Their business-to-business operations include DMGI Information and Risk Management Solutions. Operating profit before exceptionals and amortisation climbed to £322m for the year ended September 30 from £300m, and group revenue for the period was £2.24bn compared with £2.18bn for the prior year.

According to the group, total advertising revenues increased by 8% and print ad revenues at its newspapers rose by 3% to £447m.

Total display advertising was up by 6% to £350m.

The group’s largest category, retail, had a growth of 18%, however, classified advertising revenues, which have been hit hard by the internet across the newspaper industry, fell by 7% to £97m.

Associated Northcliffe Digital, the digital division of the group, has revenue growth of 46% to £86m across dedicated portals for jobs, property and motors.

Teletext had an operating loss of £4m on revenues down by 20% to £41m. The group, however, hopes to reverse that decline with the release of a news service, Teletext Extra.

"Over the past decade, our strategy has been to sustain and invest in our core UK newspaper businesses and to use the surplus cash flow and leverage of the group to acquire or develop high-growth media businesses unaffected by the UK's advertising market and regulatory regimes,” said Lord Rothermere, chairman of DMGT.

Source: Brand Republic