Urban One reports Q1 EPS 15c vs. (6c) last year

Reports Q1 revenue $104.4M vs. $109.87M last year. Alfred Liggins, Urban One’s CEO and president stated, “Our Adjusted EBITDA for FY23 came in just above the high-end of our previous guidance at $128.4m. As expected, we suffered a drop in radio division broadcast cash flow as a result of reduced political advertising compared to Q4 2022. Other divisions performed broadly in line with expectations, although the continuing churn in cable television subscribers remains an industry-wide concern. For Q1 our national radio revenues were hit by tough comparatives on a handful of large clients plus a general softness in the market. Second quarter radio pacing’s are sequentially better, with same station core revenues down mid-single-digits and low-single digits including political. Cable television affiliate fees continue to be a drag, with Q1 down 12.8% year over year. Demand for some of our digital products was soft in Q1, with net digital segment revenue down 7.3%. National direct digital revenue was down double digits, partially offset by growth in VOD, streaming audio and podcast. We are optimistic about political advertising revenues for the remainder of the year, which should benefit both our radio and digital divisions. During Q1 we repurchased $75.0 million of our 2028 notes at 88.3%, and we ended the quarter with approximately $155.7 million of cash.”