UKRD declares another increased dividend

Privately owned radio operator, UKRD Group, has declared its second dividend for the year, which will be payable to shareholders in July.

The dividend is increased by 9.5% over that paid to shareholders in April this year and results from what Chief Executive Officer, William Rogers, describes as, “stronger than expected trading.”

He told RadioToday.co.uk: “The majority of our radio stations are performing at or ahead of budget and as a result, the board has determined that our shareholders will benefit from an increased dividend payment which will be made within a few weeks,” he said.

Rogers also confirmed that good progress had been made following the acquisitions of Fresh Radio in the Yorkshire Dales and Central in Preston and both new licence areas were producing performances which showed considerable promise for future commercial performance.

“The present state of the economy is obviously a cause for concern but our model of locally focussed programming where local managers and local teams drive the businesses locally is certainly working well and we are weathering the storm in relatively good shape. Visibility remains poor and who knows what further issues will come along and bite the sector. In the meantime, we press on and would be happy to look at any opportunities appropriate to us were they to crop up.”