Reader’s Digest Association Reports $337M Loss

The Reader’s Digest Association posted an operating loss of $337 million for fiscal 2008, according to a 10-K report it filed recently with the Securities Exchange Commission. That’s down significantly from the operating loss of $35 million it reported for the same period in 2007.

RDA attributes the loss, in part, to $307.2 million in “goodwill and intangible impairment charges” during the period related to its school and educational services division.

According to the report, RDA’s fiscal 2008 net revenue was $2.78 billion, up about 40 percent from $1.07 billion last year. More than half its revenue came from its international division, which is includes RD Europe, RD Asia Pacific, and RD Canada and Latin America. Net revenue from its U.S. business segment (formerly Reader’s Digest North America) was down $21 million during fiscal 2008.

RDA, according to the report, carries about $2.1 billion in long term debt (RDA was acquired in March 2007 by Ripplewood Holdings).  The company’s total liabilities and stockholder equity is $3.96 billion.

During 2008, RDA says it published 92 magazines—50 global editions of Reader’s Digest and 42 specialty magazines including Everyday with Rachael Ray and Taste of Home.

According to first half Publisher’s Information Bureau figures, Reader’s Digest magazine reported a 14.9 percent decline in ad pages and $130.5 million in estimated ad revenue, down 22.8 percent. Meanwhile, ad pages at Every Day with Rachael Ray were up 15.4 percent and ad revenue was up 51.1 percent to $49.5 million.

RDA’s portfolio of Web sites generate 18 million unique visitors and 250 million page views per month, the company says. Most of that comes from Allrecipes.com, which had an average of 11 million unique visitors per month.

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