Business News

Gannett Co., Inc. Reports Third Quarter Results

Monday 18. October 2010 - Reported Earnings per Diluted Share of $0.42; Non-GAAP Earnings per Diluted Share of $0.52; Total Constant Currency Operating Revenues Climb 1%; TV Advertising Revenues up 26%; Digital Revenues up 10%; Non-GAAP Adjusted Net Income Increases 21% to $125 million

Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) reported today that earnings per diluted share from continuing operations, on a GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) basis for the third quarter of 2010 were $0.42 compared to $0.31 for the third quarter of 2009. Results for both quarters included special items as noted below. Earnings per share excluding special items for the third quarter were $0.52 versus $0.43 last year on the same basis.

Results for the third quarter of 2010 include $23.0 million of non-cash charges associated with facility consolidations and intangible asset impairments ($18.2 million after-tax or $0.08 per share) and $8.1 million in costs due to workforce restructuring ($5.1 million after-tax or $0.02 per share).

Results for the third quarter of 2009 include $44.7 million of non-cash charges associated primarily with facility consolidations and asset impairments ($28.9 million after-tax or $0.12 per share) and $2.3 million in costs covering workforce restructuring ($1.4 million after-tax or $0.01 per share).

As previously reported, the company completed the sale of The Honolulu Advertiser and its related assets as well as a small directory publishing operation in Michigan during the second quarter of 2010. Results for the third quarter and year-to-date periods exclude operating results from these former properties which have been reclassified to discontinued operations. Revenue associated with these assets totaled $24.4 million in 2009’s third quarter. In the fourth quarter of 2009, revenues from these assets totaled approximately $30 million.

Details of these special items and their effect on results are included on the Statements of Income, Business Segment Information and Non-GAAP Financial Information schedules which follow.

“We closed the revenue gap this quarter with sequential improvement in publishing revenues as well as substantially higher broadcasting and digital revenues despite increased economic uncertainty. We achieved significantly higher profitability and operating cash flow as a result of our revenue performance and lower operating expenses driven by continued cost control efforts. Reflecting our strong footprint and ratings, our television business achieved substantial revenue growth both in its core business and in political ad spending. Digital segment revenues were propelled by strong growth at PointRoll and CareerBuilder. Our publishing segment saw continued sequential improvement in both year-over-year comparisons as well as two-year comparisons,” said Craig A. Dubow, chairman and chief executive officer. “We continue to see positive results from several strategic initiatives. We also successfully completed $500 million of bond financings and the extension of our revolving credit facilities. These were important milestones and provide the company with significant flexibility to continue to invest in our future growth.”

CONTINUING OPERATIONS

Net income attributable to Gannett, adjusted for special items, totaled $124.7 million in the third quarter, a 20.8 percent increase from $103.2 million in the third quarter of 2009. Operating cash flow (defined as non-GAAP operating income plus depreciation and amortization) was $283.6 million compared to $256.0 million in the third quarter last year.

Reported operating revenues in the third quarter were $1.31 billion, unchanged from the third quarter a year ago. The exchange rate had an impact on year-over-year comparisons. Adjusted for currency, total operating revenues in the third quarter were almost 1 percent higher than the third quarter last year. Revenue comparisons on the same basis improved sequentially relative to the second quarter of this year and also on a two year comparison basis.

Reported operating expenses totaled $1.1 billion compared to $1.2 billion in the third quarter last year. Excluding special items in both quarters, operating expenses declined 3.1 percent or $34.0 million. Company-wide cost control and efficiency efforts and lower newsprint expense drove the decline.

Average diluted shares outstanding in the third quarter of 2010 totaled 241,865,000.

PUBLISHING

Publishing segment reported operating income totaled $130.9 million. Operating income excluding special items was $140.4 million compared to $135.3 million in the third quarter last year reflecting moderating revenue declines relative to last year’s third quarter as well as the impact of cost control efforts and lower newsprint expense. Publishing segment operating cash flow on the same basis totaled $173.3 million.

Publishing segment operating revenues in the third quarter declined 4.8 percent to $969.4 million from $1.0 billion in last year’s third quarter. On a constant currency basis, publishing segment operating revenues would have been 3.9 percent lower. Reported advertising revenues in the quarter totaled $646.7 million, a decline of 5.1 percent compared to the same period a year ago. Advertising revenues were 3.8 percent lower on a constant currency basis as advertising revenues in the U.S. were 3.2 percent lower and declined 7.1 percent in pounds, at Newsquest. The decline in total advertising on a constant currency basis was better than both the second quarter year over year and two-year comparison. On the same constant currency basis, retail and classified advertising were slightly better while national improved 5 percentage points relative to second quarter comparisons.

