2005 Profit Track 100

Rank: 57   Northern & Shell Media Group

Owns and publishes Express Newspapers, OK! and Daily Star

Richard Desmond's Northern & Shell Network publishes the Express newspapers, the Daily and Sunday Star and OK! Magazine. He paid £125m for the Express titles in 2000 and has since increased circulation and turned a profit by cutting staff and focusing on celebrity news and photos. Having launched two celebrity titles in 2003, Star and New, Desmond subsequently sold his top-shelf publications. Profits at the group, boosted by cover price increases, have risen 57% a year from £12.4m in 2000 to £47.7m in 2003.

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Company facts

Northern & Shell Media Group
Publisher & broadcaster
Company website

Profit growth
56.82% pa
2003 profit£47.7m
2000 profit£12.4m
2003 staff1,114
Founded1974
Location of HQCentral London
If applicable:
* = annualised figures
‡ = draft accounts