Company Profile

YooMedia plc is one of the fastest growing interactive entertainment companies in the UK.
Since 1997 we have been developing and launching leading B2C consumer brands in the gaming and community sectors. We also work in a B2B capacity with leading brand owners, agencies, content developers and broadcasters to design and develop their interactive content strategies.

Led by Executive Chairman Dr. Michael Sinclair and Group Managing Director Neil MacDonald, YooMedia has assembled a highly experienced management team that possesses a unique blend of skills and experience in the areas of Digital TV, Internet and mobile phone services and technology.

With main office locations in London, Exeter and Maidstone, YooMedia manages core assets including:

Over 30 office locations throughout the UK alone

State-of-the-art studio, production and post-production facilities at our Wapping location.

UK broadcast return path & bandwidth owner

Fully fledged UK Bookmaker License

Database with over 350K UK singles

SMS Engine access with international reach

Fully staffed 50 seat Customer Contact Centre in Maidstone, Kent

YooMedia Dating & Chat - Our dating subsidiary company manages the oldest and largest UK-owned dating brands including Dateline, Club Sirius and Avenues. YooMedia Dating has over 20 office locations throughout the UK and also manages YooChat, our world-leading interactive chat service found on UK digital cable on the Telewest platform (platform extensions planned for 2005).

YooMedia Gambling & Games - Combining the brands of Avago and Channel 425 (in partnership with William Hill) YooMedia is on the leading-edge of interactive fixed odds, casino and poker gambling services for digital TV, the web and 3G mobile phones. Our gaming business also manages YooPlay, the only interactive just for fun games channel found on all four Digital TV platforms in the United Kingdom.

YooMedia Enhanced Solutions (YES) - YES works with brand owners, agencies, content owners and broadcasters to clarify the options, define the strategies and deliver the interactive content that enhances consumer and audience experiences. YES customers include the BBC, Nestle, Celador, William Hill, Channel 4, ZipTV, The Cartoon Network and HR Owen.

'Blockbusters' makes digital cable comeback
Wednesday, September 14 2005, 22:55 BST -- by James Welsh

An interactive TV version of Blockbusters will launch on the interactive services available on digital cable from NTL and Telewest.

YooMedia has licensed the format from FremantleMedia along with a casino-style Baywatch game.

"This deal is another important step in bringing entertaining and engaging content to our YooPlay interactive games portals. Blockbusters and Baywatch are huge brands and will be instantly recognisable by our game loving audiences," said Neil MacDonald, YooMedia Group MD.

"We are really pleased with the great work YooMedia has done in translating some of our classic brands into the interactive television space," added Dom Wheeler, VP of UK licensing at FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide. "These games are yet another example of how well our portfolio of brands travel in a multi-media environment and were delighted to offer fans even more ways to interact with their favourite shows."

The games will be available on digital cable through YooPlay.

As above...

http://www.avinfo.co.uk/index.php?main=story&itemid=15044121

Switchover case must be made: Whittingdale

John Whittingdale, Tory chairman of the Commons culture committee, says the Government still has to make the case for digital switchover. Ahead of culture secretary Tessa Jowell's keynote speech in Cambridge tonight, in which she is expected to rubber-stamp Ofcom's proposed 2008-2012 region-by-region timetable, Whittingdale told BBC Radio Four's Today programme that ministers had still not explained the full costs of switchover, "both to the taxpayer and the consumer, and why we are doing it at all".

Jowell's speech has been leaked to several media outlets. She is expected to announce that the Government will provide some form of subsidy to elderly and disabled householders, and explain how the BBC licence fee will be used as a source of the funding.

Reports said Jowell would tell members of the Royal Television Society at their biennial Cambridge convention that digital television was no longer a probability, "it's a certainty, and I believe it can leave us with a legacy of more choice for more choice for more people than anywhere else in the world".

She is expected to add: "For the first time, everyone in this country will by 2012 have the same access to digital television: no more rural communities effectively cut off from the media world the rest of us inhabit, the disabled pensioner having the same access to digital as the City broker."

Whittingdalewhose select committee is poised to conduct an inquiry into the Government's switchover timetablesaid he wanted the full facts. "What we need to hear from Government is a precise explanation of how much all this is going to cost, what the technical difficulties are, how they are going to be overcome, and why the Government thinks that it is still important that we should extend Freeview from 75% to 100% [coverage] and that the benefits of doing so are going to be greater than the costs involved."


Meanwhile Ofcom confirmed that by June 30 63% of UK households had made the transition to digital television.

