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8-K - FORM 8-K - BELO CORPd85466e8vk.htm
Exhibit 99.1
(BELO LOGO)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, November 3, 2011
7:30 a.m. CDT
TELEVISION COMPANY BELO CORP. (BLC) REPORTS RESULTS FOR
THIRD QUARTER 2011
     DALLAS — Belo Corp. (NYSE: BLC), one of the nation’s largest pure-play, publicly-traded television companies, today reported GAAP net earnings per share in the third quarter of 2011 of $0.13 compared to GAAP net earnings per share of $0.13 in the third quarter of 2010. The third quarter of 2011 includes a previously disclosed credit of $0.02 per share related to the satisfactory resolution of a tax matter.
     Dunia A. Shive, Belo’s president and Chief Executive Officer, said, “Belo reported solid earnings for the third quarter of 2011, while cycling against more than $11 million of political revenue in the third quarter of 2010. Excluding political, Belo’s third quarter 2011 core spot revenue was down 2 percent from the prior year, with July being the softest month of the quarter and both August and September showing sequential improvement in year-to-year revenue comparisons. The automotive category in the third quarter of 2011 was flat when compared with the third quarter of 2010, with a 7 percent increase in the month of September and continued momentum into the fourth quarter. The Company reduced its combined station and corporate operating costs by 3.7 percent from the third quarter of 2010.”
Third Quarter in Review
Operating Results
     Total revenue decreased 7 percent in the third quarter of 2011 versus the third quarter of 2010. Total spot revenue, excluding political, was down 2 percent with local spot revenue flat and national spot revenue down 5 percent. Political revenue in the third quarter of 2011 was $2.1 million compared to $11.2 million in the third quarter of 2010. Total spot revenue, including political, was down 9 percent in the third quarter of 2011 compared to the third quarter of 2010.
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Belo Announces Third Quarter 2011 Results
November 3, 2011
Page Two
     Other revenue, which includes barter and trade advertising, network compensation, Internet advertising and retransmission revenue, was flat in the third quarter of 2011 compared to the third quarter of 2010 as a double-digit percentage increase in combined retransmission and Internet revenue was offset by declines in network compensation and miscellaneous revenue.
     Station salaries, wages and employee benefits decreased $0.8 million, or 1.5 percent, during the third quarter of 2011 versus the third quarter of 2010 due primarily to lower accrued bonus expense. Station programming and other operating costs were essentially flat in the third quarter of 2011 compared to the third quarter of 2010.
Corporate
     Corporate operating costs of $5.1 million in the third quarter of 2011 were $3.6 million lower than the third quarter of 2010 due primarily to lower expenses for pension, accrued bonuses and technology support costs.
     Combined station and corporate operating costs were down 3.7 percent in the third quarter of 2011 compared to the third quarter of 2010.
Other Items
     Belo’s depreciation expense totaled $7.6 million in the third quarter of 2011, down from $8.4 million in the third quarter of 2010.
     The Company’s interest expense decreased $2.3 million in the third quarter of 2011 compared to the third quarter of 2010 due primarily to lower borrowings on its revolving credit facility and lower ongoing fees resulting from the Company’s election in 2010 to reduce the commitment amount under that facility.
     Income tax expense decreased $3.6 million in the third quarter of 2011 compared to the third quarter of 2010 due primarily to lower pre-tax earnings and a previously disclosed $2.5 million benefit related to the satisfactory resolution of a tax matter.
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Belo Announces Third Quarter 2011 Results
November 3, 2011
Page Three
     Total debt at September 30, 2011, was $887 million, which consists entirely of fixed-rate public debt. The Company had nothing drawn on its credit facility and $45 million in cash and marketable securities at September 30, 2011. The Company’s total leverage ratio, as defined in the Company’s credit facility, was 3.8 times at September 30, 2011. Belo invested $3.5 million in capital expenditures in the third quarter of 2011 and currently expects full year capital expenditures to be approximately $16 million.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
     A reconciliation of station adjusted EBITDA to earnings from operations and a reconciliation of net earnings to pro forma net earnings are set forth in an exhibit to this release.
Outlook
     Looking to the fourth quarter, Shive said, “With the automotive category continuing to show improvement, we are currently estimating spot revenue without political to be up 3 to 4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to the fourth quarter of 2010. Our stations generated $35.7 million of political revenue in the fourth quarter of 2010, which we will cycle against in the fourth quarter of 2011. As a result, we are currently estimating fourth quarter total revenue to be down in the low teens versus the prior year’s fourth quarter.
     “Combined station and corporate operating costs are currently estimated to be down about 3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to the fourth quarter of 2010.”
     A conference call to discuss this release and other matters of interest to shareholders and analysts will follow at 10:00 a.m. CDT this morning. The conference call will be simultaneously webcast on Belo Corp.’s website (www.belo.com/invest). Following the conclusion of the webcast, a replay of the conference call will be archived on Belo’s website. To access the listen-only conference lines, dial 1-888-423-3276. A replay line will be open from 3:00 p.m. CDT on November 3 until 11:59 p.m. CST November 17. To access the replay, dial 800-475-6701 or 320-365-3844. The access code for the replay is 220997.
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Belo Announces Third Quarter 2011 Results
November 3, 2011
Page Four
About Belo Corp.
     Belo Corp. (BLC), one of the nation’s largest pure-play, publicly-traded television companies, owns and operates 20 television stations (nine in the top 25 markets) and their associated websites. Belo stations, which include affiliations with ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and the CW, reach more than 14 percent of U.S. television households in 15 highly-attractive markets. Belo stations rank first or second in nearly all of their local markets. Additional information is available at www.belo.com or by contacting Paul Fry, vice president/Investor Relations & Treasury Operations, at 214-977-4465.
     Statements in this communication concerning Belo’s business outlook or future economic performance, anticipated profitability, revenues, expenses, capital expenditures, investments, future financings, impairments, pension matters, and other financial and non-financial items that are not historical facts, are “forward-looking statements” as the term is defined under applicable federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those statements.
     Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to, uncertainties regarding the costs, consequences (including tax consequences) and other effects of the Company’s spin-off distribution of its newspaper businesses and related assets to A. H. Belo Corporation and the associated agreements between the Company and A. H. Belo relating to various matters; changes in capital market conditions and prospects, and other factors such as changes in advertising demand, interest rates and programming and production costs; changes in viewership patterns and demography, and actions by Nielsen; changes in the network-affiliate business model for broadcast television; technological changes, and the development of new systems and devices to distribute and consume television and other audio-visual content; changes in the ability to secure, and in the terms of, carriage of Belo programming on cable, satellite, telecommunications and other program distribution methods; development of Internet commerce; industry cycles; changes in pricing or other actions by competitors and suppliers; Federal Communications Commission and other regulatory, tax and legal changes, including changes regarding spectrum; adoption of new accounting standards or changes in existing accounting standards by the Financial Accounting Standards Board or other accounting standard-setting bodies or authorities; the effects of Company acquisitions, dispositions, co-owned ventures, and investments; pension plan matters; general economic conditions; and significant armed conflict, as well as other risks detailed in Belo’s other public disclosures and filings with the SEC including Belo’s Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Belo Corp.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
                                 
