Top of the week 1: AZ Medien turns a profit again
After three bad years, AZ Medien AG, publisher of the Aargauer Zeitung, is back in the black. In the 2010 financial year, the Group achieved a consolidated result of CHF 3.2 million.
In 2009, a loss of 14.8 million Swiss francs was recorded. A slight economic recovery from autumn 2010 and, in particular, the cost-cutting measures from synergy programs, some of which were already initiated in the 2009 financial year, had a positive impact on the 2010 financial year, as the company announced. Operating income of CHF 234.4 million was at the previous year's level after structural adjustments. However, it is not directly comparable with the previous year due to the company's own marketing of advertisements (from the beginning of 2010) and the no longer fully consolidated participation in Radio Argovia, according to the statement. On a comparable basis, operating income from newspaper publishing improved by CHF 6.1 million (+1.5 %), from magazines and books by CHF 0.6 million (+1.7 %) and from radio and TV by CHF 0.5 million (+3.6 %). In contrast, printing and distribution recorded a decline of CHF 3.9 million (-8.4 %).
