Emmis Communications Corp. Reports Operating Results (10-Q)

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Jan 12, 2012
Emmis Communications Corp. (EMMS, Financial) filed Quarterly Report for the period ended 2011-11-30.

Emmis Communications Corp. has a market cap of $28.9 million; its shares were traded at around $0.755 with and P/S ratio of 0.1.

Highlight of Business Operations:

As previously mentioned, we derive approximately 70% of our net revenues from advertising sales. Our radio stations derive a higher percentage of their advertising revenues from local sales than our publishing entities. In the nine-month period ended November 30, 2011, local sales, excluding political revenues, represented approximately 82% and 63% of our advertising revenues for our radio and publishing divisions, respectively.

No customer represents more than 10% of our consolidated net revenues. Our top ten categories for radio represent approximately 59% and 61% of our radio divisions total advertising net revenues for the nine-month periods ended November 30, 2010 and 2011, respectively. The automotive industry, representing approximately 10% of our radio net revenues, is the largest category for our radio division for the nine-month periods ended November 30, 2010 and 2011, respectively.

Our radio cluster in New York trailed the performance of the overall New York radio market during the three-month period ended November 30, 2011. For the three-month period ended November 30, 2011, our New York radio stations gross revenues were down 15.2%, whereas Miller Kaplan reported that New York radio market total gross revenues were down 1.7% versus the same period of the prior year. Our adult urban station, WRKS-FM, was particularly weak during the quarter. We have made certain programming changes and have increased promotional spending for the station in an attempt to improve its ratings position.

Radio net revenues decreased in the three-month and nine-month periods ended November 30, 2011 as compared to the same period of the prior year principally due to the July 15, 2011 commencement of a Local Marketing Agreement (LMA) related to the Merlin Stations and the ultimate sale of a controlling interest in these stations on September 1, 2011. During the time these stations were operated pursuant to the LMA, Emmis recorded, as net revenue, a $0.3 million monthly LMA fee, but did not record advertising sales during this period. We typically monitor the performance of our domestic stations against the aggregate performance of the markets in which we operate based on reports for the periods prepared by Miller Kaplan. Miller Kaplan reports are generally prepared on a gross revenues basis and exclude revenues from barter arrangements. Miller Kaplan reported gross revenues for our domestic radio markets decreased 1.8% and increased 0.8% for the three-month and nine-month periods ended November 30, 2011 as compared to the same periods of the prior year. Excluding the Merlin Stations, our gross revenues as reported to Miller Kaplan decreased 4.9% and increased 0.9% for the three-month and nine-month periods ended November 30, 2011 as compared to the same periods prior year. For the three-month period ending November 30, 2011, our gross revenues exceeded the market average in Indianapolis, but trailed market performance in all other markets measured by Miller Kaplan. For the nine-month period ending November 30, 2011, our gross revenues exceeded the market growth rate in Indianapolis and Los Angeles, but trailed the market growth rate in New York, St. Louis and Austin. Miller Kaplan does not report gross revenue market data for our Terre Haute market. During the three months ended November 30, 2011, more advertisers targeted adult consumers at the expense of younger demographics. Since our portfolio of stations predominantly serves 18-34 year-old consumers, this shift in advertising adversely impacted us. Furthermore, we experienced a significant drop in movie advertising, a category that is historically among our top ten. For the nine-month period ended November 30, 2011 as compared to the same period of the prior year, our average rate per minute for our domestic radio stations was up 3.6%, and our minutes sold were down 3.1%.

Cash provided by investing activities was $133.7 million for the nine-month period ended November 30, 2011 versus cash used in investing activities of $2.5 million in the same period of the prior year. During the nine-month period ended November 30, 2011, the Company sold a controlling interest in the Merlin Stations for $130.0 million in cash, sold its Flint Peak Tower Site for $5.8 million of net cash proceeds and sold its 50% share of a partnership in which the sole asset is land in New Jersey on which a transmission tower is located to the other partner for $1.3 million of net cash proceeds. The proceeds related to the Flint Peak Tower sale are classified as cash provided by discontinued operations in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of cash flows. Partially offsetting the net cash proceeds on the sales described above was approximately $3.3 million of capital expenditures. In the prior year, the only substantial use of cash was for $2.4 million of capital expenditures. Investing activities generally include capital expenditures and business acquisitions and dispositions.

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