EX-99.1 7 d48505exv99w1.htm FIRST QUARTER 2007 EARNINGS PRESS RELEASE exv99w1
 

Exhibit 99.1
  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  Thursday, April, 2007
  7:30 A.M. CDT
BELO REPORTS RESULTS FOR FIRST QUARTER 2007
     DALLAS – Belo Corp. (NYSE: BLC) today reported net earnings per share of $0.15 for the first quarter of 2007 as compared to $0.16 in the first quarter of 2006.
     Robert W. Decherd, Belo’s chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “Belo’s first quarter results reflect another quarter of outstanding revenue performance by our Television Group and excellent expense management across the Company, tempered by a challenging newspaper advertising environment. We are realizing the benefits of our proactive approach toward re-engineering Belo’s newspaper businesses, and we are diligently seeking efficiencies across the Company. The expanded partnership with Yahoo! announced by Belo and the Newspaper Consortium last week exemplifies the progress we’re making in reshaping Belo’s operations and pursuing new revenue opportunities, particularly those associated with Internet initiatives.”
First Quarter in Review
Consolidated
     Consolidated revenue for the first quarter of 2007 was $354 million, a decrease of 4.8 percent versus the first quarter of 2006, with Television Group revenue up 2.1 percent and Newspaper Group revenue down 11 percent on a reported basis, or approximately 9.3 percent after adjusting to exclude the extra Sunday in the first quarter of 2006. The Company’s total operating costs and expenses decreased 3.5 percent, benefiting from headcount reductions during 2006 at The Dallas Morning News and The Press-Enterprise, and significantly lower newsprint expense. Consolidated EBITDA decreased 1.1 percent.
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Belo Announces First Quarter 2007 Results
April 26, 2007
Page Two
Television Group
     Television Group revenue increased 2.1 percent in the first quarter versus the prior year despite cycling against almost $12 million in Olympics and political revenues in the first quarter of 2006. Total spot revenue, including political, grew 0.2 percent with a 3.7 percent increase in national spot revenue and a 0.3 percent increase in local spot revenue. Advertising revenue associated with Belo’s television station Web sites increased 30 percent in the first quarter to $5.2 million, up from $4 million in the first quarter of the prior year.
     Television Group segment costs and expenses increased 3.5 percent in the first quarter versus the same period last year, and Television Group segment EBITDA was essentially flat versus the prior year. The Television Group’s segment EBITDA margin of 37.3 percent was a record for the first quarter in a non-political year.
Newspaper Group
     Newspaper Group total revenue decreased 11 percent in the first quarter of 2007, or approximately 9.3 percent after adjusting to exclude the extra Sunday in the first quarter of 2006, reflecting soft newspaper advertising conditions, the Southern California housing market, and difficult comparisons for Belo newspapers relative to 2006 when Newspaper Group advertising revenues increased 2.7 percent for the first quarter. First quarter 2007 advertising revenues were weakest in January and improved in each successive month, with March ad revenues down six percent versus the prior year. Decreases were noted in retail, general and classified revenues, while part-run advertising revenue increased 3.7 percent. Internet advertising revenue, a component of total advertising revenue, increased 18 percent to $12.3 million.
     Newspaper Group segment costs and expenses decreased 11 percent versus the first quarter of last year, with tight cost controls and a 29 percent decrease in newsprint expense resulting from reduced newsprint prices and a decline in consumption, some of which was due to the Company’s strategic decisions to reduce third party circulation across the Company and to reduce state circulation at The Dallas Morning News. Newspaper Group segment EBITDA decreased 11 percent; however, segment EBITDA at The Dallas Morning News was higher versus the first quarter of 2006.
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Belo Announces First Quarter 2007 Results
April 26, 2007
Page Three
Corporate
     Corporate costs and expenses were $21.7 million in the first quarter of 2007 as compared to $19.4 million in the first quarter of 2006. First quarter 2007 expenses included anticipated technology transition costs and outsourcing fees that were approximately $4 million incremental to the prior year. All other Corporate expenses decreased approximately 9.5 percent.
     Other income (expense), net includes a $4 million credit from the settlement of the Company’s Hurricane Katrina-related insurance claim. Belo’s total depreciation and amortization expense increased 3.9 percent in the first quarter of 2007.
     Total debt at March 31, 2007, was $1.3 billion. The Company repurchased 198,000 shares in the first quarter for a total of $3.6 million and invested $15 million in capital expenditures. Interest expense increased $489,000, or 2.1 percent, in the first quarter. Belo’s leverage ratio, as defined in the Company’s credit facility, was 3.1 times at March 31, 2007.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
A reconciliation of Consolidated EBITDA to net earnings is set forth in an exhibit to this release.
Other Matters