Lovelace Consulting | 15.09.2005

Search news:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4247622.stm

Digital switch-over plan outlined

The government does not want the switch-over to harm the elderly
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell is expected to announce the formal go-ahead for the switch-over from analogue to digital television.
In a speech to broadcasters, she will say viewers on the English-Scottish borders will have their existing TV signals switched off in three years.

The rest of the UK will follow, region by region, ending in 2012.

Ms Jowell will also outline help for the elderly and disabled to get the equipment needed for the switch.

Figures from media regulator Ofcom show that an estimated 63% of households in the UK already have digital television - up from 61.9% from the previous quarter.

The total number of households with digital television now stands at 15,715,178.

The switch-over will enable the analogue spectrum to be sold off for other uses, as well as encouraging the public to take advantage of multi-channel television.

Labour said in its manifesto television transmissions would switch from analogue to digital in the years 2008 to 2012.

But the government would not give the go-ahead until measures were in place to protect the vulnerable.

Low incomes

Switching off the existing analogue signal means every television and video recorder, in every room, must be connected to a digital receiver if it is to work.

Many people may also have to pay for a new aerial.

That could be a particular problem for the elderly and those on low incomes.

On Wednesday evening in Cambridge, Ms Jowell is expected to announce the timetable for switchover, starting in the ITV Border region in 2008.

She is likely to stress the benefits of the switch for those who cannot yet receive Freeview, and cannot afford pay-TV and to announce financial and practical help for those who will find it hardest to make the switch.

Pilot scheme

David Sinclair, policy manager at Help the Aged, welcomed the expected announcement, but warned that in a recent survey, 57% of older people still saw digital television as a threat.

"Switch-over to digital television will inevitably be a confusing process for many people... the government has a job of work to do to make the case to older people in clear, easy-to-understand terms.

"Manufacturers and retailers also must rise to the challenge by developing technology and services which are accessible and innovative.

"While there is no doubt that digital television offers enormous potential for delivering services and information to isolated older people, it's vital that vulnerable groups are not pushed aside in the dash for digital."

In March, two villages in Carmarthenshire - Ferryside and Llanstephan - became the first in the UK to switch off their analogue signal after voting for the switch following a pilot scheme.

Wow , Avago may get an extra viewer and double its audience.

Still a pile of crap imo.

Have a nice weekend queeny if your reading.

Yoomedia PLC
26 September 2005

26 September 2005



YooMedia plc


Interim report

For the six months to 30 June 2005



YooMedia plc ('YooMedia' or 'the Group'), the AIM traded interactive media and
games group, announces its results for the six months to 30 June 2005.


Overview


Increasing participation/opportunities in the expanding interactive
digital marketplace
Increased turnover to 48.5 million (2004: 4.0 million)
EBITDA loss of 1.1 million for the period (pre operating exceptional
costs)
Pre-tax loss of 4.6 million (2004: loss of 3.8 million)
Growth in the games and gambling division forecast to improve in 2006
Revenue-sharing partnerships in place with major broadcasters and content
providers
Pioneer in new interactive media technologies - continued investment in
both technology and personnel
Extensive marketing strategy implemented
Initiatives in place to increase audience participation and to expand
customer base to generate sales
Building relationships with public sector organisations including the
delivery of the NHS Direct Interactive TV service for the Department of
Health


Chairman's Review


YooMedia continues to be one of the fastest growing interactive entertainment
companies in the UK. We have four main divisions - Gambling & Gaming, Dating,
Enhanced Solutions and Public Services. All these divisions continue to
generate increased revenues and will play a key role in achieving our objective
of becoming a market-leading, cross-platform technology and interactive media
group.


Over the last year we have grown both organically and through acquisition. Our
experienced management team, along with blue chip partners and leading edge
technology, has now created a solid platform from which to develop the business.
The advances in technology mean that the market for the delivery of premium
content and transactional services across multiple platforms is expanding
rapidly. YooMedia is ideally positioned to take advantage of this and to build
on its growing reputation in its chosen markets.


As YooMedia improves its market penetration in our expanding sectors, the
complexity of the Group increases. This continued enhancement of the business
makes it increasingly difficult for investors to fully understand the business
and its potential. Consequently, I have taken this opportunity to provide
shareholders with a clear explanation of our business and why the Board believes
that YooMedia is correctly positioned to build on its initial successes and
reward our shareholders over the next few years.


What is YooMedia?


YooMedia develops and delivers premium interactive content and services to
households and individuals via TV, the web, telephony and mobile phones. It has
four main divisions:


YooMedia Dating - manages dating brands including Dateline and Avenues from over
20 locations throughout the UK. In addition to its presence in traditional
media, the Dateline business operates across digital TV, internet and mobile
phones.


