Goodwill is subject to an impairment test on an annual basis and when circumstances indicate that an impairment is more likely than not. Such
circumstances include an adverse change in the business climate for one of the Company’s businesses or a decision to dispose of a business or a significant portion of a business. Each of the Company’s businesses faces uncertainty in its business environment due to a variety of factors, including challenges in operating environments created by the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in demand for products and services. In the third quarter of 2023, the Company recorded a goodwill impairment of $50.2 million at WGB and $47.8 million at Dekko. Additional declines in revenue could result in adverse changes in projections for future operating results or other key assumptions, such as projected revenue, profit margin, capital expenditures or cash flows associated with fair value estimates and could lead to additional future impairments, which could be material. The Company may experience other unforeseen circumstances that adversely affect the value of the Company’s goodwill or intangible assets and trigger an evaluation of the amount of the recorded goodwill and intangible assets. There also exists a reasonable possibility that changes to the discounted cash-flow model used to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment review, including a decrease in the assumed projected cash flows or long-term growth rate, or an increase in the discount rate assumption, could result in an impairment charge. Future write-offs of goodwill or other intangible assets as a result of an impairment in the business could materially adversely affect the Company’s results of operations and financial condition.
•Changes in International Income Tax Laws Could Subject the Company to Increased Taxes and Increased Compliance Costs
Many countries have proposed or enacted changes to their tax laws to implement a minimum 15% tax rate on certain multinational companies based on a set of rules known as Pillar Two issued by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Global tax developments, such as Pillar Two, could subject the Company to increased taxes and increased compliance costs.
Risks Related to Cybersecurity, Privacy, Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property
• System Disruptions and Security Threats to the Company’s Information Technology Infrastructure Could Have a Material Adverse Effect on Its Businesses and Results of Operations.
The Company relies extensively on information technology systems, networks and services, including internet sites, data hosting and processing facilities and tools and other hardware, software and technical platforms, some of which are managed, hosted, provided and/or used by third parties or their vendors, to assist in conducting the Company’s business.
The Company’s systems and the third-party systems on which it relies are subject to damage or interruption from a number of causes, including but not limited to power outages; computer and telecommunications failures; computer viruses; industry-wide software supply chain vulnerabilities, security breaches; cyberattacks, including phishing and other forms of social engineering, hacking, denial-of-service attacks, cyber extortion, including the use of ransomware and other actions or attempts to exploit vulnerabilities; catastrophic events such as fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes; infectious disease outbreaks (such as COVID-19); acts of war or terrorism; and design or usage errors by our employees, contractors or third-party service providers. The techniques used by computer hackers and cyber criminals to obtain unauthorized access to data or to sabotage computer systems change frequently, continue to grow in sophistication and volume, and may not be detected until after an incident has occurred. These techniques include using artificial intelligence (AI), including generative AI to enhance their attacks, which may increase our cybersecurity risk. Although the Company and the third-party service providers seek to maintain their respective systems effectively and to successfully address the risk of compromise of the integrity, security and consistent operations of these systems, such efforts may not be successful. As a result, the Company or its service providers could experience errors, interruptions, delays or cessations of service in key portions of the Company’s information technology infrastructure, which could significantly disrupt its operations, including manufacturing production delays, and be costly, time-consuming and resource-intensive to remedy. Any security breach or unauthorized access also could result in a misappropriation of the Company’s proprietary information or the proprietary information of the Company’s users, customers or partners, which could result in significant legal and financial exposure and damage to the Company’s reputation. If an actual or perceived breach of the Company’s security occurs, or if the Company’s consumer-facing sites become the subject of external attacks that affect or disrupt service or availability, the market perception of the effectiveness of the Company’s security measures could be harmed and the Company could lose users, customers, advertisers or partners, all of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. Any security breach at a company providing services to the Company or the Company’s users, including third-party payment processors, could have similar effects and the Company may not be fully indemnified for the costs it may incur as a result of any such breach. To the extent that such vulnerabilities require remediation, such remedial measures could require significant resources and may not be implemented before such vulnerabilities are exploited. As the cybersecurity landscape evolves, the Company may also find it necessary to make significant further investments to protect data and infrastructure, including continuing to evaluate control changes and investments needed to support an increased remote workforce. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on the
Company’s businesses and results of operations. Sustained or repeated system failures or security breaches that interrupt the Company’s ability to process information in a timely manner or that result in a breach of proprietary or personal information could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operations and reputation. In addition, minor incidents, even if dealt with promptly, could lead to severe legal, financial and reputational issues, such as investigations by authorities, enforcement, lawsuits and negative publicity, and a collection of incidents, though not considered material individually at the time they occur, may be deemed material later in the aggregate.
• Failure to Comply with Privacy Laws or Regulations Could Have an Adverse Effect on the Company’s Businesses.
