Your Noon Briefing: Johnston Press financial results, TV festival shows for the public, etc

BEGINS The Guardian: “[The publisher of The Scotsman, among many other titles] Johnston Press has said it has seen an improvement in trading since issuing a warning to investors that sent its shares tumbling last month, although ad revenue still slumped by 7.7 per cent, year on year, in July.

“The regional newspaper publisher, which saw its share price fall by up to 16 per cent, after issuing a profit warning, said operating profits fell 4.3 per cent to £27m in the first half to 3 July.

“Investors spooked by the full-year profits warning will take some solace in a slight improvement in ad sales, the company said the 9.5 per cent fall in ad revenues in May improved to a decline of 7.7 per cent in July.

“Total ad revenues declined 5.1 per cent to £80.6m. Within that, print advertising fell 9.5 per cent to £64.1m.”

Read more, here.

Among other highlights in the company’s interim financial results announcement, for the six months up to July 4, net debt was £183.3m, down from £194.2m last year.

Read the full Johnston Press announcement, here.

Former Scotsman business editor, Terry Murden, analyses the results, here, on his Daily Business website.

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A HANDFUL of well-known TV programmes are to be showcased to the general public at one of Edinburgh’s best-known cinemas – as part of the capital’s international television festival, which is, this year, celebrating its 40th birthday.

Say the organisers of the Edinburgh International Television Festival: “As part of The TV Festival’s 40th anniversary year, the Edinburgh Filmhouse is opening its doors, offering people an unique chance to buy tickets to see a number of exclusive screenings of MasterChef: The Professionals, Singing in the Rainforest, and a worldwide exclusive Q&A with the cast and creator of Hand of God.

“Attending the screening of Amazon’s Original Series, Hand of God, will be Hollywood actor Ron Perlman; while Michelin-starred chef and MasterChef judge, Monica Galetti, will be taking all questions MasterChef-related; and Scottish band, Glasvegas will be performing live after the screening of their new programme.”

Meanwhile, add the organisers: “British writer, actor and comedian, Paul Merton, will take the lead in a session at the EICC, open to the public with a complimentary ticket, on Knowing the Score: A Masterclass in TV Music – lifting the lid on why you care so much about Sherlock on the rooftop, or why you get all hot and bothered when Poldark takes his shirt off.”

The festival is taking place between the 26th and 28th of this month.

Book tickets, here and here.

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AN online magazine has been launched, aimed at the business community on the east coast of Scotland.

Scotland B2B has been launched by journalist, editor and PR consultant, Lynda Hamilton, who also runs Fife consultancy, Lynda Hamilton Communications.

Says Hamilton: “It’s been designed to help SME business leaders grow their operations and share best practice, as well as signpost Fife and Edinburgh firms to sources of information and support and local suppliers.”

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PLANS have been unveiled in an online survey that might lead to allmediascotland.com providing further services for organisations seeking to effectively connect with the media.

For several years, the site has provided organisations with a low-cost way of sharing their stories, with both the media and (because of high SEO) the general public.

The allmediascotland.com media release posting service is a quick and easy way to get one’s positive public relations ‘out there’.

But an online survey is seeking to ascertain what, if any, appetite there might be for a more comprehensive media curriculum.

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THE deadline is today for applications for a digital projects vacancy being advertised on allmediascotland.com.

The post – publicised here – is at the Glasgow-based TRC media.

Among the other vacancies with a looming applications deadline is a media internship an the International Network of Street Papers (here) and an advertising sales director at The Oban Times Group (here).

Check out the allmediascotland.com media jobs board, here.

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AND BBC Scotland is seeking a head of its news and current affairs department – as advertised here, on the allmediascotland.com media jobs board.

Please do mention the site when replying to adverts you see being publicised on it.

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SEEN anything you think readers of www.allmediascotland.com should be made aware of? Then just send the weblink to here and we’ll do the rest. All suggestions gratefully received. We’re back at noon tomorrow.