BENGALURU: DB Corp, home to flagship newspapers Dainik Bhaskar, Divya Bhaskar, Dainik Divya Marathi and Saurashtra Samachar, announced solid financial results for the first quarter ended 30 June 2013 with a 74 per cent year on year (YOY) growth in PAT at Rs 76.1 crore in Q1-2014 against Rs 43.7crore in Q1-2013. Total consolidated revenues grew by 19 per cent in Q1-2014 to Rs 453.9 crore from Rs 381.5 crore in Q1-2014.

Its radio business revenues, which contributed less than four per cent to the overall revenues, increased from Rs14.1crore in Q1-2013 to Rs. 17.3 crore in Q1-2014, a 22 per cent growth, due to improved advertising revenues says the company.

Overall, the company reported a growth of about 21 per cent YOY from advertising revenues to Rs 344.7 crore in Q1-2014 from Rs 286.2 crore in Q1 of last fiscal. 

Lets? take a look at Q1 FY 2013-14 financial results:

As mentioned earlier, DB Corp?s overall PAT grew by a solid 74 per cent YOY with PAT margins expanded to approximately 17 per cent to Rs 76.1 crore in Q1-2014 against Rs 43.7 crore (11.4 per cent margin) in Q1-2013. The Q1-2014 PAT factors a one-time preoperative expense of Rs 87 lakh for the Akola edition launch of its Divya Marathi publication, as well as a Forex loss of Rs 3.664 crore.

DB Corp?s total consolidated revenues expanded by 19 per cent to Rs 453.9 crore from Rs 381.5 crore on account of:

The company reported a net increase in print business total revenue of Rs 68.8 crore in Q1 FY 2014 on YOY basis. Advertising revenues increased to Rs 325.3 crore from Rs 270.1 crore, reflecting a growth of about 21 per cent YOY basis.

Circulation revenues grew YOY to Rs 76.7 crore from Rs 65.6 crore, at 17 per cent YOY

Print business EBIDTA margins stood at 31.2 per cent at Rs 135.1 crore. (This figure factors marketing and launch related expenses of around Rs 87 lakh in Q1-2014 for Maharashtra launch which have been booked in the revenue account, instead of capitalising or deferring the outlay for future quarters, considering the long term impact of these expenditures says the company. The same also considers Forex loss of Rs 2.532 crore.)

Print business PAT for Q1-2014 stood at Rs 76.8 crore (17.7 per cent PAT margin) - print business mature editions EBIDTA margin stood at Rs 141 crore (about 36 per cent).

As mentioned earlier, the company had a net increase of Rs 3.1 crore in revenues from the radio segment in Q1-2014 on YOY basis.  Revenues increased from Rs14.1 crore (Q1-2013) to Rs 17.3 crore (Q1-2014) due to improved advertising revenues. Radio business EBIDTA expanded to Rs 5.1 crore (about 29.4 per cent margin) in Q1-2014. Radio business PAT expanded to Rs.2.4 crore (about 14 per cent margin) in Q1-2014.

DB Corp managing director Sudhir Agarwal said, ?We are happy to report a strong performance in the first quarter of this fiscal that has sustained our expansion momentum. We have maintained our brand equity and leadership position in all our legacy markets as we also continue to demonstrate good growth in our emerging editions. Our new edition in Akola - a city with great potential, widens our presence in Maharashtra which allows us to offer greater reach to our corporate partners and a much more customised media solution. This quarter we also directed our efforts to further strengthen our deep relationships and inroads with our agency partners who have identified us as their preferred media due to our growing all-India readership base. Additionally, our exclusive tie-ups with leading international publications like HBR and Time Magazine, undertaken to enrich the content quality of our product, are already showing great results making a meaningful impact in the readership base, especially of SEC A & B categories.?

?On a macro level, we continue to maintain a sharp focus on cost efficiency and operational controls that have again played an important role in this quarter?s performance. We are very closely mapping the growth potential of Tier 2 & 3 towns across India - the socio-economic structures, demographics, marketing trends of various categories, marketing spends of these regions and their growth prospects. The untapped existing potential continues to greatly excite us. We are confident of our business growth strategies to monetise these opportunities and truly create high value by being very active socio-economic change agents,? he added.

MUMBAI: DB Corp?s radio business has turned profit positive in four years since launch.

The company said the net profit from its radio business in the third quarter ended 31 December rose 113 per cent to Rs 47 million from Rs 16.5 million a year earlier. Its revenue in the third quarter grew 21 per cent to Rs 190.8 million from Rs 156.7 million a year earlier.

DB Corp, publisher of leading Hindi daily newspaper Dainik Bhaskar, said advertising revenues from its radio business grew 22 per cent to Rs 191 million in the third quarter from Rs 157 million a year earlier. Operating profit from DB Corp?s radio business was Rs 73 million in the third quarter, up 68 per cent from a year earlier.

DB Corp?s consolidated net profit in the third quarter grew 28 per cent to Rs 704 million from Rs 554 million a year earlier. The company?s consolidated operating profit grew by 25.1 per cent in the quarter to Rs 1.23 billion from Rs 983 million a year earlier.

The company?s consolidated revenues grew by 11.2 per cent to Rs 4.42 billion in the third quarter from Rs 3.98 billion a year earlier. Its consolidated revenues from advertising rose 12 per cent to Rs 3.41 billion in the quarter from Rs 3.05 billion a year earlier. The company?s consolidated expenditure increased to Rs 3.34 billion in the third quarter from Rs 3.13 billion a year earlier.

