Interim Results

Thomson Intermedia PLC 23 January 2008 Thomson Intermedia plc Maiden Interim Results for the six months ended 31 October 2007 23 January 2008 Investing for future growth Following the change of year end to 30 April, Thomson Intermedia plc ('Thomson Intermedia' or the 'Company', AIM: THN), a leading provider of media intelligence, today announces its unaudited maiden interim results for the six months ended 31 October 2007. Unaudited numbers for the corresponding six months to 31 October 2006 are provided for comparative purposes. Key points • Total revenue of £8.4 million, up 5% on H1 2006 and 12% excluding one-off development revenues in 2006/7 - Consultancy Services revenues up 21% to £5.5 million and now comprise 65% of total revenues - 95% of recurring revenues in Technology & Data Services - 85% of repeat revenues in Consultancy Services • Underlying operating profit of £1.1 million, up 50% excluding one-off development revenues in 2006/7 • Reported operating loss of £1.1 million due to non cash write-down of capitalised development costs • Strong working capital management, with a 20% improvement in debtor days • New CEO instigated full strategic review encompassing all aspects of the business • Key appointments made to build a new management team • Investment required to refocus Technology & Data Services • Michael Uzielli will step down from the Board and resign as Finance Director before the financial year end Michael Greenlees, Chief Executive, said: 'I relish the challenge of taking Thomson Intermedia into its next stage of development. It has become clear that previous financial forecasts were optimistic and we expect business performance in the year to 30 April 2008 to be below current market expectations. I believe however that, given the changes we are now in the process of implementing, over the medium to longer term Thomson Intermedia has enormous potential amidst a media landscape which is changing at a breathtaking pace.' Enquiries: Thomson Intermedia Michael Greenlees, Chief Executive 020 7321 4000 Michael Uzielli, Finance Director College Hill Sara Musgrave / Ben Way 020 7457 2020 Landsbanki 020 7426 9000 Shaun Dobson / Claes Spang Notes to Editors Thomson Intermedia plc (AIM: THN) provides tools to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of marketing expenditure. It was founded in 1997, to provide the first ever creative monitoring system that links directly to expenditure. The company enjoyed healthy growth, and floated on AIM in April 2000. In August 2005, Thomson Intermedia acquired billetts, the UK's leading provider of media audit and consultancy services. Today, Thomson Intermedia has over 300 customers, including 70 of the top 100 UK advertisers, 50 of which currently take more than one of the Company's products. For further information please visit: www.thomson-intermedia.com Chairman's Statement The six months to 31 October 2007 marked a watershed period of challenge and transition at Thomson Intermedia. I am delighted to welcome Michael Greenlees to the role of Chief Executive. Michael has over thirty years experience in the advertising industry and we are lucky to have secured someone of his calibre to take the Company into its next stage of growth. Michael was a founder of GGT (Gold Greenlees Trott) in 1980 and then went on to sell the business to Omnicom in 1998 where he became a Director of Omnicom and President/CEO of TBWA Worldwide, one of the largest advertising networks in the world. Michael's ability to attract Nick Manning, another senior figure in the media industry, is testament to Michael's standing. Nick is a co-founder of Manning Gottlieb Media, one of the most highly respected and fastest growing media specialists in the UK. Nick took up the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer at Thomson Intermedia and, working alongside Michael, Nick's contribution will be pivotal in the execution of the Board's plans for the coming year. I am also delighted that our founder shareholders remain active Board members and have been strongly supportive of these changes. Michael Uzielli, Finance Director, will be stepping down from the Board before the year end 30 April 2008. Michael has made a significant contribution in a short time towards upgrading our overall financial processes and controls. The Board wishes him well in his move to a senior financial position in a major corporate. We will conduct a review for an appropriate replacement. Andrew Beach, Deputy Finance Director, who the Board has recently appointed Company Secretary, will lead the Finance Department and will be considered as a potential replacement in the review. Andrew joined the Company from PricewaterhouseCoopers in March 2007 and has worked closely with Michael. As Deputy Finance Director, Andrew has made a significant contribution to the business. In closing, I would like to echo the comments made by Michael Greenlees elsewhere in this announcement. Although the new management team will need time to refocus the business we are confident that, in the medium to longer term, Thomson Intermedia can thrive in a market where media insights are highly valued and deliver full value to shareholders. