AIMGroup.com » Automotive

Yahoo Screen to hype Ford Focus Electric

Sharon Hill — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:42:21 +0000

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AutoScout24 in race to build first nationwide repair portal

Christoffel Volschenk — Sun, 20 May 2012 13:09:00 +0000

By Christo Volschenk
Munich-based AutoScout24, Germany’s second biggest auto portal, is caught in a race with two competitors to roll out its repair service mediation portal nationwide. The competitors Fairgarage.de and Reparaturpilot.de are independent, in the sense that they are not linked to any of the big auto portals. All 3 conducted test-runs of their ideas in Munich, before launching rudimentary sites in December 2011.

And all 3 hope to have their portals finally completed by end-2012. AutoScout24’s effort suffered a setback when a senior manager walked over to a competitor earlier this month. Manfred Seidel, ex-marketing and sales head of AutoScout24, started as head of marketing and sales at Fairgarage.de.

AutoScout24 and Fairgarage have similar business models, but different approaches to rolling out their businesses. Any of Germany’s 35,000 workshops* may register and list their services on these two platforms for a monthly fee. (Read all about AutoScout24’s service in our December article.) Auto-owners request and compare quotes from workshops in their vicinity at no cost.

In contrast, only invited workshops are listed on Reparaturpilot.de. Invited workshops offer their services at a pre-negotiated discount. Registered users request quotes on the platform and conclude contracts directly with the workshops of their choice. Reparaturpilot is not a party to the contract, but receives a commission calculated as a percentage of the contract value.

The race to be first with a platform representing workshops nationwide and offering a comprehensive list of services is not an exclusive race, in the sense that the winner takes all and the No. 2 and 3 must close their doors. It may well happen that workshops register on 2 platforms – or even on all 3.

Rather, the race is about avoiding the “me-too label”.

When AutoScout24 launched its repair services mediation portal on Dec. 1 last year, the platform serviced a small geographic area only and mediated a few, simple workshop services only, such as inspections, oil- and tire-changes. Since then it has extended its geographic range and added services. The declared goal is to roll the business out in its final form to cover the whole country by the end of 2012.

Fairgarage belongs to the independent, Munich-based firm United Vehicles. It aims to have its platform finally ready by the third quarter of 2012. When workshops register on this platform, they must list the services they offer.

Potential problem: the auto-owner must know exactly what is wrong with his vehicle (and what needs to be done to fix the problem) to obtain a quote on Fairgarage. In reality, the auto-owner seldom knows what is wrong and what needs to be replaced. If that’s the case, the auto-owner must first obtain a detailed assessment of the problem and solution (eg. what needs to be replaced) from a workshop, before he can sensibly use Fairgarage to compare prices.

Still, the business is picking up speed.

“In Munich more than 200 dealers and workshops have registered on the portal, since its launch in November 2011,” GW-trends.de reported Fairgarage MD Christian Hille to have said at a recent press conference in Munich (here in German). “About 57,000 users have visited the workshop portal since. They placed 220 enquiries for repairs,” he said.

“Later this month auto-owners will be able to commission repair jobs and make appointments on the portal at no cost. A so-called white-label software product for workshops is being developed, which will enable them to integrate Fairgarage in their websites,” he said.

Reparaturpilot claims to offer registered auto-owners quality repair services at lower prices.

“Quotes submitted by workshops are checked by 6 experienced employees, before we pass them on to auto-owners,” said Emil Cete, founder and operator of Reparaturpilot.de. “At this stage about 50 workplaces have signed up. The network of workplaces is extended selectively and in a targeted way. The nationwide network will be established by the end of 2012 and by end-2013 we expect to have 15,000 users,” said Cete.

+ About 50 percent of the 35,000 workshops are under contract with dealerships, or manufacturers. The other half are independent workshops, working on any number of auto brands of their choice.

Cars.com focus dealer branding, finding buyers

Sharon Hill — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:00:38 +0000

FindingCarBuyers.com, a Cars.com site especially for dealers, showcases its media efforts to bring consumers to Cars.com dealer advertisers. One of the more interesting of the media resources, Internet radio, showcases Cars.com to Pandora and Spotify listeners with banner, video and audio ads and a one-day home page takeover of Pandora.com. FindingCarBuyers spells out the Cars.com 2012 media campaign. There’s nothing earth-shatteringly new here, but the effort to break this out into a dealer-focused site is noteworthy.

Additionally, while so much focus is now on pushing online vehicle-shoppers to the specific makes and models they might crave, and then providing an assortment of local dealers who have the car in stock, Cars.com has rolled out new features to help showcase specific dealers. It’s the first of many changes, according to the listing giant’s recent announcement.

The new BaseDrive package for dealers – an automatic upgrade in most markets – includes:

Reporting – Total contacts, broken down as count of ad prints, map views, clicks to dealership website, email leads, phone calls to the number supplied by Cars.com, and chat sessions. A contact is recorded anytime a user performs one of these activities. For example, a contact recorded when a shopper clicks to a dealer’s website. If that same shopper calls the dealer, an additional contact is recorded.
Video showcasing
Partnership network
Dealer Reviews by consumers – with the assistance of the Cars.com Reputation Management Tool Kit to make the most of the feature.
Chat
Mobile – both mobile-optimized site and apps, with Send-to-Phone feature so consumers can save their choice of vehicle listing.

