The UK publications, which include The Independent, The Independent on Sunday and the Belfast Telegraph, recorded revenues of €209.1m (£144.4m), while operating profit of €15.1m was 11% ahead of the previous year.
Despite a drop-off in UK advertising in the second quarter of 2005, The Independent and Independent on Sunday outperformed the market and delivered growth of 11.4%.
Following a redesign of The Independent in April 2005, circulation growth continued and this performance drove readership to a 29.8% increase.
The Independent on Sunday also achieved a rise in readership of 21.6% for the six months to December 2005. Furthermore, it benefited from a positive uplift in circulation following the change to compact form in October 2005.
In the wake of the circulation success of The Independent, the Saturday edition of The Belfast Telegraph was launched in February 2005 in compact format, followed by a new weekday morning compact edition in March 2005.
Both initiatives were well received and The Belfast Telegraph was the only top 20 evening newspaper in the UK to show an increased year-on-year sale to 96,435 copies.
The Belfast printing operation had a productive year , expanding its capacity with the addition of a new full-colour double-width press, completing the successful transfer of contracts from the former Sunday World print site in Dublin and securing a new 15-year contract with News International.
Operational profit for the Irish group, to include the Irish Independent, Evening Herald and Sunday Independent, grew by 10.2% to €90.6m, reflecting good growth in advertising revenue and solid circulation gains.
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