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our investors for their support. Michael Higgins Chairman Chief Executive's Statement Introduction I begin my first report to shareholders by saying how pleased I am to be leading the new management team of Thomson Intermedia. Over the medium to longer term, I believe it has enormous potential amidst a media landscape which is changing at breathtaking pace. Since assuming the role of CEO in October I have instigated a full strategic review encompassing all aspects of the business. I am assisted in this process by Nick Manning who joined in September to take up the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer. The strategic review is ongoing but it is already clear to us that, whilst Consultancy Services is performing well, our Technology & Data Services business faces a number of operational challenges. We have already put in place a number of initiatives designed to improve the business. Technology & Data Services has been performing below previous expectations and we will need to refocus and invest in this division. Consultancy Services continues to perform well and its long term customer relationships hold the key to unlocking the potential of the Company. As well as building a new management team, we are looking to improve the sales capability within the Company. Although the Company faces short term challenges, I am confident that we have the right skill set to build a business which can maximise shareholder value over the medium to longer term. The Half Year in Review In the six months to 31 October 2007 total revenue increased 5% to £8.4 million whilst core revenues, which exclude one-off development business, increased by 12%. Operating profit at £1.1 million was broadly flat year-on-year, although excluding one-off development business it was up 50% on a like-for-like basis. Following a comprehensive review of the Company's priorities in respect of development projects, we have taken a non cash write-down of £1.5 million in respect of our capitalised development costs. This, together with certain one-off property relocation and management restructuring costs, is shown as a highlighted item in the Income Statement. As a result, we recorded a reported operating loss for the period of £1.1 million (2006: £0.4 million profit). We did not record any development revenue in the six months ended 31 October 2007. In part, this reflects a decision to adopt a more prudent accounting policy, whereby revenue from development projects previously taken up-front is now spread over the life of the underlying customer contract. This change results in revenue being recognised in line with service delivery and it also reflects a strategic decision to concentrate our efforts on building long term renewable business with recurring revenue streams rather than focusing on time consuming, one-off projects. Development revenue, if it arises in future, will generally be spread over the life of the underlying contract and recorded as Core within the relevant business segment. In addition, we have changed the classification of Core revenue into two streams in order to better distinguish between the services that we offer our clients. This change, which reflects the reality of the business, should provide better transparency for investors and assist the Board in its long term growth strategy. The two new revenue streams are: • Consultancy Services: comprising revenue from audit services and marketing effectiveness consultancy, which are delivered by teams of media professionals using proprietary technology solutions and support services, and enjoying high levels of repeat business. • Technology & Data Services: comprising revenue from competitive advertising monitoring, news monitoring and e-vouching, all of which are delivered via the online Thomson Intermedia platform. Revenue 6 months ended 31 6 months ended 31 YOY 12 months ended October 2007 October 2006 Change 30 April 2007 £'000s £'000s £'000s Consultancy 5,467 4,508 21% 9,611 Technology & Data 2,935 2,999 (2%) 5,858 Core 8,402 7,507 12% 15,469 Development - 468 100% 520 Total 8,402 7,975 5% 15,988 Consultancy Services Consultancy Services, including Media Auditing and Marketing Sciences, performed strongly with revenue up 21% to £5.5 million. This growth was driven by an increase in global audit assignments - a market with significant future potential - which now represent almost one third of our Media Auditing revenues and a strong performance from our Marketing Sciences business. We recently announced the appointment of Martin Sambrook who joins us from Accenture Marketing Sciences where he was Head of Global Accounts. Martin comes with an outstanding pedigree, having not only built a strong and thriving business across Europe, Middle East and Asia but also established the media auditing process in both North and South America. As Managing Partner, billett International, Martin will take overall responsibility for growing our increasingly important international business. The increasing complexity of the media landscape and, in particular, the influence of online advertising and the continuing fragmentation