The chairman of media group UTV has told shareholders that revenue in its Irish radio stations is expected to grow at a slower pace than previously thought in the first six months of this year.
John McGuckian said revenue in the division was set to rise by 2%, with strong national sales growth being tempered by what he called 'a short term weakness in local sales'.
Mr McGuckian said the UK radio market was expected to decline by 2% in the first half, with UTV's revenue flat.
'A marked outperformance in television is also evident, with our television division expected to record a 1% reduction in first half revenue compared to an anticipated decline of around 10% for the ITV1 network,' he said.
Mr McGuckian also said UTV's new media division was forecast to deliver revenue growth of 15% in the first half.
Overall, the UTV chairman said the company was progressing well in difficult market conditions.