(MEC.L) Mecom Group PLC Buy/Sell

RNS Number : 8134C Mecom Group PLC 20 November 2009

Annex DTR3

Notification of Transactions of Directors/Persons Discharging Managerial Responsibility and Connected Persons

All relevant boxes should be completed in block capital letters.

1. Name of the issuer 2. State whether the
notification relates
to (i) a transaction
notified in
accordance with DTR
3.1.2 R, (ii) a
disclosure made in
accordance with LR
9.8.6R(1) or (iii) a
disclosure made in
accordance with
section 793 of the
Companies Act
(2006).
MECOM GROUP PLC (i) AND (iii)
3. Name of person 4. State whether
discharging notification relates
managerial to a person
responsibilities/ connected with a
director person discharging
managerial
responsibilities/
director named in 3
and identify the
connected person

5. Indicate whether the 6. Description of
notification is in shares (including
respect of a holding class), debentures
of the person or derivatives or
referred to in 3 or financial
4 above or in instruments relating
respect of a to shares
non-beneficial
interest1

TO THE PERSON NAMED 60.85888PENCE EACH

7. Name of registered 8. State the nature of
shareholders(s) and, the transaction
if more than one,
the number of shares
held by each of them

9. Number of shares, 10. Percentage of issued
debentures or class acquired
financial (treasury shares of
instruments relating that class should
to shares acquired not be taken into
account when
calculating
percentage)
20,000 0.018%
11. Number of shares, 12. Percentage of issued
debentures or class disposed
financial (treasury shares of
instruments relating that class should
to shares disposed not be taken into
account when
calculating
percentage)

13. Price per share or 14. Date and place of
value of transaction transaction
£1.45 PER SHARE 19 NOVEMBER 2009,

15. Total holding 16. Date issuer informed
following of transaction
notification and
total percentage
holding following
notification (any
treasury shares
should not be taken
into account when
calculating
percentage)
366,355 (0.33%) 19 NOVEMBER 2009
17. Date of grant 18. Period during which
or date on which
exercisable

19. Total amount paid 20. Description of
(if any) for grant shares or debentures
of the option involved (class and
number)

21. Exercise price (if 22. Total number of
fixed at time of shares or debentures
grant) or indication over which options
that price is to be held following
fixed at the time of notification
exercise

23. Any additional 24. Name of contact and
information telephone number for
queries
JAIME THAM, COMPANY

Name of authorised official of issuer responsible for making notification

DATE OF NOTIFICATION_20 NOVEMBER 2009_________

Notes: This form is intended for use by an issuer to make a RIS notification required by DTR 3.1.4.

RNS Number : 8130C Mecom Group PLC 19 November 2009

Annex DTR3

Notification of Transactions of Directors/Persons Discharging Managerial Responsibility and Connected Persons

All relevant boxes should be completed in block capital letters.

1. Name of the issuer 2. State whether the
notification relates
to (i) a transaction
notified in
accordance with DTR
3.1.2 R, (ii) a
disclosure made in
accordance with LR
9.8.6R(1) or (iii) a
disclosure made in
accordance with
section 793 of the
Companies Act
(2006).
MECOM GROUP PLC (i) AND (iii)
3. Name of person 4. State whether
discharging notification relates
managerial to a person
responsibilities/ connected with a
director person discharging
managerial
responsibilities/
director named in 3
and identify the
connected person

5. Indicate whether the 6. Description of
notification is in shares (including
respect of a holding class), debentures
of the person or derivatives or
referred to in 3 or financial
4 above or in instruments relating
respect of a to shares
non-beneficial
interest1

7. Name of registered 8 State the nature of
shareholders(s) and, the transaction
if more than one,
the number of shares
held by each of them

9. Number of shares, 10. Percentage of issued
debentures or class acquired
financial (treasury shares of
instruments relating that class should
to shares acquired not be taken into
account when
calculating
percentage)

11. Number of shares, 12. Percentage of issued
debentures or class disposed
financial (treasury shares of
instruments relating that class should
to shares disposed not be taken into
account when
calculating
percentage)