and complexity of the traditional media, continues to present our clients with enormous challenges. These fundamental trends mean that our Marketing Sciences business, which focuses on media effectiveness consultancy, continues to be in significant demand with revenue growth up 45% year on year. Technology & Data Services Technology & Data Services continued to perform disappointingly during the period. Excluding one-off development revenues generated in 2006/07, sales were flat year-on-year and although levels of recurring revenue reached 95%, our new business performance was poor, with new sales initiatives failing to generate the expected results. Having said that, revenues from e-vouching services for publishers were up 9% following major contract wins in Holland and in UK magazine publishing, the impact of which will be felt more strongly in the second half. Martin Wright who recently joined following periods at Blast Radius, now part of WPP, and Interpublic Group will take the position of Managing Partner, Technology & Data Services with Bruce Dove, our newly appointed Director of Sales, taking responsibility for revenue generation and customer support. We have now taken steps to significantly rationalise Technology & Data Services by discontinuing activities with the least potential and concentrating resources on those that have demonstrated the greatest opportunity for growth. Technology & Data Services is the primary focus of the Company-wide strategic review and significant investment will be required to refocus this division on its key target audiences of advertisers and publishers where we have a strong and growing franchise. We will invest in these audiences with products and services that, by delivering unique market insights, will add value to our customer relationships and thus increasingly distinguish us from the generic providers of data. Uniquely, recent contracts with regional newspapers now mean that we will begin to capture a significant amount of our data electronically. This is important as data capture accounts for a large proportion of our costs. Over time the use of electronic data capture will reduce our reliance on manual feeds and thus potentially increase our efficiencies. Outlook We have taken the first steps to restructure the Company, strengthen the management team and create a better culture of accountability. We have significantly rationalised our activities to focus only on those business streams that offer the greatest potential. We are consolidating our Charing Cross and Farringdon operations by relocating onto one floor in new offices at Tower Hill and we are in the process of making operational improvements to our data capture centre in Bromley. I intend to announce the results of our strategic review at the year end. The objective of the review is to ensure that we are able to build strong enduring client relationships based on thought leadership and supported by indispensable technology solutions that add real value to our clients' business. It has become clear that previous financial forecasts were optimistic and we now expect business performance for the year to 30 April 2008 to come in below current market expectations. In the medium to longer term, however, the prospects are strong and we are confident that Thomson Intermedia has the capability and market position to deliver substantial shareholder value. Michael Greenlees Chief Executive Officer Financial Review Our unaudited interim results for the six month period ended 31 October 2007 read as follows: Revenue 6 months ended 6 months ended 12 months ended 31 October 2007 31 October 2006 30 April 2007 £'000s £'000s £'000s Consultancy 5,467 4,508 9,611 Technology & Data 2,935 2,999 5,858 Core 8,402 7,507 15,469 Development - 468 520 Total 8,402 7,975 15,988 As stated in the Chief Executive's Statement, the Company has changed the classification of its revenue to distinguish more clearly between the nature of the services that we provide to our clients. Total Company revenue increased by 5% to £8.4 million (2006: £8.0 million) with Core revenue, excluding one-off development projects, up by 12% to £8.4 million (2006: £7.5 million). This growth was driven by Consultancy Services where revenue increased by 21% to £5.5 million. Revenue from international audit assignments and marketing effectiveness projects both grew strongly, up by 29% and 45% respectively. Despite an encouraging 95% renewal rate (by value), revenue from Technology & Data Services was flat year-on-year due to a disappointing new business performance. Following contract wins in Holland and in UK magazine publishing, revenues from e-vouching services for publishers were up 9%. The Company has changed its accounting policy for revenue recognition of e-vouching contracts, which form part of Technology & Data Services, to recognise revenue evenly over the life of the contract period. Previously, revenue recognition was weighted towards the start of the contract to take into account set up time and costs. This change results in a more reliable and relevant approach, with revenue being recognised in line with the delivery of the service. A prior period adjustment has