Here’s the announcement, with more details.

EBay’s BilBasen intensifies user focus

Linda Karlsson — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:16:48 +0000

By Linda Karlsson
Today, EBay relaunched the Danish No. 1 auto classified site BilBasen with a new design. This step is part of the site’s effort to get more user-friendly. According to EBay, the focus on cars is now clearer. The pictures of the cars are bigger and all possible distracting features on the site, such as banner ads, have been removed. (See screenshot of new site below.)

“Users can focus on the cars. I think we are sending a strong signal to users and customers with this new strategy,” says BilBasen manager Anders. A. Andersson in a statement.

The new mobile search platform is also part of this strategy. It was downloaded more than 50,000 times last month.

“We don’t aim to have as many page views as possible anymore, but the opposite,” added Anders A. Andersson. “Instead, we want the users to find what they are looking for as quickly as possible.”

More Money for Mojo Motors

Sharon Hill — Wed, 09 May 2012 05:26:01 +0000

Boston-based personalized used-car shopping startup Mojo.com has expanded beyond its Mass., Rhode Island and Conn. roots, with help from $3 million in new VC money. Now Dallas / Fort Worth area car shoppers can get their Mojo on too. The site was founded last year by Paul Nadjarian, who has been Sr. manager for dealers solutions at Ford, and director of EBay Motors.

Here’s the announcement:

Mojo Motors Fuels Up for Expansion with $3 Million in Funding for Used Car Buying Platform

Used Car Website is Cruising with Rapid Growth and New Funding from Atlas Venture and Returning Investors

NEW YORK, May 08, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — MojoMotors.com, the leading used car deals platform, today announced that it has closed a $3 million funding round with Atlas Venture and existing investors including RPM Ventures, NextView Ventures, and others. Ryan Moore of Atlas Ventures will join the company’s board of directors. Mojo Motors will use the funds to expand outside its beta market of Boston, scale marketing efforts, and continue to develop the Mojo platform.

“Mojo Motors brings real innovation to the used car marketplace,” said Atlas Venture partner Ryan Moore. “With nearly 40 million used cars sold per year, it’s a huge market ripe for disruption.”

Launched in 2011 by eBay Motors and Ford Motor Company veteran Paul Nadjarian, MojoMotors.com is the first website to bring customized price alerts and exclusive member discounts to used car shoppers. Mojo Motors has completed a successful beta in the greater Boston area, and plans to expand into more major markets during 2012.

“Mojo does the hard work, finding great deals on used cars while providing extra savings to members,” said Mojo Motors CEO Paul Nadjarian. “Just join, surf the cars that you like, and we’ll start sending you deals as they happen.”

About Mojo Motors

Founded by Internet and auto industry veterans, Mojo Motors helps car shoppers find discounts on used cars and trucks at local dealerships. After signing up for a free account, Mojo members have access to exclusive discount prices on thousands of vehicles and receive personalized alerts when dealers drop prices.

SOURCE: Mojo Motors, Inc.

McClatchy reports $2 million loss

Sharon Hill — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:53:12 +0000

In its Q1 2012 earnings report, The McClatchy Company reported a loss of $2.1 million, with classified revenue down more than 8 percent year over year. While much of the classified losses were in print advertising, digital dollars suffered as well. The only classified vertical whose YOY ad revenue increased was automotive, showing a 12 percent jump. Real estate and employment dropped nearly 9 percent and more than 6 percent respectively. California and Florida newspapers drove the downward classified digital trend, presumably heavily impacted by the dismal real estate economy in both areas.

Here’s the earnings report:

McClatchy Reports First Quarter 2012 Results

Released: 04/25/2012

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The McClatchy Company (NYSE-MNI) today reported a net loss in the first quarter of 2012 of $2.1 million or 2 cents per share. In the first quarter of 2011 the company reported a net loss of $2.0 million or 2 cents per share.Revenues in the first quarter of 2012 were $288.3 million, down 5.1% from the first quarter of 2011. Advertising revenues were $209.8 million, down 6.8% from 2011, and circulation revenues were $66.4 million, up 0.4%. Digital advertising revenues grew 2.7% in the first quarter of 2012 and were 22.2% of total advertising revenues compared to 20.1% of total advertising revenues in the first quarter of 2011.

Results in the first quarter of 2012 included the following items:

Accelerated depreciation and certain cash charges totaling $2.9 million ($1.7 million after-tax) primarily related to relocating Miami newspaper operations.
Severance charges totaling $1.2 million ($0.7 million after-tax) related to continued restructuring of the company’s operations.
A gain on the extinguishment of debt totaling $4.4 million ($2.8 million after-tax) related to bonds repurchased in the open market.

The net loss in the first quarter of 2012, excluding the net impact of these items, was $2.5 million compared to a net loss in the first quarter of 2011 adjusted for similar items of $3.4 million. (Non-GAAP measurements are discussed below).

Operating cash expenses, excluding charges associated with restructuring plans, declined $9.7 million, or 4.1%, from the 2011 quarter. Operating cash flow, a non-GAAP measure, was $60.8 million in the first quarter of 2012, down 8.7%.

Also in the first quarter, McClatchy announced that Gary Pruitt, chairman, president and chief executive officer of McClatchy, will leave the company May 16, 2012, to become president and chief executive officer of The Associated Press.

