Regional TV broadcaster Prime Media has lifted its full year profit by more than five per cent after a rise in advertising agency revenues and fall in costs.
Chief executive Ian Audsley described the 2014/15 financial year as challenging, with ad revenue in northern and southern NSW and Victoria falling by nearly four per cent.
However, those falls were offset by a 46.2 share of national agency revenue and a $4.3 million reduction in operating costs.
"While we are pleased with the result, the outlook is tempered by difficult trading conditions in regional markets, particularly given the increasing accessibility of media that is being delivered into regional Australia via the internet," Mr Audsley said in a statement on Wednesday.
"As a result, we hold modest expectations for the first half of 2016 financial year."
Mr Audsley said Prime's full year result would largely depend on revenues rising ahead of the Rio Olympics in August 2016.
Prime's net profit rose to $35.6 million in the year to June 30 from $33.85 million in 2013/14.
The broadcaster, whose partner network is Seven, also reported a 1.7 per cent rise in its TV audience.
Shares in Prime, which released its financial results after the stock market closed, fell 3.5 cents to 56.5 cents.
PRIME PROFIT SHINES
* Net profit: up 5.2pct to $35.6m
* Revenue: down 0.6pct to $258.8m
* Fully franked final dividend: 3.0 cents a share, up from 2.8 cents.
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