been made to increase revenue for the first six months of 2007/08 and 2006/07 by £66,000 and £48,000 respectively. Further detail is set out under Note 1 of the interim results. Gross Profit Gross profit was £4.4 million (2006: £4.6 million), yielding a gross margin of 52% (H1 2006: 58%). This reflects the lack of one-off development revenue as well as the increasing proportion of Consultancy Services revenue which has been growing strongly but has lower margins than Technology & Data Services. Administrative Expenses As a result of tight focus on cost control during the period, administrative expenses before highlighted items were £0.1m lower at £3.3 million (2006: £3.4 million), As previously announced, the senior management changes implemented in October will result in a £0.3 million increase in administrative expenses for the second half of the year. Operating Profit Certain items have been separately disclosed and highlighted in order to provide additional clarity to the underlying performance of the business. Profit before highlighted items is termed 'underlying operating profit'. The Company has changed its approach to categorising operating profit between Core and Development business. Core now includes total Company operating costs whilst Development comprises only one-off project revenue. Central costs, shown below, include total Company costs related to IT, property and central overheads. 6 months ended 31 6 months ended 31 12 months ended October 2007 October 2006 30 April 2007 £'000s £'000s £'000s Consultancy 2,108 1,590 3,567 Technology & Data 1,115 1,332 2,469 Central (2,100) (2,179) (4,217) Core 1,123 742 1,819 Development - 468 520 Underlying Operating Profit 1,123 1,210 2,338 Highlighted Items Non-cash (1,750) (340) (763) Cash (463) (426) (1,398) Reported Operating Profit (1,090) 444 177 Core operating profit, before highlighted items, for the first six months was £1.1m, an increase of £0.4 million on the prior period (2006: £0.7 million). Including one-off development revenue in 2006, total underlying operating profit was flat. There was a reported operating loss of £1.1 million (2006: £0.4 million profit) due to the £1.5 million non cash write-down of the Company's capitalised development costs. Highlighted Items 6 months ended 31 6 months ended 31 12 months ended October 2007 October 2006 30 April 2007 £'000s £'000s £'000s Recurring Share based expenses 45 135 270 Amortisation of purchased 188 194 387 intangible assets Foreign exchange losses 60 11 106 Total 293 340 763 Non-recurring Capitalised development costs 1,457 - - write-off Property cost 246 - 218 Management restructuring costs 127 - 193 Other 90 426 987 Total 1,920 426 1,398 Total Highlighted Items 2,213 766 2,161 Following a comprehensive review of the Company's priorities in respect of development projects, we have taken a write-off of £1.5 million in respect of our capitalised development costs. This is an accounting charge, which has no impact on the Company's cash flow, now or in the future. The property costs of £246,000 relate to the consolidation of the Company's London operations into one location at Tower Hill and include the cost of exiting our two other properties in Charing Cross and Farringdon. We anticipate a further £0.3 million of property relocation costs in the second half of the year. The management restructuring costs of £127,000 relate to senior management changes implemented in October 2007. The outcome of the ongoing strategic review may result in further one-off restructuring charges of up to £0.5 million in the second half of the year. Profit before Tax and EPS Net finance costs were 39% lower at £0.1 million (2006: £0.2 million) which reflects a decrease in the Company's borrowings over the past twelve months. Underlying profit before tax was flat at £1.0 million. The reported loss before tax was £1.2 million (2006: £0.2 million profit). Underlying diluted earnings per share was 2.34p (2006: 2.58p). The reported diluted loss per share was 3.18p (2006: 0.83p earnings). The Board is not recommending the payment of an interim dividend. Cash and Debt 6 months ended 6 months ended 12 months ended 31 October 2007 31 October 2006 30 April 2007 £'000s £'000s £'000s Cash 1,286 3,085 2,105 Debt 4,038 6,462 5,057 Net Debt 2,752 3,377 2,952 Net cash from operating activities for the six months was £0.4 million (2006: £0.9 million). The decline over the prior period reflects three factors. Firstly, the revised approach to capitalisation of development expenditure results in a reclassification of spend between operating and investing activities which reduces reported operating cash flow for the period to 31 October 2007 by £0.2 million. Secondly, the prior period benefited from a working capital recovery following a deterioration during the integration of billetts which was acquired in August 2005. Finally, trade payables reduced by £0.6 million during the period as a result of improvements to the supplier payments process and the more timely settlement of creditors. There has been a strong focus over the period on improving the processes for cash and working capital management, including debt collection, invoicing and supplier