Kevin Mowbray

Lee reports drop in print, digital ad revenue; maintains digital transition strategy will succeed

Lee Enterprises – owner of the Quad City Times, Dispatch/Argus and 70+ other news publications and web sites – reported first quarter earnings of $1.2 million, a 32 percent decrease from the same period a year ago.

Lee executives again boasted of its growth in digital subscriptions (up 58 percent from the first quarter of 2022), but overall subscription revenue fell 10.5 percent compared with the same period last year.

"Our first quarter results demonstrate our confidence in Lee's digital transformation," Kevin Mowbray, Lee's President and Chief Executive Officer, stated in its earnings news release issued Feb. 1. "We are on a clear path to becoming sustainable solely from the revenue and cash flow from our digital products."

While the company has been pushing aggressively to move print subscribers to digital subscribers, the overall impact has been a steady decrease in total operating revenues.

Lee Enterprises digital revenues grow, but overall revenues and earnings drop in second quarter

Despite gains from its digital operations, Lee Enterprises, Inc. – owner of 77 media properties including the Quad City Times and the Argus/Dispatch – saw overall revenues and earnings fall during the second quarter compared with a year ago.

Lee reported Thursday (5/5) it lost $6.7 million ($1.26 per share) during the second quarter ended March 27. That compares with a loss of $608,000 ($.20 cents per share) for the same period a year ago.

Lee Enterprises touts management strategy; reports $5.3 million profit in fourth quarter ended Sept. 26

Lee Enterprises, Inc. – owner of the Quad City Times, Dispatch/Argus and news operations in 76 other markets – earned $5.3 million during the fourth quarter ended Sept. 26.

The positive earnings announcement Thursday (12/9) came a day after the Davenport-based company's board of directors unanimously rejected the $24-per-share buyout offer made by Alden Global Capital last month.

While the Lee earnings news release held up fourth quarter operating revenues ($194 million) and fiscal year operating revenues ($794.6 million) as signs the company's strategic plan was working, on a pro forma basis, full year operating revenues were down 3 percent compared to 2020.

Lee Enterprises' news release buries second quarter earnings number on second page, 17th paragraph

Lee Enterprises – owner of the Quad City Times and Dispatch-Argus – reported its second quarter earnings last week (5/10), but readers had to plow through 16 paragraphs of information to find the financial bottomline buried at end of page two of the news release.

The company lost $2.7 million, 5 cents a share, in the second quarter ended March 31, compared with a gain of $2.2 million, 4 cents per share, for the same period a year ago. When including re-valuation of company stock warrants, earnings totaled $75,000, compared with $1.7 million, 3 cents per share, a year ago.

Activist investor seeks to remove three from Lee Enterprises' board, including chairman and CEO

A Wyoming-based activist investor – who has publicly feuded with James Cramer of CNBC's "Mad Money" – wants Lee Enterprises, Inc. shareholders to replace three members of the Davenport media company's board of directors, including chairman Mary Junck and President/CEO Kevin Mowbray.

J. Caro Cannell in a filing Wednesday (1/16/19) with the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) labeled the Lee board "stale, lethargic and devoid of any skin in the game." He urged shareholders not to re-elect Junck, Mowbray and board member Herbert W. Maloney III at the upcoming Lee annual meeting in February. Lee owns 46 daily newspapers, including the QC Times and the Dispatch/Argus.

Lee Enterprises reports earnings increase thanks to $19.7 boost from one-time income tax adjustment

Lee Enterprises – owner of the Quad City Times and Dispatch-Argus newspapers – today (2/1) reported higher net income and earnings for the first quarter ended Dec. 24, thanks primarily to a $19.7-million income tax adjustment stemming from the recently passed federal tax reform legislation.

The Davenport-based media company reported net income for the first quarter of $35.3 million with $19.7 million of that total coming from a one-time adjustment to its deferred tax assets and liabilities to reflect the lowering of the federal base tax rate from 35 to 21 percent.

Lee Enterprises looks to widen use of cash beyond debt reduction; may include print, digital acquisitions

After reporting an upswing in third quarter earnings Thursday (8/3), Lee Enterprises, Inc. executives told analysts the company will look to widen the use of cash flow beyond debt reduction and may seek additional print or digital acquisitions.

The Davenport-based media company acquired its Quad Cities newspaper competitor, The Dispatch-Argus, in June for $7 million. The Dispatch-Argus primarily served the Illinois Quad Cities (East Moline, Moline and Rock Island), while the Quad City Times serves mainly readers in the Iowa Quad Cities (Bettendorf and Davenport).

"We expect the acquisition to be accretive to earnings and free cash flow in our September (4th) quarter," President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Mowbray said. "The transition is off to a good start and we are pleased with the contributions we are already seeing from the Dispatch-Argus."

Lee Enterprises second quarter earnings flat after adjusting for one-time insurance boost a year ago

Lee Enterprises – owner of the Quad City Times – reported second quarter earnings Thursday (5/4) of $6.4 million, down 67 percent from the same period a year ago when a one-time insurance settlement added more than $13 million to the company's bottomline.

Net income for the three months ended March 26 was 11 cents per share compared with 36 cents per share for the same period a year ago.

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