YooMedia Gambling & Games - this division is on the leading-edge of interactive
fixed odds, play for fun casino and poker related games services for digital TV,
the web and mobile phones. Its brands include Avago and Channel 425 (in
partnership with William Hill). It also manages YooPlay, the only interactive
games channel found on all four Digital TV platforms in the UK.


YooMedia Enhanced Solutions (YES) - works with brand owners, agencies, content
owners and broadcasters to deliver interactive content that enhances consumer
and audience experiences. YES customers include the BBC, Nestle, Celador,
William Hill, Channel 4, ZipTV, The Cartoon Network and HR Owen.


YooMedia Public Sector - provides a variety of digital solutions/media services
to leading public sector organisations including the NHS Direct Interactive TV
service for the Department of Health (via our subsidiary DITG), the Learning and
Skills Council TV Kickstart service and a range of local authority TV services.


Revenues


Across our core consumer businesses we have in excess of two million registered
customers plus an increasing number of people using services on an ad hoc basis.


Revenues are generated in three ways:


Transactional revenue streams - subscription services, betting and
pay-to-play games which users pay for via unified payment and e-wallet
systems.


Premium rate telephony which includes premium rate SMS messaging and
premium rate voice telephony in connection with a wide range of programmes
that enable viewers to participate from home, in popular shows such as the '
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' TV series and 'Test the Nation'. By
providing an exciting medium for users to interact with the show, we enable
our partners to generate participation and resulting revenue. In return for
this provision of content and interactivity, we receive a share of the
income generated primarily from calls and text messages billed at premium
rates.


Participation/Response income - generated from multi-platform marketing
campaigns, which enable direct response to advertising through interactive
TV or mobile phones.


Business to business revenues are derived form a combination of transaction
revenue shares, contract and service fees and licensing.


Expansion


YooMedia's revenues flow directly from its customer base and audience
participation activities. The Group's long term success is directly linked to
building our customer base and maximising the average lifetime value of
customers. This requires expanding marketing activity for our businesses, using
customer retention techniques such as regular text updates or emails, in
addition to providing as many opportunities as possible for customers to
transact across our different services.


Currently, YooMedia is the market leading company in offering consumers premium
transactional service delivery across all mass-market digital TV. This is
achieved mainly by using interactive TV set top box technologies and mobile
networks technologies that utilise delivery through SMS, Java and streaming 3G
video. YooMedia also enables interaction and participation through the web and
via voice telephony.


YooMedia services work across the media spectrum. We enable our users to move
freely between TV, mobile phones and the web, accessing gambling, gaming, dating
content and other 3rd party services. In short, our users can access YooMedia
products at home, at work or on the move, using a single user account and
electronic wallet.


Our proprietary CRM/marketing, multiplayer games and gambling plus integrated
commerce platforms provide unified support for our existing traffic of over 5.5
million financial transactions per month via interactive TV, mobile phones and
the internet.


The Group operates a broadcast grade, high availability hosting infrastructure
for online services from two data centres in the UK. These systems incorporate
advanced security provisions, failover management and dedicated Storage Area
Network facilities, all designed to enable 24/7 delivery of mass-market mobile,
web and interactive TV services.


The Group's broadcast infrastructure includes six studios, state of the art
all-digital production, post-production and play-out systems, which host 15
digital TV channels.


From the outset, the Group's asset base has been designed to support the mass
market, providing a scalable basis for future growth of our customer base and a
means of rapidly and cost-effectively integrating new consumer technologies as
they emerge.


Marketing


YooMedia has built and acquired recognised brands including the gaming brand
Avago and Dateline, the UK's longest established dating service.


Through the YooMedia Enhanced Solutions division, the Group creates
revenue-sharing partnerships, building its customer base through affiliations
with major broadcasters and content providers. We provide these organisations
with market-leading cross-platform reach and capability on a commercial joint
venture type basis. These partnerships present our services to new audiences,
using our brands, co-branded services or white-label user propositions. There
are many examples, including:


YooPlay TV - partnership with Channel 5 and Endemol
'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' - partnership with Celador and ITV
Channel 425 - partnership with William Hill, the UK's largest bookmaker
'Test the Nation' - partnership with the BBC
'Great Sporting Legends' - partnership with Sky
Interactive gambling services on Poker Zone TV and The Poker Channel


YooMedia games and gambling services are accessible from over 10 third party
television channels in the UK through similar arrangements.