McClatchy’s Board of Directors has named Patrick Talamantes, McClatchy’s current vice president, finance and chief financial officer (CFO), as Pruitt’s successor. Talamantes will assume the title of president and chief executive officer (CEO) and join the company’s Board of Directors. Kevin S. McClatchy, a director of McClatchy since 1998 and a fifth-generation member of the founding McClatchy family, will become chairman of the Board. Mr. Talamantes’ replacement as CFO is expected to be named by the Board on May 16, 2012, the next board meeting date.

Management’s Comments on First Quarter Results:

Commenting on McClatchy’s first quarter results, Gary Pruitt said, “We were pleased to see the advertising revenue trend improving throughout the quarter. Advertising revenues were down 7.9% in January, 6.8% in February and 5.6% in March. For the full quarter advertising revenues were down 6.8%. Excluding one-time advertising related to the 2011 Super Bowl included in our Fort Worth newspaper’s results, first quarter 2012 advertising revenues were down an estimated 6.3%.

“We continue to make progress on our digital initiatives and the strong revenue results in the quarter demonstrate that digital continues to be a high-growth opportunity for the company. Digital-only advertising revenue increased 14.0% in the quarter. Total digital advertising, which includes digital advertising both bundled with print and sold on a stand-alone basis, increased 2.7% compared to the 2011 quarter. Total digital advertising now represents 22.2% of McClatchy’s total advertising revenue compared to 20.1% in 2011. Our digital traffic also continues to grow with daily average local unique visitors to our websites and mobile devices up 2.1% in 2012.

“Circulation revenue increased in the quarter, up 0.4%. Strategic price initiatives during the quarter offset the daily circulation volume declines of 5.5% and a Sunday decline of 1.1%.

“We continued to reduce costs in the quarter. Cash expenses, excluding restructuring costs, were down 4.1% and this continued focus on expense management enabled us to generate another quarter of healthy operating cash flow.

“Once again, our equity investments provided strong results. Our share of income from all equity interests was $6.0 million compared to $3.2 million in the first quarter of 2011. Many of these companies provide important products to our newspaper websites and are strategic partners in our digital success.

“As we look to the second quarter, we have limited revenue visibility, with April affected by holiday shifts. We will continue to focus on our strong and growing set of products and revenue initiatives, especially in digital and direct marketing advertising. We will also remain diligent in controlling costs and expanding our operational efficiencies and expect to continue to benefit from stability in newsprint pricing in the quarter. As a result, we expect cash expenses to be down in the range of three to four percent in the second quarter of 2012.”

Pat Talamantes, McClatchy’s CFO and in-coming president and CEO, said, “We were pleased with the debt reduction progress considering that we also made seasonally large bond interest payments and used $40 million of cash to fund near-term required pension contributions in the quarter. We reduced debt by $35.5 million in the first quarter to $1.599 billion and finished the quarter with a cash balance of $24.4 million. Our nearest term maturity in Nov. 2014 is only about $81 million – not an issue given our free cash flow. Our leverage ratio at the end of the first quarter as defined in our credit agreement was 4.56 times cash flow and our interest coverage was 2.26 times.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures:

In addition to the results reported in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) included in this press release, the company has provided information regarding operating income, non-operating expenses and income, income taxes, and net income excluding certain items described in an attached schedule. In addition the company has presented operating cash flows (defined as operating income plus depreciation and amortization, restructuring related charges and other non-cash impairments) along with operating cash flow margins (operating cash flow divided by net revenues) that are reconciled to GAAP measures in the attached schedule. Management believes these non-GAAP measures, when read in conjunction with the company’s GAAP financials, provide useful information to investors by offering:

the ability to make more meaningful period-to-period comparisons of the company’s on-going operating results;
the ability to better identify trends in the company’s underlying business;
a better understanding of how management plans and measures the company’s underlying business; and
An easier way to compare the company’s most recent operating results against investor and analyst financial models.

Operating income, non-operating expenses and income, income taxes, and net income excluding certain items should not be considered a substitute or an alternative to these computations calculated in accordance with and required by GAAP. Nor are operating cash flow and operating cash flow margins to be considered replacements for cash provided by operating activities as shown in the company’s statement of cash flows included in our financial statements.

In addition, the company’s statistical report, which summarizes revenue performance for the first fiscal quarter, follows.

At noon, Eastern time, today, McClatchy will review its results in a conference call (877-278-1205 pass code 70874612) and webcast (www.mcclatchy.com). The webcast will be archived at McClatchy’s website.

About McClatchy

The McClatchy Company is a leading news and information provider, offering a wide array of print and digital products in each of the markets it serves. As the third largest newspaper company in the country, McClatchy’s operations include 30 daily newspapers, community newspapers, websites, mobile news and advertising, niche publications, direct marketing and direct mail services. The company’s largest newspapers include The Miami Herald, The Sacramento Bee, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Kansas City Star, The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. McClatchy is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MNI.