Various U.S. federal, state and international laws and regulations govern the collection, use, retention, sharing and security of personal data. This area of the law is evolving, and interpretations of applicable laws and regulations differ. Legislative activity in the privacy area may result in new laws that are relevant to the Company’s operations, including restrictions on the collection, use and sharing of personal data that could limit our ability to use the data for marketing or advertising, and could result in exposure to material liability. For example, data privacy regulations adopted by the EU known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), became effective in May 2018. These regulations require certain of the Company’s operations to meet extensive requirements regarding the handling of personal data, including its use, protection and transfer. In addition, the GDPR provides the legal right for persons whose data is stored to request access to or correction or deletion of their personal data, among other rights. Failure to meet the applicable requirements in the GDPR could result in fines of up to 4% of the Company’s annual global revenues. In addition to the GDPR in Europe, new privacy laws and regulations are rapidly developing and being implemented elsewhere around the globe, including amendments to the scope, penalties and other provisions of existing data protection laws. Failure to comply with these international data protection laws and regulations could have a negative impact on the Company’s reputation and subject the Company to significant fines, penalties or other liabilities or restrict the Company’s ability to continue operating its existing business processes, all of which may increase the cost of operations, reduce customer growth, or otherwise harm the Company’s business.
The California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA), which became effective on January 1, 2020, provided a new private right of action for data breaches and requires companies that process personal information pertaining to California residents to make disclosures to consumers about their data collection, use and sharing practices and allows consumers to opt out of certain data sharing with third parties. The enforcement of the CCPA by the California Attorney General commenced on July 1, 2020. In November 2020, the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) was approved by California voters, and went into effect on January 1, 2023. The CPRA included new requirements that were not in the CCPA. Similar privacy laws also went into effect in Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut and Utah during 2023, other privacy laws have been passed that will go into effect in 2024 and 2025, and data privacy bills continue to be introduced at the state level. There are also comprehensive privacy bills that have been introduced at the U.S. federal level. In addition to the comprehensive privacy laws and bills, the recent emergence of new AI tools has raised some additional information security and privacy issues. There are currently numerous bills for new laws to regulate the use of AI both at the U.S. federal and state level, and in other locations in which the Company does business such as the EU. The passage of any additional laws could result in further uncertainty and cause the Company to incur additional costs and expenses in order to comply. Compliance with the GDPR, the CCPA, the CPRA and other applicable international and U.S. privacy laws can be costly and time-consuming. If the Company fails to properly respond to security breaches of its or its third-party’s information technology systems or fails to properly respond to an individual’s requests under these laws, the Company could experience damage to its reputation, adverse publicity, loss of consumer confidence, reduced sales and profits, complications in executing the Company’s growth initiatives and regulatory and legal risk, including criminal penalties or civil liabilities.
Claims of failure to comply with the Company’s privacy policies or applicable laws or regulations could form the basis of governmental or private party actions against the Company and could result in significant penalties. Additionally, evolving concerns regarding data privacy may cause the Company’s customers and potential customers to resist providing the data necessary to allow the Company to deliver its solutions effectively. Even the perception that personal information is not satisfactorily protected or does not meet regulatory requirements could inhibit sales and any failure to comply with such laws and regulations could lead to significant fines, penalties or other liabilities. Such claims and actions could cause damage to the Company’s reputation and could have an adverse effect on the Company’s businesses.
•Uncertainty in the Development, Deployment, and use of AI in the Company’s Products and Services, as well as its Businesses More Broadly, Could Adversely Affect the Company’s Business and Reputation.
The Company is building and expects to use systems and tools that incorporate AI-based technologies, including generative AI, for its customers and workforce. The development, adoption and use of generative AI technology remains in early stages, and effective or inadequate AI or generative AI development or deployment practices by the Company or third parties could result in unintended consequences. For example, AI algorithms that the Company uses may be flawed or may be (or perceived to be) based on datasets that are biased or insufficient. In addition there is uncertainty around the validity and enforceability of intellectual property rights related to the Company’s
development, deployment and use of AI. Compliance with new or changing laws, regulations or industry standards relating to AI may impose significant operational costs and may limit the Company’s ability to develop, deploy or use AI technologies. Failure to appropriately respond to this evolving landscape may result in legal liability, regulatory action or brand and reputational harm.
•Potential Liability for Intellectual Property Infringement Could Adversely Affect the Company’s Businesses.
The Company periodically receives claims from third parties alleging that the Company’s businesses infringe on the intellectual property rights of others. It is likely that the Company will continue to be subject to similar claims, particularly as they relate to its media businesses. Other parts of the Company’s business could also be subject to such claims. Addressing intellectual property claims is a time-consuming and expensive endeavor, regardless of the merits of the claims. In order to resolve such claims, the Company may have to change its method of doing business, enter into licensing agreements with copyright holders, or incur substantial monetary liability. It is also possible that one of the Company’s businesses could be enjoined from using the intellectual property at issue, causing it to significantly alter its operations. Although the Company cannot predict the impact at this time, if any such claim is successful, the outcome would likely affect the business utilizing the intellectual property at issue and could have a material adverse effect on that business’s operating results or prospects.

