Revenues at the Wireless Group have risen by 24% during September, October and November, with the company’s flagship talkSPORT jumping by 28%, 42% and 38% respectively.
In a trading statement released this morning, the company said that the local radio stations saw revenues up by 11% in September, 23% in October and 19% in November. These figures significantly outpace both the Wireless Group’s rivals and the growth of the radio market as a whole.
Last week saw the release of financial results and trading outlooks from Chrysalis Radio, GWR Group and Scottish Radio Holdings.
UBC Media Sees Ad Revenue Improvements As Losses Fall
UBC Media, the UK radio group, says that advertising revenues have shown a marked improvement in the last few months of its first half, but claims that trading conditions remain challenging despite a stronger performance since September.
The group managed to reduce its pre-tax losses for the six months 30 September from £1.0 million last year to £758,000 this time. Turnover was up by 31% at £6.5 million.
Classic Gold Digital
The company’s Classic Gold Digital division saw profits before licence costs rise by 31% to £665,00. Classic Gold Digital owns and produces the Classic Gold Digital format, which is broadcast on a network of analogue AM and digital platforms across the UK.
Unlike the rest of the commercial radio sector, the performance of Classic Gold Digital is not linked directly to the sale of advertising, which is handled by GWR Group, but instead to an audience fee which GWR pays to Classic Gold Digital and which is based on the number of listeners to the Classic Gold Digital network.
Given the inferior reception associated with services broadcasting on AM frequencies, declining audiences have been a long-term characteristic of all ‘Gold’ formats in the UK, including Classic Gold Digital. UBC’s strategy for Classic Gold Digital is based on a belief that Gold services will benefit disproportionately from the migration to digital platforms, of which it is a keen proponent.
“The challenge for UBC continues to be arresting the long-term decline in Classic Gold Digital’s analogue audience in the interim period until the establishment of significant digital audiences,” it says. This year, any decline in analogue audiences has been offset by an increase in sponsorship and promotions revenues
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