During this week’s investor briefing by Northcliffe Media, the Daily Mail (LSE: DMGT) and General Trust (DMGT) division, Michael Pelosi, the MD of the regional newspaper division, said that “digital publishing has a key role to play” as it continues to launch local titles. Operating profits have grown by about 6.9 percent in the year ended September 30; the company expects those to be £92.5 million ($188 million) when final figures are reported in November. Revenues are expected to be £448 million ($912 million).
The company did not give any details on its digital strategy except to emphasize the presence of local online sites that link to the regional print publications. But the Press Gazette reports that after DMGT released its last trading update, analysts at UBS said that the company lacked a strategic focus. That opinion seems to be underscored by the announcement earlier this week that DMGT will restructure the operations of Associated Northcliffe Digital, the online division, without a clear reason for doing so or explaining how those niche sites will integrate with the larger newspaper operators.
Separately, new rankings out from Nielsen//NetRatings today point out that the Daily Mail, the group’s flagship national paper, is only the fifth most popular newspaper site in the U.K. But it is the one seeing the most growth, doubling its audience from 0.7 million in December 2006 to 1.4 million in August 2007.
download for Nielsen/NetRatings charts | DMGT presentation and release
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