Scottish Radio posts 16% rise in profits

Media group Scottish Radio Holdings has posted a 16 per cent rise in full-year profits amid rising revenues across its press …

Media group Scottish Radio Holdings has posted a 16 per cent rise in full-year profits amid rising revenues across its press and radio operations and recent acquisitions.

The company gave no update on a possible merger plans with Emap Media, which already owns a 28 per cent stake in the company.

The company said profits before interest, exceptionals and goodwill amortisation came in at £22.3 million (€31.5 million), up from £19.4 million last year.

Total radio revenues were also boosted by its acquisition earlier this year of Dublin-based station FM104.

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The company - which also owns Today FM, the Kilkenny Peopleand the Longford Leader - set a final dividend of 14 pence per share, taking dividends over the year as a whole to 21 pence per share, an 8 per cent increase compared with last year.

Turnover rose 15 per cent to £96.3 million (€137 million), with like-for-like revenues rising 10 per cent at its radio operations and by 9 per cent at its press division.

It set a final dividend of 14 pence a share, taking dividends over the year as a whole to 21 pence a share, an 8 per cent increase compared with last year.

Chairman Lord Gordon of Strathblane said the new financial year had got off to a strong start, with group revenues up by 14 per cent over the first six weeks compared with last year.