By Brian E. Clark
RISING
Badger State salaries
Wisconsin salaries for non-union employees rose by an average of 3.56
percent in 2007, up from 3.42 percent in 2006, according to the newest
salary planning survey from Middleton-based Carlson Dettmann Consulting.
Employer projections for planned merit-increase spending during 2008
also are up. The study said they average 3.53 percent across all
categories of non-union employees, compared with 3.49 percent for last
year, and range from 3.17 to 4.12 percent, depending on the employment
category.
The 2007 Carlson Dettmann salary report was done during September and
October, with data collected from 165 employers. The annual planning
survey is a key part of the company’s Wisconsin Salary Survey, an
online compensation survey available to employers statewide.
MIXED
Sonic Foundry
Madison-based Sonic Foundry says its fourth-quarter sales rose 15
percent over the same period last year. But the company says its net
loss widened because of greater spending on new product development and
growth on sales, marketing and technical staff.
The provider of Internet media software posted a net loss of $1.4
million, or 4 cents per share, for the quarter ending Sept. 30 compared
with a net loss of $341,000, or 1 cent per share, a year ago. Revenue
rose to $4.7 million from $4.1 million.
The company said its operating expenses rose because it’s continuing to
invest in new product and service offerings and in expanding its sales
and marketing organization. The firm is also recruiting additional
technical personnel.
For the year ended Sept. 30, net losses totaled $6.4 million, or 18
cents per share, compared with a net loss of $3.5 million, or 11 cents
per share, the year before. Total revenue was up 33 percent at $16.7
million from $12.6 million. Shares closed Monday at $1.79, down from a
52-week high of $5.15.
FALLING
Journal Communications
Milwaukee-based Journal Communications Inc., the parent company of the
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the WTMJ (Channel 4) television station,
is reporting a drop of nearly 11 percent in total broadcast and
publishing revenue from continuing operations in October.
Total revenue for the Milwaukee-based newspaper publisher and radio and
television station operator was $39.1 million for the 28 days ended
Oct. 28, down from $43.8 million for the comparable period last year.
The company posted declines in newspaper advertising revenue and in
revenue from radio and TV stations. Circulation revenue from the daily
newspaper was flat. The company said total advertising revenue from the
daily newspaper, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, declined 10.1 percent, to
$12.6 million from $14 million. Classified ad revenue decreased 13
percent, with help wanted and real estate advertising posting
double-digit declines, offsetting a 6 percent increase in auto ads.
Shares of Journal Communications stock closed Monday at $8.51, down
from a 52-week high of $14.
