OREANDA-NEWS. March 13, 2013. CTC Media, Inc. (“CTC Media” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: CTCM), Russia’s leading independent media company, announced its unaudited consolidated financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2012.

FULL YEAR FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Total revenues of USD 804.9 million – up 10% year-on-year in ruble terms

Russian advertising revenues up 9% year-on-year in ruble terms

Adjusted OIBDA of USD 256.4 million with an adjusted OIBDA margin of 31.9%

Adjusted fully diluted earnings per share up 3% year-on-year to USD 1.00 (2011: USD 0.97)

Net cash position of USD 173.4 million at the end of the period

Payment of cash dividends of USD 0.52 per share (or USD 82.2 million in the aggregate) in 2012

The Board of Directors currently intends to pay cash dividends of USD 0.63 per share (or up to approximately USD 100 million in the aggregate) in 2013 and has declared a cash dividend of USD 0.15 per share (or approximately USD 24 million in the aggregate) to be paid on or about March 29 to shareholders of record as of March 20, 2013, with further dividends anticipated in the remaining quarters of 2013

OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS

Combined Russian national inventory 98% sold-out in Q4 and 97% sold-out for the full year

Year-on-year increases in technical penetration of CTC, Domashny and Peretz networks to 95.1% (2011: 94.7%), 88.5% (2011: 84.9%), and 83.8% (2011: 80.1%), respectively

Domashny and Peretz channels recorded all-time high average annual audience shares in 2012

CTC and Domashny channels selected in a public tender to be included in the second digital multiplex

CTC-International channel launched in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

Boris Podolsky, Chief Executive Officer of CTC Media, commented: “We had a record year for CTC Media with Group sales for the first time exceeding \\$800 million. We also delivered a stable year-on-year OIBDA margin of 32%, when adjusted for one-off non-cash impairment charges.

“Our consolidated revenues were up 10% year-on-year in Ruble terms. Both Domashny and Peretz posted their highest ever annual audience shares last year and outperformed the Russian television ad market in terms of sales growth. Therefore, despite a decrease in ratings at our flagship CTC channel, in 2012 our combined national advertising market share was stable year-on-year at 18%. All our Russian channels also benefited from a step up in television viewership, which positively impacted their inventory levels.

“In addition, our CIS, CTC-International, digital media and sublicensing revenues were all growing substantially ahead of the Russian television advertising market and increased their contribution to the Group sales to 7% from 5% year-on-year. Revenues from our CIS operations were up 33% year-on-year in US dollar terms in 2012, primarily reflecting the outstanding performance of Channel 31, which took substantial advertising market share in Kazakhstan. Sublicensing revenues were up 50% year-on-year in US dollar terms, while CTC-International and our promising digital media segments almost tripled their sales.

“Looking ahead, we currently expect the Russian television advertising market in 2013 to grow by up to 10% year-on-year in ruble terms, our Russian television ad revenues to grow in line with the market, and our revenues from other businesses to grow at a higher rate. Our Russian channels’ national inventory is now approximately 80% contracted for 2013 at higher average prices than last year. We also expect to deliver an OIBDA margin similar to the 2012 level of 32%.

“Last year we improved our cash conversion levels and generated higher free cash flow. During 2013, we intend to pay out quarterly dividends in an aggregate of \\$0.63 per share, which is a more than 20% year-on-year increase compared to 2012. This reflects our philosophy to return surplus free cash flow to shareholders.”