Additional Information:

Statements in this press release regarding future financial and operating results, including revenues, anticipated savings from cost reduction efforts, cash flows, debt levels, as well as future opportunities for the company and any other statements about management’s future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans or prospects constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates” and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including: McClatchy may not generate cash from operations, or otherwise, necessary to reduce debt or meet debt covenants as expected; McClatchy may experience decreased circulation and diminished revenues from retail, classified and national advertising; McClatchy may not achieve its expense reduction targets or may do harm to its operations in attempting to achieve such targets; McClatchy’s operations have been, and will likely continue to be, adversely affected by competition, including competition from internet publishing and advertising platforms; increases in the cost of newsprint; bankruptcies or financial strain of its major advertising customers; litigation or any potential litigation; geo-political uncertainties including the risk of war; changes in printing and distribution costs from anticipated levels; changes in interest rates; changes in pension assets and liabilities; changes in factors that impact pension contribution requirements, including, without limitation, the value of the company-owned real property that McClatchy has contributed to its pension plan; increased consolidation among major retailers in our markets or other events depressing the level of advertising; our inability to negotiate and obtain favorable terms under collective bargaining agreements with unions; competitive action by other companies; and other factors, many of which are beyond our control; as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in the company’s publicly filed documents, including the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 25, 2011, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. McClatchy disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this release.

*THE McCLATCHY COMPANY*
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)
(In thousands, except per share amounts)

	Three Months Ended
	March 25,	March 27,
	2012	2011
REVENUES – NET:
Advertising	$ 209,764	$ 225,113
Circulation	66,403	66,167
Other	12,134	12,454
	288,301	303,734
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Compensation	112,649	124,357
Newsprint, supplements and printing expense	34,339	35,376
Depreciation and amortization	30,741	31,231
Other operating expenses	82,597	92,315

	260,326	283,279

OPERATING INCOME	27,975	20,455

NON-OPERATING (EXPENSES) INCOME:
Interest expense	(42,477)	(40,947)
Interest income	14	21
Equity gain in unconsolidated companies, net	6,018	3,172
Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt	4,433	(1,265)
Other – net	38	66
	(31,974)	(38,953)

LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAX BENEFIT	(3,999)	(18,498)

INCOME TAX BENEFIT	(1,912)	(16,536)

NET LOSS	$ (2,087)	$ (1,962)

NET LOSS PER COMMON SHARE:
Basic	$ (0.02)	$ (0.02)

Diluted	$ (0.02)	$ (0.02)

WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF COMMON SHARES:
Basic	85,494	85,036
Diluted	85,494	85,036


*The McClatchy Company*
Consolidated Statistical Report
(In thousands, except for preprints)

	Quarter 1
	Combined			Print Only			Digital


Revenues – Net:	2012	2011	% Change	2012	2011	% Change	2012	2011	% Change

Advertising
Retail	$107,129	$114,438	-6.4%	$88,324	$97,456	-9.4%	$18,805	$16,982	10.7%
National	15,130	18,096	-16.4%	11,322	13,110	-13.6%	3,808	4,986	-23.6%
Classified Total	59,438	64,836	-8.3%	35,490	41,458	-14.4%	23,948	23,378	2.4%
Automotive	20,498	20,608	-0.5%	10,159	11,373	-10.7%	10,339	9,235	12.0%
Real Estate	9,413	11,643	-19.2%	6,150	8,072	-23.8%	3,263	3,571	-8.6%
Employment	12,344	13,480	-8.4%	5,764	6,459	-10.8%	6,580	7,021	-6.3%
Other	17,183	19,104	-10.1%	13,417	15,553	-13.7%	3,766	3,551	6.1%
Direct Marketing	27,916	27,490	1.5%	27,916	27,490	1.5%
Other Advertising	151	253	-40.3%	151	253	-40.3%
Total Advertising	$209,764	$225,113	-6.8%	$163,203	$179,767	-9.2%	$46,561	$45,346	2.7%

Circulation	66,403	66,167	0.4%
Other	12,134	12,454	-2.6%
Total Revenues	$288,301	$303,734	-5.1%


Advertising Revenues by Market:
California	$36,025	$39,068	-7.8%	$28,666	$31,525	-9.1%	$7,360	$7,542	-2.4%
Florida	31,509	33,310	-5.4%	25,533	27,041	-5.6%	5,976	6,269	-4.7%
Texas	22,900	25,980	-11.9%	17,711	20,891	-15.2%	5,189	5,089	2.0%
Southeast	61,129	65,037	-6.0%	46,741	51,785	-9.7%	14,387	13,252	8.6%
Midwest	35,602	37,206	-4.3%	27,312	29,249	-6.6%	8,290	7,957	4.2%
Northwest	22,471	24,498	-8.3%	17,240	19,276	-10.6%	5,231	5,222	0.2%
Other	128	15	753.3%	0	0	0.0%	128	15	753.3%
Total Advertising	$209,764	$225,114	-6.8%	$163,203	$179,767	-9.2%	$46,561	$45,346	2.7%

Advertising Statistics for Dailies:
Full Run ROP Linage				4,238.5	4,496.2	-5.7%

Millions of Preprints Distributed				1,105.5	1,177.7	-6.1%


Average Paid Circulation:*
Daily				2,026.1	2,143.8	-5.5%
Sunday				2,745.5	2,775.9	-1.1%

Columns may not add due to rounding

* Reflects average paid circulation based upon number of days in period. Does not reflect ABC reported figures.


