Euro 2004 Helps Profits Surge By 40% At Wireless Group

Wireless Group chairman and chief executive Kelvin MacKenzie has this morning revealed a positive performance for the radio group with second quarter revenues rising by 36% year on year.

At the company’s annual general meeting, MacKenzie announced that the Euro 2004 football championships helped national speech station talkSPORT to see revenues for the quarter rise by 40%, with a massive 87% increase in June alone.

The Wireless Group’s portfolio of local stations are performing well with revenues climbing by 34% during the same period. Former Forever Broadcasting stations in Chesterfield, Wolverhampton and Bolton are now trading profitably following their acquisition earlier this year (see Wireless Group Secures Forever For £8.1 Million).

MacKenzie also revealed that High Court action to persuade radio rating body RAJAR to adopt an electronic audience measurement system would begin in November, with the ‘main event’ taking place somitime next summer.

The second quarter of this year will see The Wireless Group embark on raising the profile of its talkSPORT station with a national marketing campaign designed to capitalise on the start of the football season.

MacKenzie said: “I would like to extend my thanks to the Board and the staff of The Wireless Group whose efforts and enthusiasm have contributed to an excellent 2003 and an even better start to the new financial year. I look forward to the future with confidence.”

Wireless Group: 020 7269 7180

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