British newspaper group reports strong start

Daily Mail & General Trust today shrugged off recent economic turbulence with a better-than-expected start to the year.

The British media group was buoyed by strong growth from its activities outside traditional newspaper publishing as overall revenues for the three months to December 31 rose 2%.

Associated Newspapers, which publishes the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, saw advertising revenues rise 4%, although its Northcliffe regional business suffered a 1% decline.

Chairman Viscount Rothermere warned it was “too early” to predict full-year prospects, although he was pleased with the start the company had made.

He added: “Most of our businesses continue to perform well, and above our expectations, despite the troubles in the financial and property markets.”