     Regarding Belo’s television retransmission agreements, Decherd said, “We continue to reach retransmission consent agreements that secure cash payments for delivery of Belo’s television signals. We are receiving substantial value for carriage of our local stations and cable news channels, and other programming services from cable providers, satellite distributors and broadband entrants under contracts negotiated to date. In 2007, we expect cash payments, which represent a portion of the value associated with these agreements, to total approximately $22 million. The quality of Belo’s television stations and the fast-growing markets in which we operate place us in a solid position for securing compensation for our content. It’s difficult to gauge how significant retransmission revenue can be for us over time, but we believe it can be a meaningful addition to Belo’s Television Group revenue profile.”
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Belo Announces First Quarter 2007 Results
April 26, 2007
Page Four
     Decherd also commented on an expense-related initiative. “Beyond our usual focus on costs, Dennis Williamson is leading a detailed enterprise-wide review of the Company’s expense structure,” he said. “As we reshape Belo’s businesses, it’s important to evaluate all aspects of our operations, constantly seeking more effective and efficient ways to serve audiences and advertisers. We expect this to be a dynamic, ongoing effort with positive impacts to Belo’s cost structure over time. We should be able to identify process improvements and other savings that will reduce the expense base of the Company.”
Second Quarter Outlook
     Commenting on expectations for the second quarter, Dennis A. Williamson, executive vice president/Chief Financial Officer, said, “We expect Television Group revenues to be up in the low-single digits in the second quarter as we cycle against $5.1 million in political revenue recorded in the second quarter of 2006. Early indications are that Newspaper Group revenues will be down, but we expect the rate of decline to be less than in the first quarter. We will continue monitoring expenses closely and we expect second quarter total operating costs and expenses to be down in the low-single digits. We expect newsprint expense to continue to show favorable comparisons to the prior year, but the rate of variance should lessen as we will have cycled through the reductions in third party and state circulation implemented on April 1, 2006.”
     A conference call to discuss this earnings release and other matters of interest to shareholders and analysts will follow at 3:00 p.m. CDT this afternoon. The conference call will be simultaneously Webcast on the Company’s Web site (www.belo.com/invest). Following the conclusion of the Webcast, a replay of the conference call will be archived on Belo’s Web site. To access the listen-only conference lines, dial 1-800-700-8174. A replay line will be open from 6:30 p.m. CDT on April 26 until 11:59 p.m. CDT on May 3, 2007. To access the replay, dial 800-475-6701 or 320-365-3844. The access code for the replay is 869315.
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Belo Announces First Quarter 2007 Results
April 26, 2007
Page Five
About Belo
     Belo Corp. is one of the nation’s largest media companies with a diversified group of market-leading television, newspaper, cable and interactive media assets. A Fortune 1000 company with 7,100 employees and $1.6 billion in annual revenue, Belo operates in some of America’s most dynamic markets in Texas, the Northwest, the Southwest, the Mid-Atlantic and Rhode Island. Belo owns 20 television stations, six of which are in the 15 largest U.S. broadcast markets. The Company also owns or operates seven cable news channels and manages one television station through a local marketing agreement. Belo’s daily newspapers are The Dallas Morning News, The Providence Journal, The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA) and the Denton Record-Chronicle (Denton, TX). The Company also publishes specialty publications targeting young adults, and the fast-growing Hispanic market, including Quick and Al Día in Dallas/Fort Worth, and El D and La Prensa in Riverside. Belo operates more than 30 Web sites associated with its operating companies. Additional information is available at www.belo.com or by contacting Carey Hendrickson, vice president/Investor Relations & Corporate Communications, at 214-977-6626.
     Statements in this communication concerning Belo’s business outlook or future economic performance, anticipated profitability, revenue, expenses, dividends, capital expenditures, investments, future financings, or other financial and non-financial items that are not historical facts, are “forward-looking statements” as the term is defined under applicable federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those statements.
     Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to, changes in capital market conditions and prospects, and other factors such as changes in advertising demand, interest rates and newsprint prices; newspaper circulation matters, including changes in readership patterns and demography, and audits and related actions by the Audit Bureau of Circulations; technological changes, including the transition to digital television and the development of new systems to distribute television and other audio-visual content; development of Internet commerce; industry cycles; changes in pricing or other actions by competitors and suppliers; regulatory changes; adoption of new accounting standards or changes in existing accounting standards by the Financial Accounting Standards Board or other accounting standard-setting bodies or authorities; the effects of Company acquisitions and dispositions; the recovery of the New Orleans market (where the Company owns and operates market-leading television station WWL-TV, the CBS affiliate) from the effects of Hurricane Katrina; general economic conditions; and significant armed conflict, as well as other risks detailed in Belo’s other public disclosures, and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) including the Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Belo Corp.
Consolidated Statements of Earnings
                 
