In addition to the significant accounting policies discussed in this Note 3, the following table includes our significant accounting policies that are described in other notes to our consolidated financial statements, including the number and page of the note:

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Our cash and cash equivalents consist of cash on hand, money market funds, certificates of deposit, in-transit credit card receipts and highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less.

Revenue Recognition

We derive revenue primarily from subscribers, advertising and direct sales of merchandise.

Revenue from subscribers consists primarily of subscription fees, and to a lesser extent, revenue from rental car companies and non-refundable activation and other fees. Revenue is recognized as it is realized or realizable and earned.  We recognize subscription fees as our services are provided.  At the time of sale, vehicle owners purchasing or leasing a vehicle with a subscription to our service typically receive between a three and twelve month prepaid subscription.  Prepaid subscription fees received from certain automakers are recorded as deferred revenue and amortized to revenue ratably over the service period which commences upon retail sale and activation.

We recognize revenue from the sale of advertising as the advertising is transmitted. Agency fees are calculated based on a stated percentage applied to gross billing revenue for our advertising inventory and are reported as a reduction of advertising revenue.  We pay certain third parties a percentage of advertising revenue.  Advertising revenue is recorded gross of such revenue share payments as we are the primary obligor in the transaction.  Advertising revenue share payments are recorded to Revenue share and royalties during the period in which the advertising is transmitted.

Equipment revenue and royalties from the sale of satellite radios, components and accessories are recognized upon shipment, net of discounts and rebates.  Shipping and handling costs billed to customers are recorded as revenue.  Shipping and handling costs associated with shipping goods to customers are reported as a component of Cost of equipment.

Other revenue primarily includes U.S. Music Royalty Fees which are recorded as revenue and as a component of Revenue share and royalties expense.  Fees received from subscribers for the U.S. Music Royalty Fee are recorded as deferred revenue and amortized to revenue ratably over the service period which coincides with the recognition of the subscriber's subscription revenue.

We report revenues net of any tax assessed by a governmental authority that is both imposed on, and concurrent with, a specific revenue-producing transaction between a seller and a customer in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income.

Accounting Standards Codification 605, Revenue Recognition, provides guidance on how and when to recognize revenues for arrangements that may involve the delivery or performance of multiple products, services and/or rights to use assets, such as in our bundled subscription plans.  Revenue arrangements with multiple deliverables are required to be divided into separate units of accounting if the deliverables in the arrangement meet certain criteria.  Consideration must be allocated at the inception of the arrangement to all deliverables based on their relative selling price, which has been determined using vendor specific objective evidence of the selling price to self-pay customers.

Revenue Share

We share a portion of our subscription revenues earned from subscribers with certain automakers.  The terms of the revenue share agreements vary with each automaker, but are typically based upon the earned audio revenue as reported or gross billed audio revenue.  Revenue share is recorded as an expense in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income and not as a reduction to revenue.

Programming Costs

Programming costs which are for a specified number of events are amortized on an event-by-event basis; programming costs which are for a specified season or include programming through a dedicated channel are amortized over the season or period on a straight-line basis. We allocate a portion of certain programming costs which are related to sponsorship and marketing activities to Sales and marketing expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the agreement.

Advertising Costs

Media is expensed when aired and advertising production costs are expensed as incurred.  Advertising production costs include expenses related to marketing and retention activities, including expenses related to direct mail, outbound telemarketing and email communications.  We also incur advertising production costs related to cooperative marketing and promotional events and sponsorships.  During the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, we recorded advertising costs of $228,676, $222,962 and $178,364, respectively.  These costs are reflected in Sales and marketing expense in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income.

Subscriber Acquisition Costs

Subscriber acquisition costs consist of costs incurred to acquire new subscribers which include hardware subsidies paid to radio manufacturers, distributors and automakers, including subsidies paid to automakers who include a satellite radio and a prepaid subscription to our service in the sale or lease price of a new vehicle; subsidies paid for chipsets and certain other components used in manufacturing radios; device royalties for certain radios and chipsets; commissions paid to retailers and automakers as incentives to purchase, install and activate radios; product warranty obligations; freight; and provisions for inventory allowance attributable to inventory consumed in our OEM and retail distribution channels.  Subscriber acquisition costs do not include advertising costs, loyalty payments to distributors and dealers of radios and revenue share payments to automakers and retailers of radios.

Subsidies paid to radio manufacturers and automakers are expensed upon installation, shipment, receipt of product or activation and are included in Subscriber acquisition costs because we are responsible for providing the service to the customers.  Commissions paid to retailers and automakers are expensed upon either the sale or activation of radios.  Chipsets that are shipped to radio manufacturers and held on consignment are recorded as inventory and expensed as Subscriber acquisition costs when placed into production by radio manufacturers.  Costs for chipsets not held on consignment are expensed as Subscriber acquisition costs when the automaker confirms receipt.

Research & Development Costs

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred and primarily include the cost of new product development, chipset design, software development and engineering.  During the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, we recorded research and development costs of $54,933, $54,109 and $50,564, respectively.  These costs are reported as a component of Engineering, design and development expense in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In November 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2015-17, Income Taxes – Balance Sheet Reclassification of Deferred Taxes (Topic 740).  This ASU requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position.  The current requirement that deferred tax liabilities and assets of a tax-paying component of an entity be offset and presented as a single amount is not affected by the amendments in this update.  The amendments in this update are effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods.  Early adoption is permitted and the amendments may be applied either prospectively to all deferred tax liabilities and assets or retrospectively to all periods presented.  We early adopted this ASU in the fourth quarter of 2015 on a prospective basis and included the current portion of deferred tax assets within the non-current portion of deferred tax assets within our consolidated balance sheets.  We did not adjust our prior period consolidated balance sheet as a result of the adoption of this ASU.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, Interest – Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30), and, in August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-15, Presentation and Subsequent Measurement of Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Line-of-Credit Arrangements.  These ASUs require debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt consistent with debt discounts.  The presentation and subsequent measurement of debt issuance costs associated with lines of credit, may be presented as an asset and amortized ratably over the term of the line of credit arrangement, regardless of whether there are outstanding borrowings on the arrangement.  The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by these ASUs.  These ASUs are effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015 and interim periods within those years.  Early adoption is permitted for financial statements that have not been previously issued, and retrospective application is required for each balance sheet presented.  We early adopted these ASUs in the fourth quarter of 2015, and debt issuance costs previously recorded as an asset, other than those related to our Credit Facility, in the amount of $7,155 and $6,444 for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, have been reclassified as a reduction to our debt liability within our consolidated balance sheets.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606).  This ASU is a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that requires a company to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services.  This ASU also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract.  In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14 which amended the effective date of this ASU to fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and early adoption is permitted only for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016.  Accordingly, we plan to adopt this ASU on January 1, 2018.  Companies may use either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach to adopt this ASU.  We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this ASU on our consolidated financial statements.