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Ziff Davis’ Ch 11 Update: Revenue Projections And Liquidation Analysis; Print To Be Sold or Closed?

By Rafat Ali - Tue 15 Apr 2008 08:03 PM PST

Ziff Davis‘ Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing hearing continues, and the first amended document with all the details of the reorg and the plans has been filed (embedded below). It has company revenues projections for the rest of the year and next year, as well as an alternate liquidation analysis in case the company is not able to come to agreement with all the debtors through this process (I am not a bankruptcy expert, but assuming this alternative scenario analysis is pretty standard).

Buried in the company’s revenue projections (check from page 137 onwards) is this sentence: “The near-term projections assume a negative impact on the Company’s profitability due to both the current recessionary economic environment and the impact of progressing through the chapter 11 process. Projections for 2009 and 2010 do not include print revenue or costs. The Company and its advisors are currently exploring all options and alternatives regarding the print operations.” Translated, it means the company would either shutter all print books it has left, or sell them off after the Ch 11 reorg. Also, the recession wouldn’t do the company any good in the short term.

For the full year 2008, ZD expects revenues of $63.63 million and decreasing to $47.5 million in FY2009 due to recession and discontinuation in print. It also expects an EBITDA loss of $10.7 million in 2008, and an EBITDA profit of $10.41 million in 2009.

Meanwhile, the gaming site and network 1UP has total revenues of about $26 million in 2007. About 60 percent of the company’s total revenues from continuing businesses in 2007, or $46 million, were obtained from the operations of the PCMag Network, which is the magazine, its website, other related website and tech events.