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ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
Not applicable.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Item 2. Properties.
The Company leases space for its corporate offices in Arlington, VA.
In the education segment, Kaplan owns a total of seven properties, including six in the U.S. totaling approximately 46,319 square feet and one property in South Kensington, London, U.K. used for school and dormitory space. Kaplan also leases facilities used for offices, instruction and student dormitories in the U.S., the U.K., Ireland, Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain, Singapore, Australia and India. In 2017, Kaplan International entered into a 135-year lease of land in Liverpool, U.K. on which it completed the construction of college and/or dormitory space that opened in January 2020. Kaplan International’s other significant space is dormitory space leased in Nottingham, Glasgow, Bournemouth and Brighton, U.K.
In the television broadcasting segment, Graham Media Group owns all six of its studio facilities in Houston, TX, Detroit, MI, Orlando, FL, San Antonio, TX, Jacksonville, FL, and Roanoke, VA. GMG owns the tower facilities in its San Antonio, TX, Detroit, MI, and Roanoke, VA markets and jointly owns the transmitter facilities in Jacksonville, FL, Orlando, FL, and Houston, TX.
In the healthcare segment, Graham Healthcare Group leases 49 facilities for nursing and other office space across 15 states to support its home health, hospice, pharmacy infusion, physician practices and behavioral services and leases 12 facilities through its joint ventures with health systems and physician groups. GHG also owns two properties that are used for pharmacy infusion services (Nash, TX) and home health and hospice administrative services (Lapeer, MI).
In the manufacturing segment, Hoover owns 11 properties in AR, CA, FL, GA, MI, NC, PA, TX, VA, WA, and WV. Dekko owns 5 properties in IN, TX, AL and Juarez, Mexico; and Joyce/Dayton owns 3 properties in OH and IN, which are used for manufacturing, warehouse and office space. The remaining office and manufacturing facilities are leased, including one manufacturing facility in Monterrey, Mexico.
In the automotive segment, Graham Automotive owns properties for its Honda of Tysons Corner dealership in VA, Toyota of Woodbridge dealership in VA, Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram of Woodbridge dealership in VA, and Toyota of Richmond dealership in VA. It leases 12 additional properties that serve as the sales and service departments for its Lexus of Rockville, Ourisman Jeep, Ford of Manassas, and Kia of Bethesda dealerships, along with a service facility for Roda.
The businesses that comprise the Company’s other businesses lease space for their operations, including office space and retail locations in DC, MD, VA, NY, NJ, IL, GA, MA and PA, and manufacturing facilities in KY and NJ for Framebridge; restaurant facilities in DC, MD, and VA for Clyde’s; office space in NY and DC for Slate; office space in DC for Foreign Policy; and office space in CA, CO, the U.K. and Australia for Saatchi Art Group, Society6 and WGB.
The Company considers its properties suitable for the conduct of its respective businesses and adequate for its current use. The Company believes that suitable additional or alternative space is available at commercially reasonable terms as leases expire or premises become unavailable. However, it recognizes that replacements for student dormitory space leased by Kaplan International may be difficult to obtain due to high demand and alternative transmitter facilities could be costly and require a significant amount of time to construct.

