Media General Inc. Reports Operating Results (10-Q)

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Aug 05, 2011
Media General Inc. (MEG, Financial) filed Quarterly Report for the period ended 2011-06-26.

Media General Inc. Cl A has a market cap of $53.4 million; its shares were traded at around $2.32 with and P/S ratio of 0.1.

Highlight of Business Operations:

The Company recorded a net loss of $15 million ($0.68 per share) and $41 million ($1.84 per share) in the second quarter and first six months of 2011, respectively, compared to a net loss of $4.3 million and $21 million in the equivalent 2010 periods. Segment operating profits fell approximately 50% in the second quarter and first six months of 2011 from the prior-year similar periods. The primary factor contributing to this reduced year-over-year performance in the quarter and year to date was an approximate 7% decline in revenues in both periods. As the economic recovery has flattened this year, weakness in Print advertising has continued. Additionally, the absence of the Olympics and significantly reduced Political advertising in this odd-numbered year have both contributed to the revenue shortfall. In an effort to mitigate some of the revenue weakness, discretionary spending was held to a minimum as evidenced by a 1.2% quarter-over-quarter decrease in operating costs (despite a $1.5 million increase in severance expense) in the second quarter of 2011; operating costs were up less than one-half percent in the first six months of 2011 over the first half of 2010 (including a $1.3 million year-over-year increase in severance). While second-quarter interest expense was essentially level with the prior-year, there was an 8.6% decrease in the first half of the year that was more than fully attributable to the absence of $5.5 million of 2010 expense (due to debt issuance costs that were expensed immediately upon entering into the new financing structure in February 2010). Income taxes increased $1.6 million and $.8 million in the second quarter and first half of 2011 as compared to the equivalent periods of 2010, chiefly due to different amounts of intraperiod tax allocation related to Other Comprehensive Income adjustments recorded in the second quarter of 2010.

Revenues in ASO decreased 32% and 25% in the second quarter and first six months of 2011 from the comparative periods of 2010. The Markets revenue decline was due in large part to a $1.7 million (77%) and $3.2 million (63%) reduction in revenues in the second quarter and first half of 2011, respectively, at DealTaker.com that was driven by a significant change in the way Internet search results are delivered by Google that affected many e-commerce businesses. Also contributing to the Markets decreased revenues was a $.7 million (49%) and $.8 million (28%) decline in revenues in the quarter and year to date at Blockdot due to business softness. Partially offsetting DealTaker.com and Blockdots weak performance were a $.5 million (23%) and $.7 million (18%) increase in revenues in the Production Services operations due to higher broadcast equipment sales and installations and, to a lesser degree, revenue improvement at NetInformer. The Company performed an interim impairment test on DealTaker.com in the first quarter of 2011 and on Blockdot in the second quarter of this year by comparing the carrying values of the reporting units to their estimated fair values, with no impairment indicated.

Interest expense was essentially even (up less than 1%) in the second quarter with the prior years second quarter. A $13 million decrease in average debt outstanding was more than offset by a slight increase in the average interest rate (up approximately 25 basis points). Interest expense decreased $3.2 million in the first six months of 2011 from the equivalent year-ago period. The first half of the prior-year included $5.5 million in debt issuance costs that were immediately expensed when the Company entered into its new financing structure in February 2010. Absent this write-off, interest expense would have increased in 2011 due to an increase in the average interest rate from 9% in the first half of 2010 to 10% in the first six months of 2011, slightly offset by the effect of a $26 million reduction in average debt outstanding.

results in a zero net tax provision since the income tax expense or benefit that would otherwise be recognized is offset by the change to the valuation allowance. The tax expense recorded in the second quarter of 2011 reflects the accrual of approximately $6.2 million ($12 million for the first six months of 2011) of valuation allowance in connection with the tax amortization of the Companys indefinite-lived intangible assets that is not available to offset existing deferred tax assets (termed a naked credit), partially offset by $1 million ($2 million for the first six months of 2011) of tax benefit related to the intraperiod allocation items in OCI. The Company expects the naked credit to result in approximately $25 million of non-cash income tax expense for the full-year 2011; other tax adjustments and intraperiod tax allocations that are difficult to forecast may also affect the remainder of 2011.

Net cash used by operating activities in the first half of 2011 was $2.9 million compared to $53 million provided by operations in the year-ago period. Cash collected from year-end accounts receivable and the drawdown of cash equivalents allowed the Company to make interest payments of $32 million, make capital expenditures of $10.6 million, make retirement plan contributions of $7.1 million and to reduce debt by $5 million.

As of June 26, 2011, the Company had in place with its syndicate of banks a $364 million term loan that was fully drawn and a revolving credit facility with availability of $66 million and no outstanding balance. Also outstanding were 11.75% Senior Notes with a par value of $300 million that were sold at a discount and carried on the balance sheet at quarter end at $294 million. The bank credit facilities mature in March 2013 and bear an interest rate of LIBOR plus a margin (4.5% at the close of the second quarter) based on the Companys leverage ratio, as defined in the agreement. The agreements have two main financial covenants; a leverage ratio and a fixed charge coverage ratio. The leverage ratio is calculated as the ratio of total indebtedness (including long-term debt, short-term capitalized leases, guarantees and letters of credit) to earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) (rolling four quarters of EBITDA adjusted for severance and other shutdown charges, non-operating non-cash charges less gains and broadcast film rights amortization charges less cash payments). The fixed charge coverage ratio is calculated as the ratio of EBITDA (as defined for the leverage ratio) less capital expenditures to fixed charge expense (cash interest paid plus cash taxes paid).

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