UK newspaper publisher Daily Mail & General Trust said advertising markets were proving patchy for its national titles but that revenue from its business and digital operations was enjoying good growth.
The company, which launched an Irish edition last February, said today that ad revenue at its Associated Newspapers division was down 2 per cent for the 11 months to August and circulation revenue was up 1.6 per cent.
"Overall, despite the weakness of consumer advertising markets, the launch costs of our new London free newspaper and the impact of the weaker US dollar, we still expect to achieve modest progress for the full financial year compared to last year," the company said in a statement.
Underlying ad revenue from digital operations, excluding recent acquisitions, gained 22 per cent year-on-year.
Advertising revenue at its regional publishing division, Northcliffe Newspapers, fell 8 per cent over the same span, with recruitment and auto categories suffering 17 per cent drops.
Circulation revenue at the regionals was down 0.9 per cent in the 11 months to August.