Ladprao – Mr. Darm Nana, CFO of RS Public Company Limited, revealed that the second half of the year 2014 promises to be better than the first half, with the digital TV revenue doing exceptionally well. AC Nielsen’s survey shows that Channel 8 Digital TV has the highest rating from June to today because of the content, which includes dramas, variety shows, sports and news. The schedule also fits the lifestyle of the audience, resulting in the brand being widely recognized. Meanwhile, in the middle of this year, the advertising fees were upped by almost 100% from last year’s fees. This September, vouchers for digital TV boxes will be distributed nationwide, meaning there will be more audience, and advertising is set to grow further.
In the third quarter of 2014, there will be agreements regarding compensation and business losses caused by sudden changes that happened to the World Cup Box campaign, valued at 308.9 million baht, or 427 million baht in total, paid by National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). The numbers from the Sun Box La Liga Star, which hits the market on August 11, also meet the target of 500,000 boxes, since it is the ideal set top box for watching two of the world’s best soccer league – La Liga Spain and English Premier League, at the cheapest rate in Thailand. Meanwhile, its showbiz is expected to grow from the two upcoming major concerts – Kamikaze Dance Neramit on October 4 at Royal Paragon Hall, and Dan Beam D2B on November 2 at Muang Thong Thani’s Impact Arena.
Regarding the performance in the second quarter of 2014, the company made 1.373 billion baht or a 73% growth from the same period last year, thanks to the management of the World Cup 2014 broadcasting rights. Channel 8, which officially launched as a digital TV channel in May, brought in 1.135 billion baht, or 150% growth. Its success is due to the broadcast of World Cup 2014 matches. The revenue from the music business was 150 million baht or a 20% decrease from the same period last year. Its showbiz generated 81 million baht or a 45% drop from the year before. The increase of the license fees of La Liga compared to last year and the investment placed in Channel 8’s transition into a digital TV resulted in the net profit being at 72 million baht or a 34% decrease from last year.
On August 14, the board of committee has greenlighted the payout of interim dividend from the profits of the company’s budget as of June 30, 2014 at 0.12 baht per share for the 1,004,646,046 shares, or 120,557,525.52 baht in total. The name of the entitled shareholders will be announced on August 28, 2014 (Record Date) and the names will be collected according to the Clause 225 of the Securities and Exchange Act by means of book closing on August 29, 2014. The dividend will be paid on September 12, 2014.