The online auction site continues its to record strong revenue and profit growth as other divisions of the Australasian media giant falter. Rubbing salt into the wound, Fairfax NZ’s publishing operation was hit by the Conficker virus.

At a grim first-half briefing this morning, Trade Me emerged as a star. Revenue was up 22.1% to $NZ38 million, while ebitda was 17.2% ahead of the previously corresponding six-month period.

A $NZ45 million ($A38 million) earn-out to Sam Morgan and other original Trade Me investors was included in cash flow.

Fairfax says Trade Me saw market share gain in all categories, remaining number one in auctions , cars and homes, and number two in job classifieds.

Fairfax’s New Zealand print publishing operation, by contrast, saw ebitda fall 28.6% to $A58.7 million as revenue plunged 14.5% to $A223.9 million.

Overall, “Online”, comprising Trade Me and Fairfax Digital Australia, saw revenue increase 13.7% for the first half to $A135 million, while ebitda was up 13.3% to $A56.4 million.

Taking a little of the shine off, online costs were up 14% to $NZ78.7 million.

Fairfax spokesman Bruce Wolpe told NBR he had nothing further to add to the general briefing on Trade Me’s “very pleasing performance. It’s position is excellent”.

Sydney-based Mr Wolpe was unaware that Fairfax Media – the company’s New Zealand print division, including metro newspapers and Fairfax Business Media – had been hit by the Conficker worm this morning.

A publication in the Fairfax Business Media stable, Computerworld, reports from the front lines of IT turmoil. It’s story includes a note from the Fairfax intranet which portrays a network in crisis:

“The complete payload of this virus is not fully known, however many of the problems we have been experiencing have been caused by the virus ‘locking’ the account of users, administrators and system accounts throughout the group. This then means that many of the systems we use do not have valid network permissions to complete some of their tasks.”

TradeMe commercial director Mike O’Donnell told NBR his division had not been hit by the widespread Conficker attack.

“We’re on different systems and have a different set-up from the rest of Fairfax New Zealand,” Mr O’Donnell said.

That arrangement seems to be working out well for them.

Last month, rumours circled that debt-laden Fairfax was mulling the sale of Trade Me to US auction giant eBay. Mr Morgan told NBR that eBay would be considered "muppets" if they pursued the deal.

Speaking to NBR today, Mr Wolpe said, "There is absolutely no basis for that speculation".

[Ebitda and revenue figures in paragraph 5 were transposed in the original version of this story.]