UTV’s half-yearly profit rose as the Euro 2012 football championship helped its key Great Britain radio business, but the company said the Olympics did not provide the expected boost to its third-quarter revenue.

UTV Media, which operates radio services in Great Britain, and Ireland, commercial television and new media, said profit before tax for the first half rose to £11.2 million from £10.9 million s a year earlier.

The owner of TalkSport said group revenue climbed 4 per cent to £61.6 million.

Revenue from Great Britain radio division, which accounts for about 43 per cent of overall revenue, grew 11 per cent.

Shares in Belfast-based UTV Media, which also proposed an interim dividend of 1.75 pence per share, closed at 134 pence on the London Stock Exchange on Friday.

Reuters