*THE McCLATCHY COMPANY*
Reconciliation of GAAP Measures to Non-GAAP Amounts
(In thousands)

Reconciliation of Operating Income to Operating Cash Flows

	Three Months Ended
	March 25,	March 27,
	2012	2011
REVENUES – NET:
Advertising	$ 209,764	$ 225,113
Circulation	66,403	66,167
Other	12,134	12,454
	288,301	303,734
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Compensation excluding restructuring charges	111,478	119,808
Newsprint and supplements	34,339	35,376
Other cash operating expenses	81,709	82,013
Cash operating expenses excluding
restructuring charges	227,526	237,197
Restructuring related compensation	1,171	4,549
Restructuring charges	888	-
Impairment charges related to asset sales	-	10,302
Depreciation and amortization	30,741	31,231
Total operating expenses	260,326	283,279

OPERATING INCOME	27,975	20,455
Add back:
Depreciation and amortization	30,741	31,231
Restructuring related compensation charges	1,171	4,549
Restructuring charges	888	-
Impairment charges related to asset sales	-	10,302
OPERATING CASH FLOW	$ 60,775	$ 66,537

OPERATING CASH FLOW MARGIN	21.1%	21.9%


Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted Net Income

Net loss:	$ (2,087)	$ (1,962)

Add back certain items, net of tax:
Loss (gain) on extinguishment of debt	(2,801)	797
Restructuring related charges	1,235	2,391
Gain on sale of internet asset	-	(1,198)
Accelerated depreciation on equipment	1,201	-
Non-cash impairments	-	6,492
Reversal of interest on tax items	-	(2,359)
Certain discrete tax items	(65)	(7,578)
Adjusted net loss	$ (2,517)	$ (3,417)

SOURCE The McClatchy Company

AutoTrader.com / DealerTrack team up

Sharon Hill — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:30:07 +0000

By Sharon Hill

AutoTrader.com and dealer software provider DealerTrack appear to be planning an early-2013 collaboration to somewhat change the face of online consumer auto-loan search. According to Automotive News, AutoTrader.com will provide a car shopper with auto financing access specific to her or his preferred vehicle. An AutoTrader.com spokesperson told AutoNews.com that dealers will control the loan process, sharing with consumers only what they wish, and still profiting from the new finance service.

Whether this is an important addition to the auto listing giant’s services to consumers and / or dealers remains to be seen. According to AutoNews article comments, however, the service is not unique. There representatives from OfferLogix [PDF] and DriveItNow both claimed to have similar features in place. AutoTrader.com’s differentiator, however, might well be that neither OfferLogix nor DriveItNow offer these financing features on their own consumer-facing auto listing site. Regardless, it’s solid information for auto-listing publishers about the workings of the auto-loan finance world, and the online options available to consumers.

CareerBuilder boosts Gannett classifieds Q1

Sharon Hill — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:11:16 +0000

Gannett Company, Inc. has just reported that digital revenue was up nearly 7 percent the first quarter of 2012, primarily thanks to recruitment revenue boosts at CareerBuilder. Sales and marketing for the career site were up as well, however, and the overall classified outlook for the media group is still bleak. As the graph below clearly shows, U.S. real estate and legal advertising saw the biggest drops in classified ad dollars.

Here’s the earnings release:

Gannett Co., Inc. Reports First Quarter Results

Reported Earnings per Diluted Share of $0.28, Non-GAAP Earnings per Diluted Share of $0.34
Operating Cash Flow Totaled $204 million Excluding Special Items
Free Cash Flow Totaled $148 million
Operating Revenues Totaled $1.22 billion
Company-Wide Digital Revenues Increased 8 percent Year-Over-Year

MCLEAN, Va., April 16, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), a leading international media and marketing solutions company, today reported first quarter financial results. Earnings per diluted share, on a GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) basis were $0.28 for the first quarter of 2012 compared to $0.37 for the first quarter last year. Excluding special items in 2012 and 2011, first quarter earnings per diluted share were $0.34 compared to $0.41 for the same quarter in 2011.

Gracia Martore, president and chief executive officer, said, “We are pleased with the progress we are making on the strategic initiatives underway across the company that will position Gannett for success in the digital age. Key highlights from the first quarter include launching a new all-access, all-platform content subscription model in six markets, rolling out Digital Marketing Services in our top markets and paving the way for important new advertising and marketing revenue opportunities through the expansion of our USA TODAY Sports Media Group. We also completed approximately $20 million of the $65 million of planned 2012 strategic initiative investments. We expect to see returns on our strategic initiative investments as the year progresses and for many years to come. We are squarely focused on leveraging the iconic brands, local connections and financial strength that differentiate our business to implement our growth plan while returning $1.3 billion to investors by 2015.”

Martore continued, “Our first quarter results were impacted by spending on strategic investments and advertising softness, particularly during January’s industry-wide slowdown. Improving advertising activity in February and March, while encouraging, did not overcome the slow start to the year. Importantly, each of our businesses remained solidly profitable, and our Broadcasting and Digital segments delivered strong revenue growth of 8 percent and 7 percent, respectively. Digital revenue growth of 13 percent in our Publishing segment underscored the success we are achieving in establishing the robust content and advertising platforms that will power our renewed growth.”

In addition to investments in strategic initiatives, results for the first quarter of 2012 include net special charges affecting operating income related to facility consolidations and workforce restructuring. Facility consolidation charges totaled $4.8 million ($2.9 million after tax or $0.01 per share) reflecting primarily accelerated depreciation costs associated with the transfer of production activities for The Cincinnati Enquirer to a third-party printer in Columbus, Ohio announced in the fourth quarter last year. Workforce restructuring charges of $16.3 million ($9.7 million after tax or$0.04 per share) reflect principally the impact of an early retirement offer plan announced in the first quarter.

