Profits dip at Ten Alps
MEDIA group Ten Alps today announced the launch of an online TV channel for doctors and nurses as half-year profits dipped at the group.
GPtv is a joint venture between Ten Alps subsidiary, Sovereign Publications, and the National Association of Primary Care, and is the latest web TV channel to be launched by Ten Alps.
The channel will contain regularly updated video-based content, including reports on industry-wide issues such as integrated care and practice based commissioning, clinical information, practice management features and professional development.
Ten Alps, which was founded by Bob Geldof and employs 240 people in Manchester and Macclesfield, also announced the launch of a video production service with BT.
The deal markets Ten Alps’ video production services exclusively to the 200,000-plus business customers on the BT Tradespace platform, and opens up a new market for the company.
Adrian Dunleavy, chief executive of Ten Alps’ communications division said: “This is a rare thing – a brand new, fast-growing sector in a challenging advertising economy.
“We are seeing a significant shift towards the use of video among business customers, particularly as companies seek to differentiate their offering online. With video production systems that can handle scale and deliver national coverage, Ten Alps is well positioned to benefit from this trend.”
The group, which is aiming to create a multi-platform factual media company, with on TV, online and print operations, also revealed a fall in profits in the six months to September 30 from £1.5m to £1.25m on the back of one-off costs. Revenue also slipped from £37.6m to £37.1m.
In the last six months, the group began a second Teacher TV contract worth more than £50m, launched a TV operation in Manchester with work for Sky, BBC and ITV as well as launching 13 print titles.
Alex Connock, chief executive of Ten Alps, said: “The strategy to 2012 is about market leadership in factual online TV – both public sector and B2B.
“We are deploying our skills, scale and assets in TV, online and print production to that end. Serious times call for serious media – and this year there has been robust demand for our kind of content.”
Ten Alps, which was spun out of Planet 24 television when it was bought by Carlton Communications, bought Macclesfield-based business to business publishing group McMillan Scott in 2006.
The Cheshire town is now the base of the group’s communications arm and also serves as the back office for the entire group. A total of 150 people work there, while another 90 advertising sales reps are based in Manchester.
Ten Alps also announced that Mr Dunleavy is to become an executive director with immediate effect.
