At the company’s annual Shareholders Day, Washington Post Company CEO Donald Graham noted that revenues and growth are coming increasingly from the education side, not the traditional media businesses. Speaking of the media side, he said "TV has held up well. The same cannot be said of print."
A large portion of yesterday’s four-hour presentation was devoted to Kaplan, the education side of the Washington Post Company. It is on track to deliver two billion in revenues this year, approximately half of the company’s total revenues – and it is a growing business.
When it came time to talk about television, Graham applauded Post Newsweek Stations President and CEO Alan Frank for how well he has been dealing with challenges in the industry. Noting that TV is now a business with a two year cycle, with 2007 being one of the years without Olympics and political revenues, Frank said the Post Newsweek group has grown its core revenues this year, excluding those two even-year-only sources, and has outperformed its peers. He also detailed the success that the company has had since ending its long CBS affiliation and taking WJXT-TV (Ch. 4) Jacksonville, FL independent. That prompted a member of the audience to ask whether the company has plans to go independent elsewhere. "Not at the moment," was Frank’s reply.
TVBR/RBR observation: Thanks Alan for stating TV (and we also add Radio) is now a business with a 2 year cycle. TVBR notes we have been stating this 2 year cycle since 2003. OK, the current two year ends December 31st meaning any improvements, building, etc to your 2008 business plan get it done now as January 1st is the start of our next 2 year cycle. In short – if you are thinking, planning any improvements to your structure now is the time to complete the task. You do not flip in the middle of a New Year or you could find yourself pushing a boulder up hill.