Results for the first quarter of 2011 included $7.7 million of non-cash charges primarily associated with facility consolidations ($4.6 million after-tax or $0.02 per share) and $6.0 million in costs due to workforce restructuring ($3.9 million after-tax or $0.02 per share).

Amounts reported in accordance with GAAP are contained in Tables 1 and 2. Certain amounts and comparisons included in the following discussion of GAAP results are supplemented by discussions which exclude the effect of special items. Details of these special items and their effect on GAAP results are included on the Non-GAAP Financial Information Tables 3 through 6 attached to this release. The company’s basis for providing discussions of non-GAAP results is detailed below.

CONTINUING OPERATIONS

Net income attributable to Gannett in the first quarter of 2012 totaled $68.2 million while net income attributable to Gannett on a non-GAAP basis was $80.8 million. Reported operating income was $135.7 million and non-GAAP operating income totaled $156.7 million. Operating cash flow in the quarter (a non-GAAP term defined as operating income plus special items, depreciation and amortization) was $204.3 million.

Total operating revenues for the company in the first quarter totaled $1.22 billion, a decline of 2.6 percent. Digital segment revenues were almost 7 percent higher reflecting primarily solid revenue growth at CareerBuilder. A 7.5 percent increase in Broadcasting segment revenues was driven by stronger advertising demand and growth in retransmission revenue. Publishing segment revenues declined 6.0 percent reflecting, in part, the impact of sluggish economic growth on advertising demand early in the quarter.

Operating expenses including the special charges noted above were $1.08 billion in the first quarter this year compared to $1.07 billion in the first quarter last year. Continuing cost control and efficiency efforts company-wide were offset in part by $20 million of initiative investments noted previously that impacted the publishing segment primarily and an increase of approximately $6 million in pension expense. On a non-GAAP basis, operating expenses which exclude special items and include the impact of the investment in strategic initiatives and pension expense totaled$1.06 billion, relatively unchanged from the first quarter a year ago. Non-GAAP operating expenses in the Publishing segment were lower in the quarter reflecting the impact of continuing efficiency efforts partially offset by investments in strategic initiatives. Broadcast segment expenses were higher in the quarter due, in part, to sales costs associated with higher revenue and strategic initiative investments. The increase in Digital segment expenses related to higher technology support costs associated with new business initiatives and higher sales costs at CareerBuilder, and product development costs at other Digital segment businesses.

During the quarter the company announced a new capital allocation plan that included a 150 percent increase in the annual dividend to $0.80 per share and a $300 million share repurchase program targeted to be completed over the next two years. The purchase of approximately 2.4 million shares was completed during the quarter for $35.5 million.

PUBLISHING

Publishing segment operating revenues in the quarter were $874.1 million compared to $929.8 million in the first quarter last year reflecting soft advertising demand due in part to the tepid pace of the economic recovery. Digital revenues in the Publishing segment were 12.5 percent higher in the quarter.

Advertising revenues totaled $551.4 million compared to $601.7 million in the first quarter of 2011. Year-over-year advertising revenue comparisons improved sequentially within the quarter. Advertising revenues in the U.S. were 8.3 percent lower in the first quarter. At Newsquest, the company’s operations in the UK, advertising revenues declined 6.0 percent, in pounds. The complete release is on the Gannett website.

Edmunds.com rolls out live chat

Sharon Hill — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:00:10 +0000

By Sharon Hill

Edmunds.com just signed with Contact At Once, joining AutoTrader.com and Cars.com in adding live chat to its dealer listings, with the goal of increasing sales communications between consumers and dealers

“Today, according to Dealer Chat Market Share, nearly 20 percent of all dealers use live chat on their own websites and that number continues to rise,” Contact At Once director of marketing Aaron Hassen told us by email. “As the major automotive listing sites have embraced live chat, dealers have increasingly begun integrating live chat into their processes and are selling more cars as a result.”

“ContactAtOnce! fully managed chat is responsible for a 25 percent increase in our sales, both new and used,” Chris Forsythe, Internet & BDC director at David Stanley Chrysler reported to Hassen. “ContactAtOnce! is the most cost-effective way to sell more cars immediately,” he said.

Here’s the official announcement, from Edmunds.com:

Contact At Once! Selected byEdmunds.com as Dealer Chat Provider

Live chat solution to connect dealers to car shoppers conducting vehicle research on Edmunds.com

ALPHARETTA, GA. April 16, 2012 – Contact At Once!, the leading dealer chat provider connecting online carshoppers to auto dealers, today announced that it has been selected by Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information. Contact At Once! will provide live chat functionality across Edmunds.com’s consumer-oriented web properties.

“There are obvious benefits to giving car buyers access to real-time text-based communication with dealers as they conduct research online,” said Edmunds.com Sr. VP for Dealer Initiatives Donna Sechrist.“Contact At Once! offers our users a secure, intuitive chat solution that lets them communicate directly and easily to our dealership partners.”

The Contact AtOnce! chat solution is used by over ten thousand automobile dealerships. Using a single set of tools and processes, dealers can respond to consumer chats originating from anywhere in the ContactAt Once! dealer chat network, which now includes Edmunds.com. Dealers leveraging thedealer chat software typically experience an increase of at least 25% in the number of online shoppers that contact the dealership. Shoppers can connect with dealers via icons personalized photo greetings placed on websites.

