• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, March 26, 2007

After a long succession of year-over-year losses, Ziff Davis publishing appears to be turning a corner, posting solid fourth-quarter results late Friday. The company, which publishes PC Magazine, Baseline, CIO Insight and eWeek, saw revenue rise 70% to $14.3 million in the fourth quarter, largely on the strength of its expanding digital businesses.

The company's bottom line also benefited from cost reductions, including the closing of some unprofitable publications.

Overall, the company collected $56.7 million in consolidated revenues in the fourth quarter, a 6% increase over 2005. Within this figure, digital revenues rose 24%, while print revenues sank 8%--mirroring broader trends in the publishing business, including newspapers and consumer magazines.

For the full 2006 year, earnings rose 57% to $27.1 million, while revenues grew 2% to $181 million. Within this figure, digital revenues rose 25% as print revenue fell 11%. Robert F. Callahan, chairman and CEO, remarked: "I'm pleased to announce strong Ziff Davis earnings for both the fourth quarter as well as full year 2006. Our investments, especially in digital media, have paid off and are yielding meaningful results."