13. Price per share or 14. Date and place of
value of transaction transaction

15. Total holding 16. Date issuer informed
following of transaction
notification and
total percentage
holding following
notification (any
treasury shares
should not be taken
into account when
calculating
percentage)

17 Date of grant 18. Period during which
or date on which
exercisable

19. Total amount paid 20. Description of
(if any) for grant shares or debentures
of the option involved (class and
number)

60.85888PENCE EACH
21. Exercise price (if 22. Total number of
fixed at time of shares or debentures
grant) or indication over which options
that price is to be held following
fixed at the time of notification
exercise
£1.60 PER SHARE 156,250
23. Any additional 24. Name of contact and
information telephone number for
queries
GRANT OF: (i) JAIME THAM, COMPANY

TAX-APPROVED OPTION; 7200
AND (ii) NON

OPTION PLAN; THE
GRANT OF (i) HAS

APPROVED BY HMRC.

Name of authorised official of issuer responsible for making notification

DATE OF NOTIFICATION_19 NOVEMBER 2009_________

Notes: This form is intended for use by an issuer to make a RIS notification required by DTR 3.1.4.

RNS Number : 6019C Mecom Group PLC 17 November 2009

17 November 2009

Mecom Group plc ("Mecom")

Wegener news release

The following announcement has been released by Koninklijke Wegener NV ("Royal Wegener"), a subsidiary of Mecom in the Netherlands:

NEWS RELEASE

Royal Wegener achieves sharp cost-cutting successes, while recovery is not yet visible in the advertising market

As reported earlier this year, Royal Wegener, the Dutch multimedia group, was confronted with a strong decline in advertising revenues in the period from July through October 2009. Compared to the same period of 2008, there was an autonomous decrease of 24%. The advertising sales decline for the 2009 first half was 24% also. Whilst a recovery in the advertising market is not yet in sight, rates of decline are showing some stability. Advertising revenues including PCM Lokale Media (acquired mid July 2009) decreased by 21%.

The effect of the decline in advertising sales on the operating result (before exceptional items) was substantially mitigated by the effects of the several cost-cutting measures. Cost reductions offset 75% of the decline in revenues in the period to October; this figure was 70% for January through October.

Comparison of the autonomous figures excludes the effects of the sale of Wegener's 37% interest in AD NieuwsMedia and the group's printing facility in The Hague, along with purchase of PCM Lokale Media (door-to-door papers).

Advertising sales fell for both Wegener's daily newspapers and the group's free door-to-door newspapers, once again with the deepest decline in the recruitment (-54%) and automotive (-35%) segments of the market.

Developments in the past four months showed also a decrease of internet revenues, which were down compared to revenues for the same months of 2008, mainly due to less online recruitment ads for JobTrack. Revenues for AutoTrack showed limited growth, despite the severe circumstances in the automotive market.

Subscription revenues of the Wegener dailies rose by 1% between July and October 2009 compared with the same period in 2008. This figure includes a slight decline in the number of standard subscriptions offset by indexation of the subscription price.

Application of Wegener's many cost-reducing measures remained in full force during the past four months. The Delta project, which involves combining all the group's back-office activities, has largely been completed, the most striking effect being a reduction in personnel expenses. In addition, press renewal in Best and the closure of the printing units in Breda (end of 2008) and Nijmegen (June 2009) generated a decrease in graphic production costs.

In the period from July to October 2009, the total number of employees, on the basis of FTEs (full-time equivalents) declined by 11% on an autonomous basis, compared to the same period in 2008. The decline from January to October 2009 was 11% also.

On balance, the operating result before exceptional items for the period from July to October declined by 32% compared to the same period in 2008 (autonomous: -27%). The period from January to October 2009 showed a decline of 34% (autonomous: -33%).

At the end of October 2009, Wegener's net interest-bearing debt had risen by 3% compared with the level at 31 December 2008, partly due to seasonal influences in the amount of operating capital.

