2012 Annual Report
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ANNUAL REPORT 2012 APN NEWS & MEDIA LIMITED ABN 95 008 637 643 APN NEWS & MEDI A LI M ITED ANNUAL REPORT 2012 APN AT A GLANCE Contents Key Results 2 Chairman’s Report 4 Australian Regional Media 6 New Zealand Media 8 Radio 10 Outdoor 12 Digital 14 Corporate Social Responsibility 16 People and Culture 18 Corporate Governance 20 Director’s Report 27 Remuneration Report 34 Auditor’s Independence Declaration 44 Financial Statements 45 Directors’ Declaration 95 Independent Auditor’s Report 96 Shareholder Information 98 Five Year Financial History 100 Corporate Directory IBC APN annual report 2012 Australian Regional Media New Digital Zealand APN’S DIGITAL PORTFOLIO Media HAS THREE KEY VENTURES. GrabOne, the number one APN IS NEW ZEalanD’S group buying business in LEADING PUblISHER WITH A New Zealand, online shopping PORTFOLIO OF NEWSpapER, club brandsExclusive and digital DIGITAL AND MAGazINE retail advertising network TITLES THAT ENGAGE WITH CC Media. 2.7M PEOplE EVERY WEEK. Digital is also an integral The New Zealand Herald is component of APN’s publishing, the country’s best selling radio and outdoor brands, newspaper, with a brand including digital billboards and audience across print and online the nzherald.co.nz website and $1.20 PRICE: m.au news-mail.co ek each we people that has shown double digit 53,000 Read by °C – 31°C aberg 22 HAUL Bund LONG 31, 2013 POLL iPad app. y, January TO POLL Thursda TION IN munity ELEC P12 r Com SEPTEMBER: ting Ou Connec Mail growth over the past five years. NewsM APN publishes seven daily regional newspapers and their companion websites and more ORCE than 35 community newspapers. F drop ts to The Y star OY ARRIVES: er CONV Emergency R Army’s ves in wat eks arri E as we t Force with for o Suppor help V r tw to ort. fo Bundaberg very eff O the reco closed KNOTT C unaccounted t :MIKE E still Bridge PHOTO R Some Tallon with concer : ISSING acuees The magazine stable includes M ev TION: Damaged cheer C 504RGMC F A 4 OUT O : Musicians OPE CMM1 S OF H INSIDE SONG COVERAGE OF FLOOD 12 PAGES the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly and the New Zealand Listener among its eight titles. Outdoor APN IS A KEY PUblISHER IN With a publishing footprint REGIONAL QUEENSlanD AND from Coffs Harbour to Airlie NORTHERN NSW. Beach, ARM connects with over 1.1m consumers every APN’s Australian Regional Media week, providing advertisers (ARM) portfolio includes with a highly targeted media 12 daily newspapers, more than platform to engage with large 56 non-daily newspapers and regional audiences. over 30 websites. Radio APN OPERATES TWO SUccESSFUL RADIO BUSINESSES IN A JOINT VENTURE WITH clEAR CHannEL. Australian Radio Network operates APN’S OUTDOOR GROUP the use of digital technologies the Mix and Classic Hits networks CONSISTS OF APN OUTDOOR, to enable consumers to interact across Sydney, Melbourne, ADSHEL anD HONG KONG with brands. Adelaide and Brisbane. It also OUTDOOR. broadcasts The Edge 96.One in In Hong Kong Outdoor, Cody Sydney and owns a 50% interest APN Outdoor offers extensive provides premium billboard in both 93.7 FM in Perth and billboard, transit and airport advertising, and Buspak offers Canberra FM Radio. advertising across Australia exterior and multimedia bus and billboard advertising in advertising. The Radio Network in New New Zealand. APN Outdoor is Zealand operates the #1 national Both Adshel and Hong Kong a joint venture with Quadrant network, Newstalk ZB and has Outdoor are joint ventures with Private Equity. three of the top five national Clear Channel. networks, Newstalk ZB, Classic Adshel specialises in street Hits and Coast. Its other furniture advertising and networks are ZM, Hauraki, Flava infrastructure in Australia and and Radio Sport. New Zealand, delivering high impact campaigns including 1 KEY R E SULTS Australian Radio Network, Adshel and GrabOne all achieved record results and won market share in 2012. Australian Regional Media and New Zealand Media made extensive changes to rejuvenate products and reduce costs, however weak advertising markets meant that results for publishing were down overall. Revenue EBITDA1 $929m $156m2 DOWN 13% DOWN 25% The formation of the APN Outdoor joint venture had a major impact on results. Continuing operations delivered revenue of $857m, up 2% and EBITDA of $149m, down 14%. Adjusted net profit after tax Statutory net loss after tax $54m2 ($456m) IN LINE WITH GUIDancE Statutory net loss after tax includes non-cash impairments of $638m associated with publishing assets. Net debt reduced by $180m – Net debt was reduced by $180m primarily via the formation of the APN Outdoor joint venture – APN did not pay a final dividend for 2012 – Reducing APN’s debt level is an onging objective 1 Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation. 