“Adding live dealer chat to Edmunds.com makes the site more effective,” said Skip Dowd, Vice President of Business Development at Contact AtOnce! “Choosing Contact At Once! meanseasy to use solutions for dealers.”

Dealers have rated Contact At Once! as the number one chat provider in 2010 and 2011 on DrivingSales.com. For additional information about dealer chat powered by Contact At Once!, please visit www.autodealerchat.com.

About Contact At Once!

Contact At Once! isthe leading automotive chat software provider and operator of the industry’sonly dealer chat network connecting more than 9,000 auto dealers with thewebsites car shoppers visit most often. Adding Contact At Once! dealer chatsoftware to a website typically increases a dealership’s sales conversations byat least 25 percent. Named to the Inc. 500 as one of America’s fastest growingbusinesses, Contact At Once! is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. For moreinformation about the company’s auto dealer chat product, please visit www.autodealerchat.com. To learnmore about the company, please visit www.contactatonce.com.

$400 million to Autotrader.com shareholders

Sharon Hill — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 21:36:35 +0000

While there has been little coverage and as yet no confirmation, Dow Jones has reported an upcoming $400 million payment by AutoTrader.com to its shareholders.

“Backed by Providence Equity Partners and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, [AutoTrader.com] plans to distribute a $400 million dividend to shareholders,” reported DowJones.com. “The company is proposing a $200 million senior secured term, and is also planning to upsize its revolver* and draw down $200 million, using the proceeds to pay the $400 million dividend.”

We’ll update as we know more.

*Revolver - another name for revolving credit, a line of credit where the customer pays a commitment fee and is then allowed to use the funds when they are needed. It is usually used for operating purposes, fluctuating each month depending on the customer’s current cash flow needs.

Digitizing, socially sharing print ads

Sharon Hill — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:56:30 +0000

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Mazurek swaps Mobile.de for Autoscout24.de

Christoffel Volschenk — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:16:17 +0000

After 7 years at Mobile.de, Germany’s Nr. 1 auto portal, Joachim Muzarek (43), now moves to Autoscout24.de, Germany’s Nr. 2 auto portal.

Muzarek, who was manager of dialog and customer relationship marketing at Mobile.de, moves to Autoscout24 as senior marketing manager responsible for coordinating and controlling Autoscout24′s B-to-B marketing activities in Europe. He will report to dr. Burkhard Henn, vice-president marketing, AutoScout24 said in a media statement (here).

Tribune242.com, new Nassau news site, classifieds coming soon – UPDATE

Sharon Hill — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:22:17 +0000

Ellington Marketplace, a licensed product of The World Company’s Mediaphormedia, is the platform behind Tribune Limited’s new Tribune242.com, in Nassau, Bahamas. While the online / PDF publication is news only, classifieds are coming soon. Viewers can listen to Tribune Radio News podcasts, take part in polls, and follow the publication on Twitter – @Tribune242, or Facebook – Facebook.com/tribune242.

Please note: this update is a correction of a prior version that affiliated the publication with Chicago-based Tribune Company. That is not the case. The entirely separate Tribune Limited organization is based in Nassau, Bahamas.

Prior to the launch of classified listings, the Marketplace product offers ad sales opportunities to auto dealers, real estate practitioners, property managers and service firms through its business directory product. Marketplace enables a directory of local businesses, typically at no charge to the business, with upsells that boost the publisher’s bottom line. Coupon capability, and ad tracking / analytics are part of the package. While not the only Marketplace product for publishers, Mediaphormedia’s Marketplace has a long history of working with media clients that include Ogden Publishing Corp., Amarillo (TX) Globe News, and Fayetteville (AR) Flyer. For what Marketplace can do for classifieds, take a look at WorldClassifieds, the classified home of The World Company’s flagship newspaper, the Lawrence (KS) Journal World.

FindTheBest debuts classified content, comparisons

Sharon Hill — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:14:43 +0000

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News International to challenge AutoTrader?

steve shipside — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 09:46:04 +0000

Looks like the U.K. car classifieds market is hotting up. First Manheim buys Motors.co.uk, and now Rupert Murdoch is said to want a piece of the action. News International is reported to be preparing to launch an online car classifieds site targeting car dealers in what would be a direct challenge to Trader Media’s AutoTrader.co.uk.
Taking on a clear leader in the market is never an easy strategy and as tempting as it is to muscle in on AutoTrader’s lucrative turf, it has to be noted that News International’s track record in classifieds is far from glorious. This is the company, after all, that invested millions in a 50 percent stake in Globrix before selling it back. It also bought half of PropertyFinder for a reported £14.3 million in 2005 only to write that off and sell PropertyFinder to Zoopla for just £700,000. Globrix, PropertyFinder, and Zoopla have all subsequently found themselves in the hands of newspaper publishing rival DMGT.
That said, News International may be eyeing the chink in AutoTrader’s armour, since the privileged position of the market leader has lead to accusations that it levels high charges on its customers. Which should mean that U.K. dealers will welcome competition. In some markets the news that NI was considering moving in would be enough to send ripples through its rivals. When it comes to online classifieds, however, NI will have to prove itself first, to make Trader Media tremble.

Newspaper ad dollars cut in half

Sharon Hill — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:01:00 +0000

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Will ‘distant No. 2′ UK auto site take on the market leader?