payments. These initiatives are beginning to have an impact with debtor days down from 97 days at the last year-end to 76 days at 31 October. The profile of the debtor balances has also improved: as at 31 October, 15% of debtors had been outstanding for more than 60 days compared with 39% as at 30 April. The net debt position as at 31 October 2007 was £2.8 million (2006: £3.4 million), the reduction being due to positive cash flow over the past twelve months. Gross debt was reduced by £2.4 million to £4.0 million as £3.6 million of the £3.7 million billetts vendor loan notes were redeemed which was partially offset by an increase in bank borrowing of £1.2 million. As at 31 October 2007, the Company had unutilised banking facilities of £4.1 million. Michael Uzielli Finance Director Consolidated Income Statement for the six months ended 31 October 2007 Unaudited Unaudited Unaudited 6 months 6 months 15 months ended ended ended 31 October 31 October 30 April 2007 2006 2007 Restated Restated Note £'000s £'000s £'000s Revenue 8,402 7,975 20,190 Cost of Sales (4,018) (3,375) (8,758) Gross Profit 4,384 4,600 11,432 Administrative expenses - excluding highlighted (3,261) (3,389) (8,144) items Administrative expenses - highlighted items 2 (2,213) (766) (2,337) Total administrative expenses (5,474) (4,155) (10,481) Operating profit before highlighted items 1,123 1,211 3,288 Administrative expenses - highlighted items (2,213) (766) (2,337) Operating (loss)/profit (1,090) 445 951 Finance income 30 25 80 Finance expenses (157) (232) (473) Net finance costs (127) (207) (393) (Loss)/profit before taxation (1,217) 238 558 Corporation tax (62) (32) (79) Deferred tax 266 55 342 Tax income 204 23 263 (Loss)/profit for the period (1,013) 261 821 Attributable to: Equity holders of the parent (1,013) 261 770 Minority interests - - 51 (1,013) 261 821 (Loss)/earnings per share Basic 4 (3.22p) 0.83p 2.46p Diluted 4 (3.22p) 0.80p 2.37p Consolidated Balance Sheet as at 31 October 2007 Unaudited Unaudited Unaudited as at as at as at 31 October 31 October 30 April 2007 2006 2007 Restated Restated Note £'000s £'000s £'000s Non current assets Goodwill 8,754 8,924 8,625 Other intangible assets 5 2,853 4,311 4,432 Property, plant & equipment 584 594 610 Investments 115 115 115 Deferred tax asset 978 918 895 Total non current assets 13,284 14,862 14,677 Current assets Trade & other receivables 5,660 6,112 5,715 Current tax assets - - 105 Cash & cash equivalents 1,286 3,085 2,105 Total current assets 6,946 9,197 7,925 Total Assets 20,230 24,059 22,602 Current liabilities Other financial liabilities (2,038) (3,962) (2,857) Trade & other payables (1,589) (2,031) (2,132) Current tax liabilities (126) (155) - Provisions (269) - (59) Accruals & deferred income (3,953) (4,086) (3,995) Total current liabilities (7,975) (10,234) (9,043) Non current liabilities Other financial liabilities (2,000) (2,500) (2,200) Provisions (124) - (159) Deferred tax liability (720) (902) (825) Total non current liabilities (2,844) (3,402) (3,184) Total liabilities (10,819) (13,636) (12,227) Total net assets 9,411 10,423 10,375 Capital & Reserves Share capital 8,016 7,828 7,828 Share premium 1,845 8,871 1,840 ESOP reserve (130) - - Merger reserve (4,504) (4,504) (4,504) Translation reserve 76 42 50 Retained earnings 4,108 (1,814) 5,161 Capital and reserves attributable to the equity holder of the parent 9,411 10,423 10,375 Minority interest - - - Total Equity 9,411 10,423 10,375 Consolidated Cashflow Statement for the six months ended 31 October 2007 Unaudited Unaudited Unaudited 6 months 6 months ended 15 months ended ended 31 October 2006 30 April 31 October Restated 2007 2007 Restated £'000s £'000s £'000s Cashflows from operating activities Profit before taxation (1,217) 238 558 Adjustments for: Depreciation 166 163 414 Amortisation 205 446 1,120 Capitalised development costs write off 1,457 - - Share option charges 45 135 307 Finance income (30) (25) (80) Finance expense 157 232 473 783 1,189 2,792 Decrease/(increase) in trade receivables 56 556 (225) (Decrease)/increase in trade payables (584) (643) 112 Increase in provisions 175 - 110 Cash generated from operations 430 1,102 2,789 Finance expense (164) (232) (473) Income taxes paid 167 (1) (308) Net cash from operating activities 433 869 2,008 Cashflows from investing activities Purchase of property, plant & equipment (140) (67) (317) Purchase of intangible assets (211) (300) (793) Finance income 30 25 80 Net cash used in investing activities (321) (342) (1,030) Cashflows from financing activities Proceeds from issue of share capital 62 5 32 Proceeds from long term borrowings - - 2,000 Repayment of bank loans (663) (125) (375) Loan note settlement (356) (82) (3,218) Net cashflow used in financing activities (957) (202) (1,561) Net increase/(decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and bank overdrafts (845) 325 (583) Effect of foreign exchange rate changes 26 (50) (24) Cash, cash equivalents and bank overdrafts at beginning of period 2,105 2,810 2,712 Cash, cash equivalents and bank overdrafts at end of period 1,286 3,085 2,105 1. Accounting policies Basis of preparation The financial information presented in this