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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
Information with respect to legal proceedings may be found in Note 18, “Contingencies and Other Commitments - Litigation, Legal and Other Matters” to the consolidated financial statements in Part II of this Annual Report, which is incorporated herein by reference.

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ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
PART II

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ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY
Item 5. Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
Market Information and Holders
The Company’s Class B Common Stock is traded on the NYSE under the symbol “GHC.” The Company’s Class A Common Stock is not publicly traded.
At January 31, 2024, there were 27 holders of record of the Company’s Class A Common Stock and 319 holders of record of the Company’s Class B Common Stock.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
During the quarter ended December 31, 2023, the Company purchased shares of its Class B Common Stock as set forth in the following table:
Period Total Number
of Shares
Purchased Average Price Paid per Share(1)
Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plan(2)
Maximum Number of Shares That May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plan(2)
October 1 - 31 39,091 $ 591.21 39,091 297,575
November 1 - 30 25,166 617.93 25,166 272,409
December 1 - 31 36,006 669.13 36,006 236,403
Total 100,263 $ 625.90 100,263
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(1) Average price paid per share includes costs associated with repurchases, including commissions and excise taxes.
(2) On May 4, 2023, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the Company to purchase, on the open market or otherwise, up to 500,000 shares of its Class B Common Stock. This authorization includes shares that remained under the previous authorization. There is no expiration date for this authorization. All purchases made during the quarter ended December 31, 2023, were open market transactions and some of these shares were purchased under a 10b5-1 plan.
Performance Graph
The following graph is a comparison of the yearly percentage change in the Company’s cumulative total shareholder return with the cumulative total return of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index (S&P 500 Index) and a custom peer group index comprised of a composite group of education and television broadcasting companies. The S&P 500 Index is comprised of 500 U.S. companies in the industrial, transportation, utilities and financial industries and is weighted by market capitalization. The custom peer group of composite companies includes Adtalem Global Education Inc., Chegg, Inc., The E.W. Scripps Company, Grand Canyon Education Inc., Nexstar Media Group Inc., Gray Television Inc., New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc., Pearson plc and Tegna Inc. The graph reflects the investment of $100 on December 31, 2018, in the Company’s Class B Common Stock, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index and the custom peer group index of composite companies. For purposes of this graph, it has been assumed that dividends were reinvested on the date paid in the case of the Company, and on a quarterly basis in the case of the S&P 500 Index and the custom peer group index of composite companies.
December 31 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Graham Holdings Company 100.00 100.57 85.16 101.56 98.48 114.79
S&P 500 Index 100.00 131.49 155.68 200.37 164.08 207.21
Composite Peer Group 100.00 131.96 174.75 88.32 106.27 120.58

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Item 6. Reserved.

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
See the information contained under the heading “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition,” which is included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and listed in the index to financial information on page 51 hereof.

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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
The Company is exposed to market risk in the normal course of its business due primarily to its ownership of marketable equity securities, which are subject to equity price risk; to its borrowing and cash-management activities, which are subject to interest rate risk; and to its non-U.S. business operations, which are subject to foreign exchange rate risk.
Equity Price Risk. The Company has common stock investments in several publicly traded companies (as discussed in Note 4 to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements) that are subject to market price volatility. The fair value of these common stock investments totaled $690.2 million at December 31, 2023.
Interest Rate Risk. The Company manages the risk associated with interest rate movements through the use of a combination of variable and fixed-rate debt.
At December 31, 2023, the Company had $400 million principal amount of 5.75% unsecured fixed-rate notes due June 1, 2026 (the Notes). At December 31, 2023, the aggregate fair value of the Notes, based upon quoted market prices, was $400.4 million. There were no earnings or liquidity risks associated with the Company’s Notes. The fair value of the Notes varies with fluctuations in market interest rates. A 100 basis point decrease in market interest rates would increase the fair value of the Notes by $9.0 million at December 31, 2023 using a yield to maturity. A 100 basis point increase in market interest rates would decrease the fair value of the Notes by $8.8 million at December 31, 2023, using a yield to maturity. The Company also had approximately $26 million of other fixed-rate debt, primarily relating to the healthcare business.
At December 31, 2023, the Company had approximately $538 million of variable-rate debt, including floor plan facility obligations. Approximately $74.6 million of this debt is hedged by an interest rate swap. The Company is subject to earnings and liquidity risks for changes in the interest rate on the unhedged portion of this debt. A 100 basis point increase in the applicable floating rates for the unhedged portions of our variable-rate debt would increase annual interest expense by approximately $4.6 million.
Foreign Exchange Rate Risk. The Company is exposed to foreign exchange rate risk primarily at its Kaplan international operations, and the primary exposure relates to the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the British pound, the Australian dollar, and the Singapore dollar. In 2023, 2022 and 2021 the Company reported net foreign currency losses of $1.1 million, $2.0 million and $0.2 million, respectively.
If the values of the British pound, the Australian dollar, and the Singapore dollar relative to the U.S. dollar had been 10% lower than the values that prevailed during 2023, the Company’s pre-tax income for 2023 would have been approximately $15 million lower. Conversely, if such values had been 10% higher, the Company’s reported pre-tax income for 2023 would have been approximately $15 million higher.