Sale of Wegener's 37% holding in AD NieuwsMedia to PCM Uitgevers took effect in July. At the same time, the printing facility in The Hague was sold to PCM, while Wegener acquired PCM Lokale Media.

Also in July 2009, it was announced that Wegener and Dagblad De Pers had entered into a long-term collaborative venture. Wegener sells advertisements in De Pers, prints and distributes those newspapers, and performs a number of back-office activities.

The programme to renew and expand the printing presses in Best has almost been completed, and the three new press lines are now operating. With the closure of the printing unit in Nijmegen and the sale of the unit in The Hague, Wegener has concentrated its printing activities in three locations: Apeldoorn, Best and Enschede.

As announced on 11 November 2009, the previously announced merger of Koninklijke Wegener NV and LMG Netherlands I BV has been postponed for tax reasons. In a response to this postponement decision, shareholder Governance for Owners informed the Enterprise Chamber that, for the time being, this decision obviates the need for a preliminary injunction as requested at an earlier stage along with expressing urgent interest in conducting an inquiry into company affairs.

At the moment, no recovery is in sight for the advertising markets relevant for Wegener. Because economic prospects continue to be uncertain, no concrete forecast can be given as to results for the entire year of 2009.

Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, 17 November 2009

Management Board

Koninklijke Wegener NV

Enquiries:

Mecom Group plc +44 (0) 207 925 7200

David Montgomery, Chief Executive

Henry Davies, Group Finance Director

Jonathan Digges, Group Corporate Finance

This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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RNS Number : 6016C
  Mecom Group PLC
  17 November 2009
   
17th November 2009
 
Mecom Group plc Interim Management Statement
 
Mecom reconfirms EBITDA guidance with easing advertising trends and 
increased cost savings
 
Mecom Group plc (*Mecom* or *the Company*) is issuing the following Interim Management Statement for the four month period to 31st October 2009.
Trading
In the four months to 31st October 2009 the negative trend in Group advertising revenues has continued to ease somewhat with declines of 18 per cent compared with 22 per cent in the first half of 2009. Year-on-year advertising performance in each of our divisions is summarised in the table below and reflects the timing of the recession in each country, with the Netherlands and Poland entering the downturn later.
                   6 months to 30 June    4 months to 31 October  10 months to 31 October 2009
                                  2009                      2009
                                  YoY%                      YoY%                          YoY%
 The Netherlands                  (22)                      (20)                          (21)
 Denmark                          (24)                      (19)                          (22)
 Norway                           (20)                      (13)                          (17)
 Poland                           (16)                      (18)                          (17)
 Total                            (22)                      (18)                          (20)
 
Circulation revenues in the four month period were up 2 per cent, reflecting robust circulation volumes and modest cover price increases.
Total group revenues were down 11 per cent on a like-for-like basis in the four month period to 31st October 2009, compared with 13 per cent in the six month period to 30th June 2009.
Total costs were also down 11 per cent on a like-for-like basis in the four month period to 31st October 2009, compared with 9 per cent in the six months to 30th June 2009, giving a year-to-date saving of approximately EUR115 million. Previous guidance indicated full-year savings of EUR100 million and management is confident that it will make a further reduction on top of the actual year-to-date savings.  This management of the cost base is providing an effective mitigation against still declining advertising revenues.
At the end of October net debt was EUR425 million, up from an adjusted EUR379 million at 30th June, reflecting the seasonality in working capital flows and the phasing of capex and expenses relating to the cost rationalisation programmes. Some reduction of net debt is expected between 31st October and the end of the year.
 
Outlook
 
Despite continuing weakness in advertising the improved cost reduction in the four months to 31st October allows the Board to reconfirm its expectation for full year EBITDA in line with current market forecasts.
 
 
 
Contacts:
Mecom Group plc                                                       +44 (0) 207 925 7200
David Montgomery, Chief Executive
Henry Davies, Group Finance Director
Jonathan Digges, Group Corporate Finance
 
 
Financial PR
M: Communications                                                   +44 (0) 20 7153 1530
Nick Miles
Eleanor Williamson
 

This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
  END 
 
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