    Three months ended     Nine months ended  
    September 30,     September 30,  
In thousands, except per share amounts   2011     2010     2011     2010  
    (unaudited)     (unaudited)     (unaudited)     (unaudited)  
Net Operating Revenues
  $ 151,999     $ 163,853     $ 469,848     $ 481,167  
Operating Costs and Expenses
                               
Station salaries, wages and employee benefits
    52,467       53,273       160,828       156,408  
Station programming and other operating costs
    51,788       51,573       154,549       144,219  
Corporate operating costs
    5,112       8,738       18,103       26,202  
Pension settlement charge and contribution reimbursements reimbursements
          (300 )     20,466       (8,572 )
Depreciation
    7,614       8,449       23,245       26,462  
 
                       
Total operating costs and expenses
    116,981       121,733       377,191       344,719  
 
                               
Earnings from operations
    35,018       42,120       92,657       136,448  
 
                               
Other Income and (Expense)
                               
Interest expense
    (17,771 )     (20,037 )     (53,804 )     (59,740 )
Other income, net
    986       21       1,815       129  
 
                       
Total other income and (expense)
    (16,785 )     (20,016 )     (51,989 )     (59,611 )
 
                               
Earnings before income taxes
    18,233       22,104       40,668       76,837  
Income tax expense
    4,520       8,159       13,182       29,825  
 
                       
 
