Talksport scores with Euro soccer

Last month’s Euro 2004 football tournament helped UK radio station talkSPORT chalk up an 87% increase in revenues, its owner said today.

The Wireless Group (TWG) said soaring results from the station contributed to a “fantastic” second quarter.

It also told investors at its annual meeting that recently-acquired local radio group Forever Broadcasting was making a positive contribution to the company.

London-based TWG said talkSPORT revenues increased by 40% during the quarter.

The group now plans to launch a national marketing campaign coinciding with the start of the football season in a bid to raise the profile of talkSPORT and widen its audience.

Chairman and chief executive Kelvin MacKenzie said the demand for sports-related information and entertainment was reflected in strong trading at the station.

Revenues at the company’s local radio stations were up 34% and 13% on a like-for-like basis.

TWG owns 13 local radio stations including Signal One in Stoke-on-Trent, Swansea Sound in south Wales and Wave 102 in Dundee.

In January, it said it was paying £8.1m (€12m) for local radio group Forever Broadcasting, which runs Peak 107 in Chesterfield, 107.7 The Wolf in Wolverhampton and Tower 107.4 in Bolton and Bury.

Today, the company said all three stations were trading profitably and that it continued to seek further opportunities.

In the year to December 31, TWG made adjusted operating profits of £2.3m (€3.4m) after making equivalent losses of £2.3m (€3.4m) in the previous 12 months.

At the bottom line, it made pre-tax losses of £11.2m (€16.8m), £9.1m (€13.6m) less than last year’s losses of £20.3m (€30.4m).