NEWSPAPER, magazine and book publisher DC Thomson has reported a rise in annual pre-tax profits from £23.7 million to £24.9m in spite of a fall in revenue.

Accounts filed with Companies House show the Dundee-based company, which publishes titles including the Sunday Post, Press and Journal, and People's Friend, made revenues of nearly £240m in the year to March 31. This was down from £252m in the prior financial year.

In their report on the accounts, the directors of DC Thomson highlight "significant change" in the operations of its publishing business over the past few years.

They highlight the company's move to reduce its number of printing plants from five to one. And they note the outsourcing of newspaper distribution and magazine printing.

The directors declare: "This has given the business resilience against some lower circulation volumes and advertising revenues."

They report that circulation volumes of the company's newspaper and magazine business were down but note that cover price increases compensated, "to some extent", for this fall.

Total advertising revenues from DC Thomson's newspapers were down 8.3 per cent, the directors report.

However, magazine advertising revenues rose by 13.8 per cent. Digital advertising revenues were up by 29 per cent.

The directors say that, in DC Thomson's books business, market conditions continued to be difficult. However, they note a degree of stabilisation and report that sales revenue from the books division was down by less than one per cent.