German media group Bertelsmann has announced full-year 2007 revenues of €18.8 billion, a 2.8 percent decrease from €19.3 billion in the previous year. Due to various charges this year, including the Napster (NSDQ: NAPS) settlement (€245 million), as well as gains in the previous year, net income fell sharply to €405 million, from €2.5 billion. Some division results:

—Revenues at the BMG division—based on its 50 percent stake in SonyBMG—fell 27 percent to €1.5 billion. This was partly the result of the sale of the company’s publishing unit. However the core business, not surprisingly, was weak, as a 40 percent increase in digital sales failed to offset a 17 percent decline in physical media.

—Revenues at the Direct Group, which operates book and music clubs, fell 4.1 percent to €2.6 billion. The decline was attributed to weak demand for physical media, as well as the slumping US dollar. CEO Hartmut Ostrowski said the company is exploring strategic possibilities, including a possible sale, for this unit.

—Media and communications services provider Arvato grew revenues 2.8 percent to €4.9 billion. The unit benefited from an increased trend towards outsourcing and the acquisition of locations from Deutsche Telekom (NYSE: DT) and France’s SFR.

—The RTL Group, the company’s radio, TV and TV production unit, grew revenues 1.2 percent to €5.7 billion. This takes into account the sale of its French pay TV channel TPS.

—Random House revenue decreased 5.6 percent to €1.8 billion, in part due to the slide of the US Dollar.

Release

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