Results


Results for the six months to 30 June 2005 show turnover up to 48.5 million (6
months to June 2004: 4 million) following the consolidation of the new Group
post the acquisition of DITG and TGC.


The turnover includes customer winnings from our gambling activities. Group
revenue, net of winnings payable to fixed odds betting customers for the period
was 11.5 million (6 months to June 2004: 1 million).


Gross profit for the period was 5.1 million (6 months to June 2004: loss of
0.7million).


EBITDA, pre operating exceptional costs, for the period was a loss of 1.1
million and pre tax losses for the period were 4.6 million (6 months to June
2004: loss of 3.8 million).


Our direct consumer facing businesses, YooMedia Dating & YooMedia Gambling &
Games, accounted for 5.7 million of net revenue and 1 million of gross profit.


This was a strong period for our 'business to business' divisions of YooMedia
Enhanced Solutions (YES) & YooMedia Public Sector, which accounted for 5.8
million of net revenue and 4.1 million of gross profit.


On 16 June we issued a trading statement that indicated that our Gambling &
Games division would achieve lower than expected profit growth for the year
(2005). Key developments expected on Channel 425, the digital channel operated
in partnership with William Hill, were delayed in implementation. The statement
indicated that the business performance of Channel 425 would not meet earlier
projections. We are confident, however, that developments on the channel will
come back on track in the coming months. The outlook for the channel and our
partnership with William Hill is very positive.


The Board


In June this year, David Docherty stepped down as chief executive to pursue
other business opportunities. David played a central role in helping to develop
YooMedia into the business it is today and the Board wish him well for the
future.


At the same time Neil MacDonald was promoted to Group Managing Director and was
subsequently appointed to the Board on 25th September. Neil has an in-depth
appreciation of the interactive media industry and is a highly experienced
manager with a career spanning 11 years in multimedia and interactive sectors
plus a further 19 years in the retail industry. I am delighted to welcome him
to the Board.


We have appointed Robin Robbins to the Board as Group Finance Director. Robin
has extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, and, in
particular, in the gambling and gaming industry. Jonathan Apps will continue as
Chief Financial Officer but will step down from the Board.


Management


In addition to the experienced senior management team of YooMedia, I am pleased
to announce the appointment of Josie Adams as Chief Executive of YooMedia
Dating. Josie has extensive experience of media and interactive businesses and
was responsible for the dating and personals business of Yahoo! Europe.
Together with Jim Weir, founder of the Avenues business and who now becomes
Chairman of YooMedia Dating, Josie will lead one of the most experienced
management teams in the dating industry.


The future


The media sector is changing rapidly with traditional media, including broadcast
and print, increasingly adopting new technology. Importantly for us, consumer
demand continues to drive rapid innovation and investment by telecommunications
companies, network operators and consumer equipment manufacturers.


Recent examples which illustrate the pace of development are:


2005 - cable TV in the UK commenced rolling out Video on Demand
2006 - Sky will launch the first UK High Definition TV services
Digital Terrestrial Television ('DTT') is now delivered to over 25 million
European households
Internet Protocol Television ('IPTV'), the provision of TV services across
broadband internet connectivity, is expected to grow from 1.6 million users
in 2004 to 32 million by 2009, with over eight million in the UK and half of
the total in Asia (In Stat)
There are over three million 3G mobile phone users in the UK and 3G
mobile handsets are expected to account for over 240 million European
subscribers by 2009, including seven out of 10 European users (Analysys
Research)


Your management team is focused on enhancing our unique cross-platform
technology and intellectual property base so that we are able to capitalise on
the resulting opportunities for expansion in the UK and abroad. Our approach is
to identify and develop proprietary solutions to enhance the capabilities of
existing media to deliver premium interactive content and services to customers
which promote interaction and transactions. Through innovation, we seek to
enable this interactive process and participate in the value created by the
resulting transactions. Some examples of this include:


YooMedia's Real Time Messaging System ('RTMS'), which enables the consumer
to use a mobile phone in a way which is synchronised with a programme on TV.
Sophisticated premium interactive and participation services can be made
available for consumers in and around standard TV services and content.
The technology offered by YooMedia's joint venture with ICTV (called
Broadband TV Group) provides a simple, cost-effective means of upgrading the
services available from existing digital cable and IPTV set top boxes to
enable the delivery of rich interactive programming to the viewer.
Broadband content can be delivered as televisual content on existing set top
boxes with added interactive capability. We are announcing today that the
Broadband TV trial underway with NTL will soon enter a live field trial in
selected NTL digital cable households. Our content partners in this trial
include ITN, MTV Networks, EMAP, Turner Broadcasting, Sesame Workshop,
LoveFilm and UKTV.

