Crown Media
The financial metrics for the company's most recent quarter represented an improvement from the June 2006 quarter, although they were still largely uninspiring on their face. The net loss for the quarter narrowed to $43.7 million, or $0.42 a share, compared to a net loss of $227.4 million, or $2.17 a share, last year. But as you might suspect, the year-ago quarter included $193.2 million in film asset impairments and amortization charges.
However, some of the other numbers associated with this company are considerably more inspiring. For instance, its Hallmark Channel is now available to about 83 million subscribers, a 13% increase over last year. And in an era of slipping adverting revenues for all sorts of media companies, Crown's ad sales increased 13% year over year. Further, Nielsen ranks the Hallmark Channel 11th among advertising-supported cable networks, tied with Discovery Holding's
Crown will launch Hallmark Movie Channel HD, a high-definition sister network to its standard definition movie channel, in the first quarter of 2008. Further, the company's operating performance is already benefiting from recent new pacts with satellite TV provider EchoStar
Crown is partly owned by Kansas City-based Hallmark Cards. In fact, last month Crown announced that it would reimburse Hallmark $33 million, the amount it received from its parent in a tax-sharing agreement that was later disallowed by the IRS. Along with Hallmark Cards, Crown's other investors include media mogul John Malone's Liberty Media and DirecTV
So it might just be that, in a time when it's progressively more difficult to find media investments that yield solid returns, Fools might consider the Crown Media tortoise. Sure, it's slow, but it's also steady, and there's a lot to be said for the quality it offers to its viewers and its investors.
For related Foolishness:
Time Warner is a Motley Fool Stock Advisor recommendation. Find out what other companies have been singled out by Tom and David Gardner in this market-beating newsletter service with a free 30-day trial.
Fool contributor David Lee Smith doesn't own shares in any of the companies mentioned, but he's a serious fan of the Hallmark Channel. He welcomes your questions or comments. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.