Ad revenue percentage changes on a constant currency basis for the retail, national and classified categories for the publishing segment as well as for domestic publishing and Newsquest for the quarter were as follows:


Third Quarter 2010 Year-over-Year Comparisons

Total Publishing
U.S. Publishing Newsquest Segment
(including USA TODAY)
(in pounds)
(constant currency)
Retail (6.0 %) (4.7 %) (5.9 %)
National 3.3 % (9.4 %) 2.4 %
Classified (2.1 %) (8.1 %) (3.7 %)
(3.2 %) (7.1 %) (3.8 %)

Classified revenue declines lessened in the quarter led by sequential comparison improvement on both a one year and two year basis in the U.S.

On a constant currency basis, the percentage changes in the classified categories in total publishing, domestic publishing and Newsquest for the third quarter of 2010 were as follows:


Third Quarter 2010 Year-over-Year Comparisons

Total Publishing
U.S. Newsquest Segment
Publishing (in pounds) (constant currency)
Automotive 10.0 % (7.1 %) 6.9 %
Employment 8.9 % (17.9 %) (1.6 %)
Real Estate (16.0 %) 4.4 % (10.0 %)
Legal (8.6 %) — (8.6 %)
Other (6.9 %) (7.7 %) (7.2 %)
(2.1 %) (8.1 %) (3.7 %)

National advertising was 1.9 percent higher in the quarter. Stronger national advertising in U.S. Community Publishing as well as at USA TODAY drove the increase. Several of USA TODAY’s important print categories, particularly automotive, grew significantly in the quarter while advocacy, restaurants, pharmaceutical, packaged goods and other categories lagged last year. USA TODAY’s paid advertising pages totaled 495 compared with 493 in the third quarter last year.

Digital revenues in U.S. Community Publishing were up 10.2 percent in the quarter due to gains in virtually all categories of advertising. USA TODAY digital advertising increased 35.1 percent reflecting significantly higher national advertising.

Reported operating expenses in the third quarter were 8.5 percent lower and totaled $838.5 million. Operating expenses, excluding special items, were down 6.1 percent. The lower level of expenses reflects the impact of continuing efficiency efforts and lower newsprint costs. Newsprint expense in the third quarter was 11.6 percent lower due to a mid-single digit percentage decrease in both consumption and usage prices. Fourth quarter newsprint usage prices will be higher than a year ago but consumption is expected to be lower.

BROADCASTING

Broadcasting operating income was $66.6 million. Operating income adjusted for special items was $75.3 million, an increase of 49.3 percent compared to $50.4 million in the third quarter last year reflecting a significant increase in revenue growth offset, in part, by an 8.9 percent increase in operating expenses. Operating cash flow on the same basis increased 41.7 percent compared to the same quarter a year ago and totaled $83.2 million.

Broadcasting revenues (which include Captivate) increased 22.3 percent and totaled $185.3 million compared to $151.5 million last year. The revenue increase reflects strong core advertising results and substantially higher political spending. Reported operating expenses were $118.7 million. Operating expenses for the broadcasting segment, excluding special items, totaled $110.0 million in the quarter compared to $101.0 million in the third quarter last year. The increase reflects higher sales commissions offset in part by continuing efficiency efforts.

Television revenues were $179.6 million compared to $145.2 million in the third quarter last year reflecting a $16.3 million increase in election and issue related spending and a significant increase in core advertising across almost all categories, particularly auto. Political ad spending totaled $36.3 million year-to-date and is in line with the presidential election year spending in 2008 and ahead of spending in the last non-presidential election year of 2006.

Based on current trends, we expect the percentage increase in television advertising revenues to be in the mid to high twenties for the fourth quarter of 2010 compared to the fourth quarter of 2009. However, the pace of political spending in the fourth quarter may be volatile depending on state-by-state races.

DIGITAL

The digital segment includes results for CareerBuilder, PointRoll, ShopLocal, Planet Discover, Schedule Star and Ripple6.

