Ulster Television said it expects to raise its share of total advertising income in the current year, while hoping to keep operating costs at the 2000 level.
In addition, the group said it aims to bring its Internet operations into profit by the second half of 2001.
For the year to end-December the company reported pretax profits of £27 million sterling, including an exceptional profit of £13.4 million sterling from the sale of the remaining shareholding in Societe Europeenne des Satellites, against £7.8 million sterling in 1999.
Group operating profit before goodwill rose 13 per cent to £13.4 million sterling from £11.9 million.
Group turnover increased 6.5 per cent to £40.8 million sterling from £38.3 million, with television advertising and sponsorship revenue 6.4 per cent ahead at £39.8 million from £37.4 million the year earlier. The company said the customer base of UTV Internet has trebled since launch last June and further products have been added to the product.
Meanwhile, the sluggish performance of ITV advertising revenue in the early part of 2001 was relative to the exceptionally strong growth in the same period last year which had been fuelled to a significant degree by a surge in dot.com marketing expenditure.
The company said, coupled with the current lack of clarity as to how the economy might be moving, particularly in the period of a general election, advertisers appear reluctant to make strong commitments.
However, the group says ITV ratings have recently improved which should provide a better basis for a return to growth in the second half of the calendar year.
And, while the company says it is not immune from the effects of a short term adjustment in the allocation of top-line advertising budgets to ITV, it is confident that its combination of market diversity and excellent ratings will ensure that it is able to maximise revenue opportunities and again improve its share of total ITV advertising income in the current year.
AFP