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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
See the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements at December 31, 2023, and for the periods then ended, together with the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP thereon, which are included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and listed in the index to financial information on page 51 hereof.

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ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
Not applicable.

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ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
An evaluation was performed by the Company’s management, with the participation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) and the Company’s Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer), of the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)), as of December 31, 2023. Based on that evaluation, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, as designed and implemented, are effective in ensuring that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms and is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, in a manner that allows timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Management of Graham Holdings Company is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)). The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
The Company’s management assessed the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth in Internal Control -Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in 2013. Management has concluded that as of December 31, 2023, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective based on these criteria.
As permitted under Securities and Exchange Commission guidelines for newly acquired businesses, management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023 excluded the Ourisman Toyota of Richmond dealership, which was acquired by our automotive subsidiary on September 27, 2023. The operating results of this Toyota dealership are included in our consolidated financial statements for the periods subsequent to acquisition and represent less than 1% of total assets and approximately 1% of revenue as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023. This Toyota dealership will be included in management’s assessment of internal control over financial reporting in fiscal year 2024.
The effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report included herein.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2023, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

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ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 9B. Other Information.
Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans
For the three months ended December 31, 2023, none of the Company’s directors or officers (as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) of the Exchange Act) adopted, modified or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” or “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement,” as defined in Item 408 of Regulation S-K.

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ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
The information contained under the heading “Executive Officers” in Item 1 hereof and the information contained under the headings “Nominees for Election by Class A Shareholders,” “Nominees for Election by Class B Shareholders,” “Audit Committee” and “Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance” in the definitive Proxy Statement for the Company’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders is incorporated herein by reference thereto.
The Company has adopted codes of conduct that constitute “codes of ethics” as that term is defined in paragraph (b) of Item 406 of Regulation S-K and that apply to the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller and to any persons performing similar functions. Such codes of conduct are posted on the Company’s website, the address of which is ghco.com, and the Company intends to satisfy the disclosure requirements under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K with respect to certain amendments to, and waivers of the requirements of, the provisions of such codes of conduct applicable to the officers and persons referred to above by posting the required information on its website.
In addition to the certifications of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer filed as exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, on May 31, 2023, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer submitted to the New York Stock Exchange the annual certification regarding compliance with the NYSE’s corporate governance listing standards required by Section 303A.12(a) of the NYSE Listed Company Manual.

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ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
The information contained under the headings “Director Compensation,” “Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation,” “Executive Compensation” and “Compensation Committee Report” in the definitive Proxy Statement for the Company’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders is incorporated herein by reference thereto.

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ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
The information contained under the heading “Stock Holdings of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” in the definitive Proxy Statement for the Company’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders is incorporated herein by reference thereto.

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ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence.
The information contained under the headings “Transactions With Related Persons, Promoters and Certain Control Persons” and “Controlled Company” in the definitive Proxy Statement for the Company’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders is incorporated herein by reference thereto.

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ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services.
The information contained under the heading “Audit Committee Report” in the definitive Proxy Statement for the Company’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders is incorporated herein by reference thereto.
PART IV

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ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
The following documents are filed as part of this report:
1. Financial Statements. As listed in the index to financial information on page 51 hereof.
2. Exhibits. As listed in the index to exhibits on page 48 hereof.