Digital operating revenues totaled $157.7 million compared to $143.0 million in the third quarter last year. The 10.3 percent increase reflects very high single-digit revenue growth at CareerBuilder as well as double-digit revenue growth at PointRoll. Digital operating expenses totaled $141.9 million. Excluding special items, operating expenses were $129.0 million in the quarter. As a result, segment operating income excluding special items was up 16.4 percent.

Company-wide digital revenues, which include the Digital Segment and all digital revenues generated by the other business segments, were $255.7 million or 9.9 percent higher compared to the third quarter in 2009. Company-wide digital revenues were over 19 percent of total operating revenues.

NON-OPERATING ITEMS

The company’s equity earnings include its share of operating results from unconsolidated investees including the California Newspapers Partnership, Texas-New Mexico Newspapers Partnership, Tucson newspaper partnership and other online/digital businesses including Classified Ventures.

The $7.4 million reported increase in equity income in unconsolidated investees reflects primarily the absence of a $5.4 million non-cash impairment of an investment in the third quarter last year. Excluding special items in the third quarter last year, equity income would have increased $2.0 million reflecting better results at certain newspaper partnerships.

Interest expense was $41.0 million compared to $38.1 million in the third quarter last year. The increase reflects higher average interest rates offset partially by a lower average debt balance. Debt was reduced by more than $210 million during the quarter. On September 27, 2010, subsequent to the close of the quarter, the company completed the private placement of unsecured senior notes totaling $500 million in two tranches: $250 million with a coupon of 6.375 percent due 2015 and $250 million with a coupon of 7.125 percent due 2018. On September, 30, 2010, the company amended its revolving credit agreements and extended the maturity date from March 15, 2012 to September 30, 2014. Total commitments under the amended revolving credit agreements are $1.63 billion through March 15, 2012 and total extended commitments from March 15, 2012 to September 30, 2014 will be $1.14 billion.

At the end of the quarter, Gannett had more than 100 domestic publishing web sites, including USATODAY.com, one of the most popular newspaper sites on the web. The company also had web sites in all of its 19 television markets. In September, Gannett’s consolidated domestic Internet audience share was 48.7 million unique visitors reaching 22.9 percent of the Internet audience, according to Comscore Media Metrix. Newsquest is also an Internet leader in the UK where its network of web sites attracted over 75 million monthly page impressions from approximately 8.8 million unique users. CareerBuilder’s unique visitors in September totaled 22.3 million.

All references in this release to “pro forma” or “comparable” results and “operating cash flow” are to non-GAAP financial measures. Management believes that use of these measures allow investors and management to measure, analyze and compare the company’s results in a more meaningful and consistent manner. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP operating cash flow amounts to the company’s consolidated statements of income is attached.

As previously announced, the company will hold an earnings conference call at 10:00 a.m. ET today. The call can be accessed via a live Webcast through the Investor Relations section of the company’s Web site, www.gannett.com, or listen-only conference lines. U.S. callers should dial 1-888-569-5033 and international callers should dial 719-457-2637 at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call. The confirmation code for the conference call is 1510704. To access the replay, dial 1-888-203-1112 in the U.S. International callers should use the number 719-457-0820. The confirmation code for the replay is 1510704. Materials related to the call will be available through the Investor Relations section of the company’s Web site Friday morning.

Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is an international news and information company operating on multiple platforms including the Internet, mobile, newspapers, magazines and TV stations. Gannett is an Internet leader with hundreds of newspaper and TV web sites; CareerBuilder.com, the nation’s top employment site; USATODAY.com; and more than 80 local MomsLikeMe.com sites. Gannett publishes 82 daily U.S. newspapers, including USA TODAY, the nation’s largest-selling daily newspaper, and more than 600 magazines and other non-dailies including USA WEEKEND. Gannett also operates 23 television stations in 19 U.S. markets. Gannett subsidiary Newsquest is one of the UK’s leading regional community news providers, with 17 daily paid-for titles, more than 200 weekly newspapers, magazines and trade publications, and a network of web sites.

Certain statements in this press release may be forward looking in nature or “forward looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward looking statements contained in this press release are subject to a number of risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual performance to differ materially from these forward looking statements. A number of those risks, trends and uncertainties are discussed in the company’s SEC reports, including the company’s annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Any forward looking statements in this press release should be evaluated in light of these important risk factors.

Gannett is not responsible for updating the information contained in this press release beyond the published date, or for changes made to this press release by wire services, Internet service providers or other media.