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Russian-born media tycoon Evgeny Lebedev has offered further loans to the Evening Standard, with the lossmaking London newspaper warning over its future with out the monetary help from its largest shareholder.
In delayed outcomes posted to Companies House this week, the Evening Standard stated that shareholders had agreed loans to the corporate of £14mn within the 2022 monetary yr, and an additional £15mn since, whereas they’ve additionally promised to present additional funding if wanted.
The firm stated that its operations would wish to be funded by way of the finance offered by its shareholders, of which Lebedev is the most important. With his father Alexander, a former banker and ex-KGB agent, Lebedev purchased the Evening Standard in 2009 for simply £1.
The newspaper suffered a pre-tax lack of shut to £16.4mn within the 12 months to the top of October 2022, in accordance to the brand new outcomes, steeper than the £14.4mn loss recorded within the earlier yr.
The firm blamed rising prices, the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns and the price of residing disaster for the impression on promoting revenues. The free newspaper makes greater than 90 per cent of its revenues from promoting.
An organization spokesperson stated: “While both our print and digital revenues grew in 2022, the Evening Standard has not been immune to the cost pressures and broader economic trends impacting media brands worldwide.”
Evgeny Lebedev can be a co-owner of the Independent, one other British newspaper, which is made a small working revenue of £1.9mn for the yr to October 2022, down from £5.5mn beforehand.
Calculations by the FT based mostly on paperwork at Companies House recommend that even earlier than the newest set of losses the Lebedevs had sustained losses far in extra of £100mn since 2009 on their UK media investments — even after accounting for the income from promoting off the i newspaper and stakes in each the Evening Standard and Independent.
The Standard was a relentless champion of Boris Johnson when he ran for London mayor and when he campaigned efficiently to develop into Tory chief in 2019.
A yr later Johnson made Lebedev a crossbench peer, regardless of the House of Lords Appointments Commission (Holac) warning that the safety providers had considerations concerning the entrepreneur’s “familial links”.
In March Lebedev tweeted his help for the recommendation to be revealed, saying: “I have nothing to hide.” “Openness and transparency are pillars of our democratic system, so I welcome the call for security advice about me provided to Holac to be released.”
The Canadian authorities final yr positioned Alexander Lebedev beneath sanctions within the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Evening Standard stated that given shareholder help, the corporate would have sufficient assets to proceed, however with out this the corporate’s skill to proceed as a going concern can be doubtful. The firm now owes £82.6mn to its shareholders, in accordance to firm filings.
Auditors at Deloitte stated within the submitting that the corporate requires “continuous financial support” from its shareholders however that there’s “uncertainty as to the ability of the shareholders to provide” this help.
Rival media executives have questioned whether or not Lebedev would search to promote half or all of his newspaper holdings in latest months.
The newspaper is managed by Lebedev Holdings, of which Evgeny Lebedev is almost all shareholder. In separate accounts filed this week, Lebedev Holdings reported a lack of £13.4mn, up from £10.7mn the yr earlier than. This group additionally requires further funding from Lebedev to keep it working — the submitting states that he and different shareholders have indicated a willingness to achieve this.
The Evening Standard stated that it’s working with consultants to scale back its heavy reliance on promoting in addition to create a extra digitally targeted newsroom.
It stated that for the reason that finish of the monetary yr, its digital revenues had carried out poorly, with a downturn within the promoting market exacerbated by stagnation in its readership. As a outcome, the newspaper stated it might relaunch its digital platform to strive to enhance outcomes this yr.
The spokesperson stated: “We have invested in a refreshed strategy that leverages the development of a digital-centric newsroom, and the launch and growth of events and exhibitions to further diversify our revenue base.”