documentation has been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) interpretations that are expected to be applicable for the period ended 30 April 2008. These are subject to ongoing review and endorsement by the European Commission, or possible amendment by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), and are therefore subject to possible change. Further standards or interpretations may also be issued that could be applicable for the year ended 30 April 2008. These potential changes could result in the need to change the basis of accounting or presentation of certain financial information from that presented in this document. The comparatives for the period ended 30 April 2007 are not the Company's full statutory accounts for that year but are drawn up from those accounts, as amended for the unaudited restatement, as explained below. A copy of the statutory accounts for that year has been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The auditors' report on those accounts was unqualified, did not include references to any matters to which the auditors drew attention by way of emphasis without qualifying their report and did not contain a statement under section 237(2)-(3) of the Companies Act 1985. As permitted, the group has not applied IAS 34 'Interim Reporting' in preparing this interim report. The Group has changed its accounting policy for revenue recognition of e-vouching contracts to recognise revenue evenly over the life of the contract period. Previously, revenue recognition was weighted towards the start of the contract to take account of set up time and costs. This change results in revenue being recognised more in line with the delivery of the service. The comparative figures have been restated to reflect the change in policy. The change in accounting policy resulted in: 6 months ended 6 months ended 15 months ended 31 October 2007 31 October 2006 30 April 2007 Increase in revenue/profit 66 48 163 (£000's) Increase in deferred income at end 100 269 167 of period (£000's) Decrease in total equity at beginning of period 166 317 330 (£000's) Increase in basic earnings 0.21 0.15 0.52 per share (p) Increase in diluted earnings 0.21 0.15 0.50 per share (p) 2. Highlighted items Highlighted items comprise significant non-cash charges and non-recurring items which are highlighted in the income statement because separate disclosure is considered helpful in understanding the underlying performance of the business. Unaudited Unaudited Unaudited 6 months ended 6 months ended 15 months ended 31 October 2007 31 October 2006 30 April 2007 £'000s £'000s £'000s Recurring: Share based expenses 45 135 347 Amortisation of purchased 188 194 484 intangible assets Foreign exchange losses 60 11 107 293 340 938 Non recurring: Capitalised development costs write 1,457 - - off Property costs 246 - 218 Management restructuring costs 127 - 193 Other costs 90 426 988 1,920 426 1,399 Total highlighted items 2,213 766 2,337 The capitalised development costs write off follows a comprehensive review of development projects, which has resulted in a decision to discontinue certain of those projects. Property costs in the current period relate to legal costs and the dilapidation provision associated with the Group's proposed office relocation. The management restructuring costs in the current period relate to a senior management redundancy and costs associated with the appointment of the Group's new CEO and COO. Other costs in the current period relate to a settlement to HM Revenue & Customs following an indirect tax assessment. 3. Dividends No interim dividend is being proposed. 4. Earnings per share The calculation of the basic and diluted earnings per share is based on the following data: Unaudited Unaudited Audited 6 months ended 6 months ended 15 months ended 31 October 2007 31 October 2006 30 April Restated 2007 Restated £'000s £'000s £'000s Earning for the purpose of basic (1,013) 261 770 earnings per share being net profit attributable to equity holders of the parent Adjustments: Highlighted items - recurring* 293 340 938 Highlighted items - non recurring 1,920 426 1,399 * Tax effect of highlighted items (458) (197) (600) Earnings for the purpose of 742 830 2,507 underlying earnings per share Number of shares Weighted average number of 31,424,226 31,303,591 31,299,591 ordinary shares for the purpose of basic earnings per share** Effect of dilutive potential ordinary shares Share options*** 919,730 1,202,523 1,185,915 Weighted average number of 32,343,956 32,506,114 32,485,506 ordinary shares for the purpose of diluted earnings per share Basic (loss)/earnings per share (3.22p) 0.83p 2.46p Diluted (loss)/earnings per share (3.22p) 0.80p 2.37p *** Underlying basic earnings per 2.36p 2.65p 8.01p share Underlying diluted earnings per 2.30p 2.55p 7.72p share * Highlighted items (see note 2). ** 519,847 shares held in the ESOP Trust have been removed from the weighted average number of ordinary shares since these shares are no longer available in the market *** Note that 615,166 share options have been excluded from the calculation of diluted EPS as their exercise price is greater than the weighted average share price during the year (i.e. they are out-of-the-money) and therefore it would not be advantageous for the holders to exercise those options. In the 6 months ended 31 October 2007, the ordinary shares in the form of share options are antidilutive and hence do not impact on the diluted earnings per share calculation. 