Emap Sees Rising Revenue From Magazines

Magazine and radio group, Emap, has announced a strong performance in its UK consumer magazine division, with consumer magazine copy sales revenues growing by 5% on an underlying basis.

In an upbeat pre-close trading statement, the group revealed that its consumer magazine advertising division has enjoyed a 4% year on year rise for the year ending 31 March 2005, with celebrity-focused Closer showing exceptional growth.

Closer saw phenomenal growth in the last round of ABC results, with the title’s circulation rising by 31% year on year in the six months to December 2004. The rise took the magazine’s total circulation to just over half a million (504,350) (see ABC Results Jul-Dec 2004: Emap Moves Closer To Top Five Weeklies).

Elsewhere, radio airtime revenues from Emap’s analogue and digital stations in the UK outperformed the market in the second half of the year, finishing up by 2%. Music television revenues also increased, rising by 11% helped by the group’s new airtime sales contract with Sky which now includes The Hits on Freeview.

Emap Performance recently announced the appointment of Steve Parkinson, marketing director of Chrysalis Radio and managing director of the group’s London based Heart 106.2 FM, as its new national brand director (see Emap Raids Chrysalis For National Brand Director). The new role will involve development of all Emap’s national radio brands, including Kiss, Magic, Kerrang!, Q, Smash Hits, The Hits, Heat and Mojo.

The company’s like for like revenues are predicted to rise by 1%, while group revenues are forecast to rise by 2%. Emap predicts trading over March and April to remain healthy, with reasonable growth expected across the underlying portfolio.

In France, Emap did not perform so strongly, however, with consumer magazine advertising dropping by 10% on an underlying basis, with a marked deterioration in the second half of the year.

Emap: 01733 568 900 www.emap.co.uk

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