                               
Net earnings
  $ 13,713     $ 13,945     $ 27,486     $ 47,012  
 
                       
 
                               
Net earnings per share — Basic
  $ 0.13     $ 0.13     $ 0.26     $ 0.45  
 
                       
 
                               
Net earnings per share — Diluted
  $ 0.13     $ 0.13     $ 0.26     $ 0.45  
 
                       
 
                               
Weighted average shares outstanding
                               
Basic
    103,681       103,107       103,570       102,982  
Diluted
    104,039       103,502       103,959       103,397  
 
                               
Dividends declared per share
  $ 0.05     $     $ 0.10     $  
 
                       

 


 

Belo Corp.
Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets
                 
    September 30,     December 31,  
In thousands   2011     2010  
    (unaudited)          
Assets
               
Current assets
               
Cash and temporary cash investments
  $ 45,422     $ 8,309  
Accounts receivable, net
    130,272       144,992  
Income tax receivable
    32,812       37,921  
Other current assets
    18,669       19,574  
 
           
Total current assets
    227,175       210,796  
 
               
Property, plant and equipment, net
    145,295       164,439  
Intangible assets, net
    725,399       725,399  
Goodwill
    423,873       423,873  
Other assets
    65,597       65,883  
 
           
 
               
Total assets
  $ 1,587,339     $ 1,590,390  
 
           
 
               
Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
               
Current liabilities
               
Accounts payable
  $ 15,280     $ 20,744  
Accrued expenses
    36,331       52,274  
Short-term pension obligation
    17,830       36,571  
Accrued interest payable
    18,372       10,405  
Income taxes payable
    3,471       13,701  
Dividends payable
    5,184        
Deferred revenue
    4,236       3,505  
 
           
Total current liabilities
    100,704       137,200  
 
               
Long-term debt
    886,778       897,111  
Deferred income taxes
    254,920       206,765  
Pension obligation
    51,581       155,510  
Other liabilities
    17,259       23,162  
Total shareholders’ equity
    276,097       170,642  
 
           
 
               
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
  $ 1,587,339     $ 1,590,390  
 
           

 


 

Belo Corp.
Non-GAAP to GAAP Reconciliations
Station Adjusted EBITDA
                                 
    Three months ended     Nine months ended  
    September 30,     September 30,  
In thousands (unaudited)   2011     2010     2011     2010  
Station Adjusted EBITDA (1)
  $ 47,744     $ 59,007     $ 154,471     $ 180,540  
Corporate operating costs
    (5,112 )     (8,738 )     (18,103 )     (26,202 )
Depreciation
    (7,614 )     (8,449 )     (23,245 )     (26,462 )
Pension settlement charge and contribution reimbursements
          300       (20,466 )     8,572  
 
                       
Earnings from operations
  $ 35,018     $ 42,120     $ 92,657     $ 136,448  
 
                       
 
Note 1:   Belo’s management uses Station Adjusted EBITDA as the primary measure of profitability to evaluate operating performance and to allocate capital resources and bonuses to eligible operating company employees. Station Adjusted EBITDA represents the Company’s earnings from operations before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation, amortization, impairment charges, pension settlement charge and contribution reimbursements, and corporate operating costs. Other income (expense), net is not allocated to television station earnings from operations because it consists primarily of equity in earnings (losses) from investments in partnerships and joint ventures and other non-operating income (expense).
Pro Forma Net Earnings
In thousands, except per share amounts (unaudited)
                                 
    Three months ended     Three months ended  
    September 30, 2011     September 30, 2010  
    Earnings     EPS     Earnings     EPS  
Net earnings
  $ 13,713     $ 0.13     $ 13,945     $ 0.13  
 
                               
Pension contribution reimbursement, net of tax
                (183 )     (0.00 )
 
                       
Pro forma net earnings
  $ 13,713     $ 0.13     $ 13,762     $ 0.13  
 
                       
                                 
    Nine months ended     Nine months ended  
    September 30, 2011     September 30, 2010  
    Earnings     EPS     Earnings     EPS  
Net earnings
  $ 27,486     $ 0.26     $ 47,012     $ 0.45  
 
                               
Pension settlement charge and contribution reimbursements, net of tax
    13,323       0.13       (5,229 )     (0.05 )
 
                       
Pro forma net earnings
  $ 40,809     $ 0.39     $ 41,783     $ 0.40