UTV Media sees a fall in their revenue

Northern Irish radio and television broadcaster UTV Media Plc said it expected second-quarter revenue at its largest division Radio GB to fall 16% from a year earlier, a period which saw the 2014 FIFA World Cup build-up.

UTV, which went 'on air' as Ulster Television in 1959 after Sir Laurence Olivier delivered the first official broadcast, said revenue at its talkSPORT radio station would fall 25% in the second quarter.

Second-quarter revenue at the broadcaster's television business, which accounted for about a third of sales last year, would rise 37%, UTV said.

However, the Belfast-based company expects a further revenue loss of 2.5 million pounds ($3.9 million) for the full year at UTV Ireland, its newest television channel, and said that there was considerable volatility in the division's performance.

UTV said in March that it expected a full-year loss of about 6 million pounds from UTV Ireland, hurt in part by delayed negotiations with advertisers and slower-than-expected audience build.
Numis analysts forecast a loss of 3.5 million pounds at UTV Ireland in 2016, before a move into breakeven in 2017.
"After a Q1 which was impacted by delays to tuning and aggressive competitive action, losses will reduce steadily through the year," Numis analysts wrote in a note.
They kept their view that the long-term opportunity for UTV Ireland remained significant.