Peter M. Zollman — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:07:49 +0000

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CarWoo: free broker service, great growth

Sharon Hill — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:53:03 +0000

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PriceMinister makes move on auto market

steve shipside — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:26:51 +0000

The French car classifieds market has a new player as general sales portal PriceMinister diversifies into motoring.

PriceMinister has 9,000 cars available from the outset and claims that 300 dealers have signed up. It’s free to place small ads, but a ‘Seller Pack’ (improved visibility, photos, etc.) costs €39 ($51 U.S.).

The French market is dominated by established players such as Caradisiac and the all-conquering LeBonCoin, so PriceMinister will have its work cut out to make its mark, but there is plenty of evidence of a well thought out strategy. The site is a partnership with insurance company AssurOne.com and finance provider Cetelem who offer their services to buyers. To head the new sector PriceMinister has called in Claude Schwab, the one-time CEO of Trader Classified Media in France.

Piubarche.it revamps website and looks at advertising

Alessandra Ritondo — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:27:25 +0000

By Alessandra Ritondo
Piubarche.it, owned by Editorial Secondamano (read the Editoriale Secondamano story here) is one of Italy’s most popular portals focused on ads and photo ads for the boats sector. Piubarche.it (Italian for “more boats”) has everything you are looking for to do with boats, including engines, instruments, accessories, rentals, moorings and job announcements. Content is duplicated in a printed monthly with the same name.

The ads come from all over Italy, but also from the Coast of Azure, France, and Croatia. Piubarche.it also has an area dedicated to used boats listings, developed in conjunction with the monthly ”Annonces du Bateau”, the French leader since the late ‘80s. In the three months from December 2011 to February 2012 the site counted over 40,000 visits (source: Google Analytics). Early in March Piubarche.it had over 4,100 active photo-ads listed.

“Traffic trends in the last weeks are very positive, also due to the fact that we are approaching the most important season for the nautical market,” says Erica Carretta, Piubarche.it marketing manager.

The revamped layout and navigation structure of Piubarche.it in minimalist design is clean and simple, and gives more space to photos in the ads. It aims at giving the boat lover an emotional and engaging experience when he browses through the ads and the editorial content, Carretta says.

One of the main features that sets Piubarche.it apart from competitor websites is the lack of advertising. It is quite uncommon in this field, but until now Piubarche.it opted for this route, to allow a satisfactory user experience.

“The new layout still accepts only a limited number of advertising, but in the near future we will add more marketing elements, since our professional customers and market players demand visibility. Nevertheless, we will preserve the vision and mission of our website and opt for non- invasive formats that don’t interfere with the user experience,” Erica Carretta points out.

The professional customers area lists operators in alphabetical order, complemented by a free text search per company name, which makes searching simple and immediate. For every professional, Piubarche.it publishes the business info and telephone numbers. With a single click you can access the complete list of ads posted by all professional advertisers.

Piubarche.it was launched in 2004 in conjunction with a print magazine available at newsstands all over Italy for €3.90 per copy and with an estimated circulation of 14,000 copies.

The revenue sources for the website Piubarche.it are the several editorial services that give the ads additional visibility, such as positioning them in the high-impact areas of the home page (called Vetrine-di-prua, Italian for front seat, and Oblò, Italian for porthole), and subscriptions for professionals who want their ads published. There are also packages for private advertisers who want to publish their ads both on the portal and in the print magazine.

AIMGroup.com » Automotive

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More Money for Mojo Motors

Mojo Motors Fuels Up for Expansion with $3 Million in Funding for Used Car Buying Platform

Used Car Website is Cruising with Rapid Growth and New Funding from Atlas Venture and Returning Investors

McClatchy reports $2 million loss

McClatchy Reports First Quarter 2012 Results

AutoTrader.com / DealerTrack team up

CareerBuilder boosts Gannett classifieds Q1

Gannett Co., Inc. Reports First Quarter Results

Reported Earnings per Diluted Share of $0.28, Non-GAAP Earnings per Diluted Share of $0.34 Operating Cash Flow Totaled $204 million Excluding Special Items Free Cash Flow Totaled $148 million Operating Revenues Totaled $1.22 billion Company-Wide Digital Revenues Increased 8 percent Year-Over-Year

Edmunds.com rolls out live chat

Contact At Once! Selected byEdmunds.com as Dealer Chat Provider

Live chat solution to connect dealers to car shoppers conducting vehicle research on Edmunds.com

$400 million to Autotrader.com shareholders

Digitizing, socially sharing print ads

Mazurek swaps Mobile.de for Autoscout24.de

Tribune242.com, new Nassau news site, classifieds coming soon – UPDATE

FindTheBest debuts classified content, comparisons

News International to challenge AutoTrader?

Newspaper ad dollars cut in half

Will ‘distant No. 2′ UK auto site take on the market leader?

CarWoo: free broker service, great growth

PriceMinister makes move on auto market

Piubarche.it revamps website and looks at advertising

Reported Earnings per Diluted Share of $0.28, Non-GAAP Earnings per Diluted Share of $0.34
Operating Cash Flow Totaled $204 million Excluding Special Items
Free Cash Flow Totaled $148 million
Operating Revenues Totaled $1.22 billion
Company-Wide Digital Revenues Increased 8 percent Year-Over-Year