Mirror Group profits mask its TV troubles. (Mirror Group Newspapers Ltd.)

Mirror Group last week unveiled its interim financial results and concluded with banner headlines that building its newspaper brands - not cutting its cover-prices - had proved a successful strategy with both readers and advertisers.

Profits across the group were up by 12% to [pounds]39m - ahead of City expectations. The success of the Mirror Group, said its chief executive David Montgomery, was reflected in circulation rises across all the eight titles it publishes.

Certainly circulation has been rising, the flagship Daily Mirror showed a 1.98% increase while its main rival The Sun went down below the four million mark with a 2.37% drop in sales.

Advertisers, too, …