BENGALURU: HT Media Limited (HT Media) reported 9.6 cent growth in Total Income from Operations (TIO) for the fiscal ended 31 March 2016 (FY-16, current quarter) as compared to FY-15. The company’s radio segment which operates under the brand Radio Fever reported 17.7 percent growth in operating revenue in the current year as compared to the previous year.

HT Media reported TIO in FY-16 of Rs 2,500.80 crore as compared to 2,281.52 crore in FY-15. Its radio segment reported operating revenue of Rs 116.96 crore (4.7 percent of TIO) in FY-16 as compared to Rs 99.38 crore (4.4 percent of TIO) in the previous year.

Note: The unit of currency in this report is the Indian rupee - Rs (also conventionally represented by INR). The Indian numbering system or the Vedic numbering system has been used to denote money values. The basic conversion to the international norm would be:

(a) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10,000,000 = 10 million = 1 crore.

(b) 10,000 lakh = 100 crore = 1 arab = 1 billion.

HT Media reported 1.7 percent decline in profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 214.21 crore (8.6 percent PAT margin) in FY-16 as compared to Rs 218.75 crore (9.5 percent PAT margin)

Operating profit (EBIDTA) in the current year increased 6 percent to Rs 462.20 crore (17.4 percent EBIDTA margin) from Rs 436.06 crore (17.7 percent margin) in the previous year.

Advertising revenue in FY-16 increased 7.5 percent to Rs 1,980.9 crore from Rs 1,843.6 core in the previous year.

Circulation revenue in the current year increased 5.6 percent to Rs 300.09 crore from Rs 284.8 crore in FY-15.

Other revenue increased 13.5 percent in FY-16 to Rs 373.3 crore from Rs 328.9 crore in FY-15.

Segment revenue

Printing and Publishing of Newspapers and Periodicals (Printing) segment reported 7.7 percent growth in operating revenue at Rs 2,239.71 crore in the current year from Rs 2,080.15 crore in FY-15. The segment’s operating profit increased 21.2 percent in FY-16 to Rs 329.69 crore from Rs 272.01 crore in the previous year.

HT Media’s radio segment revenue has been mentioned above. The segment reported a 31.2 percent decline in operating profit due to the launch of a new radio station. Operating profit in FY-16 was Rs 20.10 crore as compared to Rs Rs 29.21 crore in the previous year.

Digital segment reported 35.1 percent growth in FY-16 to Rs 140.32 crore from Rs 103.90 crore in FY-15.

The Board of Directors at their meeting on May 26, 2016 have recommended a dividend of Rs. 0.40 per equity share of Rs. 2 each; translating to 20% of face value.  Dividend for the year amounted to Rs. 13 crore million (including Dividend Distribution Tax).

Company speak

HT Media chairperson and editorial director Shobana Bhartia said, “All our businesses grew in the quarter and we are happy to close the year on a positive note. The Hindi business outperformed the market and we witnessed the return of growth in the English business”

Our new businesses are doing well. HT Mumbai has established itself as a clear alternative in India’s commercial capital. We launched Radio Nasha 107.2 in Delhi, becoming the only radio business in the region with two stations. Our digital business showed significant revenue growth and has reduced its losses.”

“This year is rich with opportunities to expand our reach and offerings. We believe we are well placed to tap these and that our innovative strategies, prudent and timely investments, and world-class execution will continue to differentiate us from the competition”