Final Results - Replacement

Talent Group PLC 18 December 2003 This announcement replaces the Talent Group Plc 'Preliminary Results for the year ended 30 September, 2003 released on the RNS system under RNS No 4329T at 13.58 earlier today. Certain alignment errors in the Group Profit and loss account relating to administrative expenses have been corrected. For Immediate Release 18 December, 2003 Talent Group Plc ('Talent' or 'the Company') Preliminary Results for the year ended 30 September, 2003 Chairman's Statement Results I am pleased to present the results for the year ended 30 September 2003. The reverse takeover of RMR plc by Talent Group Limited was completed on 23 December 2002 and the figures primarily reflect the Talent business from that date. Turnover for the year to 30 September 2003 was £2,919,000 (7 months to 30 September 2002: £148,000) on which a pre tax loss of £480,000 was incurred (7 months to 30 September 2002: loss of £938,000). This loss includes relocation costs, resulting from the move to larger offices of £63,000 and Goodwill written-off of £90,000. The net cash position at 30 September 2003 was £286,000 compared to a balance of £706,000 at 30 September 2002. For the year, there was a loss per share of 3.1p compared with a loss per share of 10.1p for the 7 months to 30 September 2002. Overview It is just twelve months since Talent Group Limited reversed into RMR and obtained a quotation on the Alternative Investment Market. Your Directors' ambitions, stated twelve months ago, to establish Talent Television Limited as a pre-eminent independent producer across entertainment, factual entertainment, children's television, interactive and events remain intact. During the year we have made good progress in building our management and development teams and have been successful with further Test the Nation programmes, commissions for our new children's division Talent Kids, and the co-production of Casino Casino for Challenge TV. The benefits of these have been offset by the delay and potential cancellation of the commissioning of a further series of The Villa for Sky One and the costs of a major relocation of offices that is already proving beneficial. We believe the outlook for the Group for the current year is looking encouraging. During the year the Group has invested in key members of staff including the recruitment of David Sankey as our new Head of Development - Entertainment. With his arrival and the restructuring of his team we are making good progress with a number of new entertainment, factual entertainment and event programme formats. We hope these will service both the UK and International markets in future years. Efforts to attract other high quality people are ongoing. The Board anticipates that the good start to the current trading year will lead to improved financial performance and strengthen the Group's position to take advantage of the changing regulatory and commercial environment in the television industry. An objective this year must be to establish Talent Television Limited with a meaningful number of different productions thus providing a stable financial platform for the ongoing development of the Group. Morale and spirit remain high and the Board is confident in the Group's future prospects. BOARD CHANGES Edward Carroll resigned from the Board on 23 December 2002 and Michael Mills resigned on 1 June 2003. On 23 December 2002, John Kaye Cooper, Anthony Humphreys, Colin Nicholl and I joined the Board as Deputy Chairman and Creative Director, Managing Director, Finance Director and Chairman respectively. George Kynoch joined the Board on 1 June 2003 and Anne Miles on 24 November 2003. Enterprise Investment Scheme ('EIS') A number of shareholders of the Company acquired ordinary shares in the Company at the placing and admission of the Company's shares to AIM in April 2000 with the benefit of EIS income tax relief. Under EIS legislation, the investment must remain qualifying and be held for three years to qualify for this relief. Following the acquisition of Talent, the Company made representations to the Inland Revenue. I am pleased to report that we have received confirmation that the Company continues to qualify as a 'qualifying trading company'. Current Trading and Outlook During the last nine months Talent has continued to develop its television production business. Two new series have been commissioned, Best of Friends for CBBC, and Inside Clyde for Disney UK. These are currently in production and will be screened in the early part of the New Year. Discussions continue with various parties on a number of further new series for both specialist children's channels and for large entertainment and factual departments. These include a major international children's action series involving Canadian and European partners, a science based quiz show, a children's animation production and a separate children's series. We hope to be able to make further announcements in the early New Year. The BBC has committed to another four shows of Test the Nation during 2004 and, in addition, we have recently been involved in the first Test the Nation show in Japan. Here we are hopeful of further opportunities to act as a consultant producer. Discussions are taking place with two other new countries that may see the commissioning of Test the Nation. The show continues to demonstrate Talent's ability to produce major, live, entertainment specials. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone within Talent Group, together with its advisers, for their support and contribution over the year. Robert Benton Chairman 18 December, 2003 Group Profit and loss account For the year ended 30 September, 2003 Note 12 months 7 months to 30 September to 30 2003 September £'000 2002 £'000 Turnover 2,919 148 Cost of sales (2,244) (282) ---------- ---------- Gross result 675 (134) Operating costs (1,083) (508) Goodwill write-off (90) (100) Restructuring costs - (219) ---------- ---------- Administrative expenses (1,173) (827) ---------- ---------- Operating loss (498) (961) Net interest 18 23 ---------- ---------- Loss before taxation (480) (938) Taxation 49 322 ---------- ---------- Loss for the period (431) (616) ========== ========== Basic loss per share (pence) 3 (3.10)p (10.10)p ========== ========== Diluted loss per share (pence) 3 (2.77)p (8.57)p ========== ========== Group balance sheet As at 30 September, 2003 30 September 2003 30 September 2002 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Fixed assets Tangible assets 1,106 - Goodwill 41 - ---------- ---------- 1,147 - Current assets Stocks 109 - Debtors 1,139 389 Cash at bank and in hand - General 394 706 - Controlled Productions 366 - --------- --------- 2,008 1,095 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year (1,658) (348) --------- --------- Net current assets 350 747 ---------- ---------- Total assets less current liabilities 1,497 747 Creditors - amounts falling due after more than one year (18) (21) ---------- ---------- Net assets 1,479 726 ========== ========== Capital and reserves Called up share capital 6,310 6,110 Share premium account 11,634 10,650 Profit and loss account (16,465) (16,034) ---------- ---------- Shareholders funds 1,479 726 ========== ========== Group cash flow statement For the year ended 30 September, 2003 12 months to 30 7 months to 30 September 2003 September 2002 £'000 £'000 Net cash outflow from operating activities (760) (906) Returns on investments and servicing of finance Interest element of finance lease rentals - (1) Interest paid (1) - Interest received 19 24 ----------- ----------- 18 23 ----------- ----------- Taxation 322 - Capital expenditure and financial investment Purchase of tangible fixed assets (27) - Sale of tangible fixed assets - 51 ----------- ----------- (27) 51 ----------- ----------- Acquisitions Cash acquired with subsidiary undertaking 573 - ----------- ----------- Net cash inflow from acquisitions 573 - ----------- ----------- Financing Expenses paid in connection with the issue of share capital (180) - ----------- ----------- (180) - ----------- ----------- Decrease in cash 54 (832) =========== =========== Notes to the preliminary Results 1. PUBLICATION OF NON-STATUTORY ACCOUNTS The financial information set out in this preliminary announcement does not constitute statutory accounts as defined in Section 240 of the Companies Act 1985. The group balance sheet at 30 September, 2003 and the group profit and loss account, group cash flow statement and associated noted for the year then ended have been extracted from the Group's financial statements. Those financial statements have not yet been delivered to the Registrar of Companies, nor have the auditors reported on them. 2. DIVIDENDS The Directors are not proposing the payment of a dividend in respect of the year ended 30 September, 2003. 3. LOSS PER ORDINARY SHARE The loss per share is based on a loss of £431,000 (30th September, 2002: £616,000), being the loss attributable to ordinary shareholders, and a weighted average of 13,894,134 (30 September, 2002: 6,110,284) ordinary shares. The diluted loss per share is based on a weighted average of 15,599,711 shares (30 September, 2002: 7,185,834) 4. Copies of REPORT AND ACCOUNTS Copies of the Report and Accounts will be sent to shareholders shortly and will be available to members of the public from the Company's registered office, Lion House, Red Lion Street, London, WC1R 4GB. Enquiries Talent Group Plc Colin Nicholl Tel: 020 7421 7818 John East & Partners Limited John East/Simon Clements Tel: 020 7628 2200 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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