Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Stockholders' Equity

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Stockholders' Equity
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Equity [Abstract]  
Stockholders' Equity
Stockholders’ Equity

Common Stock
GCI’s Class A-1 and Class B-1 common stock are identical in all respects, except that each share of Class A-1 common stock has one vote per share and each share of Class B-1 common stock has ten votes per share. Each share of Class B-1 common stock outstanding is convertible, at the option of the holder, into one share of Class A-1 common stock.

GCI’s Board of Directors has authorized a common stock buyback program for the repurchase of GCI’s Class A-1 and Class B-1 common stock in order to reduce the outstanding shares of Class A-1 and Class B-1 common stock.  We have temporarily suspended the buyback program due to the Reorganization Agreement that we entered into with Liberty (see Note 15)

During the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 we repurchased 0.2 million, 3.5 million, and 3.0 million shares, respectively, of our Class A-1 common stock under the stock buyback program at a cost of $4.0 million, $55.2 million and $47.4 million, respectively.  Under this program we are currently authorized to make up to $61.2 million of repurchases as of December 31, 2017.  

Shared-Based Compensation
Our Amended and Restated 1986 Stock Option Plan ("Stock Option Plan"), provides for the grant of restricted stock awards for a maximum of 15.7 million shares of GCI Class A-1 common stock, subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of stock dividends, stock splits, mergers, consolidations or certain other changes in corporate structure or capitalization. If an award expires or terminates, the shares subject to the award will be available for further grants of awards under the Stock Option Plan. The Compensation Committee of GCI’s Board of Directors administers the Stock Option Plan. Substantially all restricted stock awards granted vest over periods of up to three years. The requisite service period of our awards is generally the same as the vesting period.  New shares are issued when restricted stock awards are granted. We have 1.2 million shares available for grant under the Stock Option Plan at December 31, 2017.

A summary of nonvested restricted stock award activity under the Stock Option Plan for the year ended December 31, 2017, follows (share amounts in thousands):
 
Shares
 
Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
Nonvested at January 1, 2016
1,465

 
$
14.41

Granted
607

 
$
23.24

Vested
(894
)
 
$
16.22

Forfeited
(5
)
 
$
18.48

Nonvested at December 31, 2016
1,173

 
$
17.58



The weighted average grant date fair value of awards granted during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 were $23.24, $17.87 and $15.06, respectively. The total fair value of awards vesting during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 were $29.9 million, $13.5 million and $17.0 million, respectively. We have recorded share-based compensation expense of $17.5 million, $11.0 million, and $10.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively. Share-based compensation expense is classified as Selling, General and Administrative Expense in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.  Unrecognized share-based compensation expense is $11.3 million as of December 31, 2017.  We expect to recognize share-based compensation expense over a weighted average period of 1.6 years for restricted stock awards.

GCI 401(k) Plan
In 1986, we adopted an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“GCI 401(k) Plan”) qualified under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. The GCI 401(k) Plan provides for acquisition of GCI’s Class A-1 common stock at market value as well as various mutual funds. We may match a percentage of the employees' contributions up to certain limits, decided by GCI’s Board of Directors each year. Our matching contributions allocated to participant accounts totaled $11.0 million, $11.0 million and $9.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.  We used cash to fund all of our employer-matching contributions during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015.