DB Corp?s net profit from print media business rose 21 per cent to Rs 1.06 billion from Rs 872.1 million a year earlier. The company has seen revenue from print media grow to Rs 4.16 billion in the third quarter from Rs 3.72 billion a year earlier.

The company?s advertising revenue from print media business increased to Rs 3.18 billion in the third quarter from Rs 2.87 billion a year earlier, a rise of 11 per cent. Its circulation revenue grew 16 per cent to Rs 729 million in the third quarter from Rs 630 million a year earlier.

DB Corp?s operating profit margin from print media business was 28 per cent at Rs 1.17 billion, after a foreign exchange loss of Rs 36.1 million.

DB Corp managing director Sudhir Agarwal said, "Following the past few quarters of sluggish economic growth and subdued sentiment, I believe this quarter heralds better tidings on the back of an improved economic environment that has also spurred the momentum of media ad spend over the last few months ? a trend that may continue.?

"We continue to strengthen our internal capacities and resources and remain optimistic about our progress in every region. Our efforts in consolidating pan-India readership growth especially in the recently launched areas of Jharkhand and Maharashtra that are emerging strongly, and persistent cost rationalisation ? is reflected in this quarter?s performance."

MUMBAI: DB Corp, publisher of Hindi language newspaper Dainik Bhaskar, has said it will acquire stakes held by promoter group companies in its subsidiaries Media Corp Ltd (IMCL) and Synergy Media Entertainment Ltd (SMEL) to make them wholly-owned subsidiaries.

DB Corp will pay Rs 356 million for the remaining 45 per cent stake in IMCL and Rs 23.7 million for the remaining 43.10 per cent stake in SMEL.

IMCL manages the digital business for the Dainik Bhaskar Group which includes the Hindi, Gujarati, English and Marathi news portals.

DB Corp?s out-of-home business is housed under SMEL which also had the radio business under it before it was demerged in 2010.

SMEL is also engaged in providing services like multimedia solutions, CD presentations, recording studio, website development, television advertisements, video editing and digital photography.

MUMBAI: DB Corp, the print media company, has announced its association with Dale Carnegie, a global company that designs training programmes, to launch the Dainik Bhaskar School for Media Education (DBSME).

The school is aimed at providing an "exclusive career programme" designed for DBCL professionals to help build a pool of modern media professionals for the company and industry at large.

DB Corp, which publishes eight newspapers in four regional languages and is supported by a staff strength of over 11,500 employees across 13 states in India, will now have access to training and skill development techniques and facilities.

This association will also assist DBCL?s expansion programme. Dale Carnegie will benefit DB Corp?s employees to hone their skills, the company said.

In phase I, the emphasis will remain on training programmes which will begin first with the Editorial and Ad Sales team of the Bhaskar Group. This programme will cover a synopsis of the whole industry.

Dale Carnegie has a global experience of having worked with over 400 of the Top Fortune 500 companies. In India, Dale Carnegie has worked with 700 corporate firms and trained 90,000 Dale Carnegie graduates in the last six years.

DB Corp MD Sudhir Agarwal said, "This is a first of a kind initiative by a media group to partner with Dale Carnegie ? a world leader in enabling businesses to enhance performance and increase knowledge by imparting highly resourceful training and consulting services. We are delighted to join hands with the best in the training industry. This endeavour is an extension of Bhaskar?s vision to drive socio-economic change as the largest print media group and to help develop professionals attuned to the latest trends in media systems, processes and values. Presently, we will work with Dale Carnegie to design programs that will exclusively cater to the internal growing needs of professionally trained and job-ready manpower of the company, to sharpen our competitive strengths. At a later stage, we aim to offer challenging careers and training modules in media to aspiring youths in the country."

Current Focus:

Training programmes at DBSME will begin with the Editorial and Ad Sales team first of the Bhaskar Group. Very specific training modules underscoring editorial demands and requirements will be undertaken first to strengthen the functional skills of participants, followed by a similar programme for sales professionals that will focus on capability enhancement. The training programmes offered will be residential and initially accommodate 75 professionals.

The DBSME will be a comprehensive career programme for media professionals that familiarise students with all aspects of the media industry in India in an interesting and informative way. The programme focuses on core component of contemporary media sector including the editorial, sales, branding and marketing, administration, client service and media technology.

MUMBAI: My FM, the radio business housed under DB Corp, has posted a net profit of Rs 22 million for the quarter ended 31 December 2011.

The FM company has also reported an Ebitda profit of Rs 44 million, as it witnessed 22 per cent increase in its advertising revenue for the quarter under review, compared to the year-ago period.

Radio business Ebitda margins stood at Rs 28 per cent, while advertising revenue stood at Rs 157million, compared to Rs 129 million in Q3 of FY?11.

DB Corp has employed a capital of Rs 682.5 million in its radio business, according to data provided till 31 December 2011.

DB Corp operates under the My FM brand in 17 cities spread across the seven states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Meanwhile, DB Corp, the publishers of Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar, Divya Bhaskar, Dainik Divya Marathi and Saurashtra Samachar, has posted a net profit of Rs 554 million for the quarter under review, as compared to Rs 778 million in the year-ago period.

Consolidated revenue went up 14 per cent to Rs 3.96 billion, from Rs 3.48 billion a year ago. The company said it has witnessed a 9 per cent increase in advertising to Rs 3.06 billion (from Rs 2.81 billion in Q3 FY?11).

Total expenditure jumped to Rs 3.07 billion, from Rs 2.89 billion a year-ago. Consolidated Ebitda stood at Rs 1.02 billion, compared to Rs 1.15 billion.