2 Before exceptional items based on segment reporting. 2 DIVISIONAL HIGHLIGHTS Publishing Radio COST ARN OUTPERFORMS THE maRKET + 3 $25m $25m OUT 20 FOR 20 CONSECUTIVE MONTHS – Cost initiatives deliver $25m with another – Australian Radio Network (ARN) revenue up $25m expected in 2013 5% while market down 1%. ARN EBITDA up 7% – Relaunch of the weekday New Zealand Herald – ARN achieves highest ratings in target audience in 5 years as a compact – Newstalk ZB remains #1 national station in New Zealand – Transformation of sales and editorial approach and Coast moves to #1 national music station in Australia – New CEO of The Radio Network driving a program – Digital first sites deliver $2m EBITDA improvement of change with early wins Outdoor Digital +93% % AUS % 2 MARKET 17 ADSHEL GRabONE REVENUE – Australian market up 2%, Adshel revenue up 17% and – APN increases equity in GrabOne to 100% and EBITDA up 29% acquires 82% of brandsExclusive – Strategic wins and renewals drive results – GrabOne revenue up 93% and EBITDA up 7 times for Adshel and APN Outdoor – GrabOne leads New Zealand with approximately – APN Outdoor at the forefront of rolling out premium 75% market share digital billboards 2012 Segment result Revenue Local As EBITDA Local As AUD million (year on year growth %) FY 2012 currency reported FY 2012 currency reported Australian Regional Media 248.8 (10%) (10%) 38.7 (30%) (30%) New Zealand Media 287.4 (7%) (5%) 47.8 (24%) (23%) Australian Radio Network 140.0 5% 5% 50.8 7% 7% The Radio Network (NZ) 86.7 (2%) (0%) 15.1 (12%) (11%) Outdoor group 110.5 (58%) (58%) 19.6 (57%) (57%) Digital group4 55.3 367% 374% (0.8) 82% 82% Corporate – – – (15.2) (7%) (7%) Total 928.6 (14%) (13%) 156.0 (26%) (25%) 3 At February 2013. 4 Includes businesses acquired during the year. 3 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT Dear Shareholder The Company reduced net debt by $180m in 2012. Our intention It is my pleasure to write to you as the Chairman of APN News is to reduce debt again this year by $40-$50m through organic & Media. I was appointed Chairman on 19 February 2013 and cash generation, active management of the cost base and some have served on the Board of APN since 2003. asset sales. As part of the debt reduction program the Board decided not to pay a final dividend for 2012. Although it has been an eventful year at APN, particularly over the last couple of months, I wish to assure you that despite the Revenue for the year was $929m and EBITDA1 was $156m. changes in the Board, your Company, supported by a suite of Net profit after tax and before exceptional items was $54m. strong media assets with capable executive teams working Impairment charges of $638m against publishing assets in across the businesses, remains confident of its future. Australia and New Zealand were recognised during the year. After taking these into account, together with the gain arising Despite a difficult and disappointing trading environment in on the disposal of APN Outdoor and other exceptional items, 2012 created by weak advertising markets, our strategy remains the statutory net loss for the year was $456m. to reposition APN for growth. Board renewal Worldwide the media industry continues to confront the There have been a number of changes to the Board over challenges to newspaper publications. APN is facing similar the past year. challenges to its publishing assets in both New Zealand and Australia. Gavin O’Reilly resigned as Chairman in April 2012 when he stepped down as CEO and Managing Director of Independent The publishing divisions are pushing through extensive change News & Media plc (INM). Peter Hunt was appointed Chairman agendas to re-engineer their business models, revitalise in July 2012. Paul Connolly was appointed as a Non-Executive products and drive efficiencies. Cost reduction programs Director in October 2012. delivered $25m of savings in 2012 with another $25m reduction expected in 2013. Initiatives in the year ahead include the On 18 February 2013, the Company announced the resignation consolidation of print operations and outsourcing. of Peter Hunt along with that of CEO and Managing Director, Brett Chenoweth and three independent directors, Melinda To some extent the decline in publishing revenue is being offset Conrad, John Harvey and John Maasland. by strong performances by Australian Radio Network, Adshel and GrabOne. These operations all outperformed the market The recent Board resignations were triggered by a difference with gains in revenue, EBITDA and market share. The formation of opinion on how APN should reduce its debt levels. of APN Outdoor as a joint venture leveraged APN’s expertise On behalf of the Board I would like to thank Peter Hunt, into a well capitalised vehicle. It also improved the balance Melinda Conrad, John Harvey and John Maasland for their sheet and created some flexibility to pursue our strategy.