Growth At Carlton Continues

Carlton Communications this morning announced annual pre-tax profits of £316.7m, up 7% on last year, on the back of turnover up 4% to £1.74 billion.

The company shrugged off the launch of Channel 5, saying that Carlton Television’s performance remained “strong”. Overall Carlton’s television operations saw an increase of 16% to £150m in operating profit. Westcountry, which was acquired by the group in November last year (subscribers see Carlton Move Set To Provoke Bids), contributed £3.6m to profits.

Carlton Screen Advertising also performed well, contributing £10.4m to profits, as it benefited from rising cinema attendances and the spread of multiplex cinemas.

There was disappointment however in the performance of the group’s video arm, where operating profit fell by £5.5m, as some titles failed to meet expectations. GMTV, in which Carlton holds 20%, was “affected by competition and satellite channels” and losses increased.

Carlton Communications: 0171 663 6363