    Three months ended  
    March 31,  
In thousands, except per share amounts (unaudited)   2007     2006  
 
 
               
Net Operating Revenues
  $ 354,055     $ 371,723  
 
               
Operating Costs and Expenses
               
Salaries, wages and employee benefits
    140,377       148,366  
Other production, distribution and operating costs
    117,347       111,830  
Newsprint, ink and other supplies
    26,847       36,678  
Depreciation
    22,766       21,816  
Amortization
    2,066       2,087  
 
           
Total operating costs and expenses
    309,403       320,777  
 
               
Earnings from operations
    44,652       50,946  
 
               
Other income and expense
               
Interest expense
    (24,151 )     (23,662 )
Other income (expense), net
    5,368       848  
 
           
Total other income and expense
    (18,783 )     (22,814 )
 
               
Earnings
               
Earnings before income taxes
    25,869       28,132  
Income taxes
    10,418       10,832  
 
           
 
               
Net earnings
  $ 15,451     $ 17,300  
 
           
Net earnings per share
               
Basic
  $ .15     $ .16  
Diluted
  $ .15     $ .16  
 
               
Average shares outstanding
               
Basic
    102,271       106,141  
Diluted
    102,862       107,171  
 
               
Cash dividends declared per share
  $ 0.125     $ 0.10  
 
           

 


 

Belo Corp.
Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets
                 
 
    March 31,     December 31,  
In thousands   2007     2006  
 
 
  (unaudited)        
 
               
Assets
               
Current assets
               
Cash and temporary cash investments
  $ 52,530     $ 46,291  
Accounts receivable, net
    243,480       276,825  
Other current assets
    57,726       61,047  
 
           
Total current assets
    353,736       384,163  
 
               
Property, plant and equipment, net
    556,818       560,494  
Intangible assets, net
    2,576,715       2,574,218  
Other assets
    100,141       95,403  
 
           
 
               
Total assets
  $ 3,587,410     $ 3,614,278  
 
           
 
               
Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
               
Current liabilities
               
Accounts payable
  $ 50,279     $ 79,605  
Accrued expenses
    100,393       102,004  
Other current liabilities
    73,510       77,303  
 
           
Total current liabilities
    224,182       258,912  
 
               
Long-term debt
    1,283,466       1,283,434  
Deferred income taxes
    435,290       435,154  
Other liabilities
    114,128       109,630  
Total shareholders’ equity
    1,530,344       1,527,148  
 
           
 
               
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
  $ 3,587,410     $ 3,614,278  
 
           

 


 

Belo Corp.
Segment Information
                 
    Three months ended  
    March 31,  
In thousands (unaudited)   2007     2006  
 
 
               
Television Group
               
Net operating revenues
  $ 178,342     $ 174,692  
Segment costs and expenses
    111,867       108,045  
 
           
Segment EBITDA
  $ 66,475     $ 66,647  
 
           
 
               
Newspaper Group
               
Net operating revenues
  $ 175,713     $ 197,031  
Segment costs and expenses
    151,047       169,455  
 
           
Segment EBITDA
  $ 24,666     $ 27,576  
 
           
 
               
Corporate
               
Costs and expenses
  $ 21,657     $ 19,374  
 
           
Note 1:   Belo’s management uses segment EBITDA as the primary measure of profitability to evaluate operating performance and to allocate capital resources and bonuses to eligible operating company employees. Segment EBITDA represents a segment’s earnings before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Other income (expense), net is not allocated to the Company’s operating segments because it consists primarily of equity earnings (losses) from investments in partnerships and joint ventures and other non-operating income (expense).

 


 

Belo Corp.
Consolidated EBITDA
                 
    Three months ended  
    March 31,  
In thousands (unaudited)   2007     2006  
 
 
               
Consolidated EBITDA (1)
  $ 74,852     $ 75,697  
Depreciation and Amortization
    (24,832 )     (23,903 )
Interest Expense
    (24,151 )     (23,662 )
Income Taxes
    (10,418 )     (10,832 )
 
           
Net Earnings
  $ 15,451     $ 17,300  
 
           
Note 1:   The Company defines Consolidated EBITDA as net earnings before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Consolidated EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Management uses Consolidated EBITDA in internal analyses as a supplemental measure of the financial performance of the Company to assist it with determining performance comparisons against its peer group of companies, as well as capital spending and other investing decisions. Consolidated EBITDA is also a common alternative measure of performance used by investors, financial analysts, and rating agencies to evaluate financial performance. Consolidated EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net earnings, operating income, cash flows provided by operating activities or other income or cash flow data prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and this non-GAAP measure may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.