By: E&P Staff Gannett reported on Friday that total operating revenue in April declined 1.3% from higher ad demand at its broadcasting segment and revenue gains at its domestic newspapers offset by significantly softer ad demand at its UK properties.
Newspaper advertising revenue for the month dropped 2% compared with the same period last year on a 1.5% decrease in ROP volume and a 7.1% decline in preprint. The late Easter holiday partially impacted the results.
Local advertising revenue slipped 0.7% on a 1.7% decline in ROP ad volume. The company's small and medium-sized advertisers in its domestic newspapers outpaced the revenue performance of its largest advertisers. In the U.S., across all products, local ad revenue gains were achieved in the health, financial, and restaurant categories while the department stores, furniture, consumer electronics, entertainment, grocery, telecommunications, and home improvement categories lagged.
Classified revenue dropped 3.9% on a 1.4% decrease in ROP ad volume. Within the category, real estate was up 5.6% while employment dropped 7.3% and automotive decreased 15.8%.
Classified results in Gannett's domestic community newspapers were significantly better than in the U.K. In the U.S., classified revenue at the community newspapers were up 1.5% on gains in the real estate and help wanted categories up 11.5% and 1.4% respectively. Auto was down 11.4%.
National ad revenue slipped 0.5% on a 2.5% decline in ad volume. National volume at the company's local domestic newspapers was down 3%. At USA Today, ad revenue was up 0.4% on a decline in paid ad pages to 416 from 434. The automotive, home and building, real estate, and pharmaceutical categories were up at USA Today while the entertainment, technology, travel, and financial categories were soft.
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