YooMedia's new datacasting service for the fast-growing Freeview platform
will deliver sophisticated interactive capability for our partners'
services. This will operate in conjunction with next-generation set top
boxes that are currently under development by some of the world's largest
consumer electronics manufacturers.


Conclusion


The Group has grown its four core businesses in recent months, forming new
partnerships with leading blue-chip companies and developing new innovative
products, which will ensure our position as a market pioneer. The Board
believes that as traditional media, broadcast and telecommunications converge
over the next five years, the Group is well-placed to deliver high quality and
sustainable financial growth. Your Board remains optimistic about the future
prospects for all of our core businesses of YooMedia.




Michael Sinclair

Chairman

26th September 2005

Morning all. What do we think of this. I like em and still feel as confident as ever that the market has over reacted over the last 12 months, and that there is still plenty of upside on this story.
Alan

Looks at the improvement in losses per share over the comparative periods.

And a gross profit, thats always a good starting point !

"Gross profit for the period was 5.1 million (6 months to June 2004: loss of
0.7million)."

Cheers,
PM

GOBSMACKED!!! I find the results encouraging, but the market appears to think the exact opposite.

Not the market, a few PI's. Great opportunity (taken) to add.

That looks like excellent timing, that man. Buyers are back and sp rising.

I don't think this one will be held down today for much longer...

Forget headline figures look under the sheets to see what is really going on. Companies can post pretty much any headline figures they like.

The market doesn't like it because they have burnt through a huge amount of cash and need to raise money to keep going. They are not generate enough cash to keep the business going. They need to raise more.

Cash balances last year at the same time were 6.1m, they now have cash balances of 500k! In the six months to 30th June they burnt through 7.5m more cash. They took on 1m more in debt but that was about all they raised during that period.

Since this company came into existance they have raised 73m from shareholders and lost 44m so 60p in every 1 they have raised has gone.

Unless they raise more cash soon to give themselves a chance that figure will likley increase.

There seems to be a lot of buying despite that fact Scripophilist. In my eyes I think YOO is more about potential, but I take your point. The share price has dropped substantially in the last 12 mths, so I think the cash bal has been factored in to a degree. As always though, time will tell the story. I'm holding for now.

26 September 2005
BroadbandTV Group and ntl to conduct live trials of next generation interactive programming on digital cable.

ntl and BroadbandTV Group, the joint venture between YooMedia and ICTV, are pleased to announce that, following successful joint lab testing, live trials of broadband quality interactive digital television programming and technology will be conducted in the fourth quarter of this year. The trials will take place in selected ntl digital cable households.

The trials will also fully demonstrate the capabilities of ICTVs HeadendWare technology, enabling the delivery of vivid, interactive web based programming content on ntls existing standard cable set-top boxes.

BroadbandTV Group has developed and aggregated a wide-ranging interactive programming package for the live trials, within the genres of News, Entertainment, Games and Lifestyle. In doing so, the BroadbandTV Content Partner Programme has been significantly extended and now represents a range of globally recognised names in broadcasting. ntl customers will be able to enjoy content from a number of partners including ITN, MTV Networks, Emap, Turner Broadcasting, Sesame Workshop and UKTV

The trials will fully demonstrate the capabilities of the Groups proprietary technology, enabling the delivery of vivid, interactive web based programming content on subscribers existing standard cable set-top boxes.

YooMedias Group Managing Director, Neil MacDonald, said A huge amount of work has been undertaken with ntl in the last year in order to integrate the Broadband TV technology with their infrastructure and various set top boxes. We are delighted to be entering into consumer-facing trials with such a strong line-up of programming content.

Jeff Miller, chief executive of ICTV, added: This next phase of trials represents a key milestone in establishing the value of the BroadbandTV Group proposition as a fusion of high-quality interactive programming and cutting-edge technology.

just bought 40000. looking to a futher 40000.great results get in now.

they have spead big to put of buys. some one must have a buy note. to fll.

Be careful guys. I must admit I prefer cold hard cash more than potential. There is always plenty of the latter about but very little of the former.

Courtesy of axe79.

The news is that YOO is doing several presentations to analysts this afternoon and later this week.

MS has just returned today from abroad having done some yesterday as well (yes, it was Sunday!). Now that the Interim results have been published our Chairman is wasting no time in dealing with the interest being shown from the city.

The new additions to the board are top drawer, and they would not have joined (leaving behind quality positions) if the future wasn't exceptional.

Private investors can expect EVO's note soon which will add to the positive sentiment being shown by the funds