5. Other intangible assets Capitalised Purchased intangible Total intangible development costs assets assets £'000s £'000s £'000s Cost At 1 May 2007 3,488 3,395 6,883 Additions 83 - 83 Write off (3,251) - (3,251) At 31 October 2007 320 3,395 3,715 Amortisation At 1 May 2007 (1,805) (646) (2,451) Provision for the (17) (188) (205) period Write off 1,794 - 1,794 At 31 October 2007 (28) (834) (862) Net book value At 31 October 2007 292 2,561 2,853 The capitalised development costs are internally generated. The write off follows a comprehensive review of certain development projects (see note 2). On 23 August 2005 the Company acquired the entire share capital of BCMG Limited (billetts) for a maximum total consideration of £13.1m. In line with IAS 38 intangible assets owned by billetts have been independently valued by an external consultant and shown within 'Other intangible assets' on the balance sheet. Amortisation is charged within administrative expenses so as to write off the cost of the purchased intangible assets over their estimated useful lives. The assets, initial values and periods used are as follows: Purchased intangibles Cost at Current Useful Remaining acquisition carrying economic of period value life amortisation £'000s £'000s Years Years Media Consulting Customer 2,859 2,239 10 8.0 relationships Marketing Sciences Customer 271 154 5 3.0 relationships MPMA Customer relationships 43 - 2 - Trade name 215 168 10 8.0 Non-compete 7 - 1.5 - 3,395 2,561 INDEPENDENT REVIEW REPORT TO THOMSON INTERMEDIA PLC Introduction We have been engaged by the company to review the condensed set of financial statements in the half-yearly financial report for the six months ended 31 October 2007 which comprises the Consolidated Income Statement, Consolidated Balance Sheet, Consolidated Cashflow Statement and related notes. We have read the other information contained in the half-yearly financial report and considered whether it contains any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the information in the condensed set of financial statements. Directors' responsibilities The interim report, including the financial information contained therein, is the responsibility of and has been approved by the directors. The directors are responsible for preparing the interim report in accordance with the rules of the London Stock Exchange for companies trading securities on the Alternative Investment Market which require that the half-yearly report be presented and prepared in a form consistent with that which will be adopted in the company's annual accounts having regard to the accounting standards applicable to such annual accounts. Our responsibility Our responsibility is to express to the company a conclusion on the condensed set of financial statements in the half-yearly financial report based on our review. Our report has been prepared in accordance with the terms of our engagement to assist the company in meeting the requirements of the rules of the London Stock Exchange for companies trading securities on the Alternative Investment Market and for no other purpose. No person is entitled to rely on this report unless such a person is a person entitled to rely upon this report by virtue of and for the purpose of our terms of engagement or has been expressly authorised to do so by our prior written consent. Save as above, we do not accept responsibility for this report to any other person or for any other purpose and we hereby expressly disclaim any and all such liability. Scope of review We conducted our review in accordance with International Standard on Review Engagements (UK and Ireland) 2410, ''Review of Interim Financial Information Performed by the Independent Auditor of the Entity'', issued by the Auditing Practices Board for use in the United Kingdom. A review of interim financial information consists of making enquiries, primarily of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters, and applying analytical and other review procedures. A review is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland) and consequently does not enable us to obtain assurance that we would become aware of all significant matters that might be identified in an audit. Accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion. Conclusion Based on our review, nothing has come to our attention that causes us to believe that the condensed set of financial statements in the half-yearly financial report for the six months ended 31 October 2007 is not prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with the rules of the London Stock Exchange for companies trading securities on the Alternative Investment Market. BDO Stoy Hayward LLP Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors 8 Baker Street London W1U 3LL 23 January 2008 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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