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Vivendi Universal first quarter revenues decline
MUMBAI: Media giant Vivendi Universal has reported results for the first quarter.
Cconsolidated revenues for the first quarter of 2004 amounted to 5,973 million euros a drop from the 6,232 million euros figure that had been recorded for the first quarter of last year.
Vivendi Universals media activity (Groupe Canal+, Universal Music Group,Vivendi Universal Games (VUG) and Vivendi Universal Entertainment (VUE)) revenues for the first quarter of 2004 amounted to 3,471 million euros. This was a decline of nine per cent. To some extent this was offset by telecom activity for the first quarter which amounted to 2,434 million marking an increase of 14 per cent.
Revenues at Canal Plus, the French cable TV operator, fell by 21 per cent to 923 million euros compared to 1,166 million euros in 2003. The company’s CEO Jean-René Fourtou has been selling divisions of the company including the entertainment division to NBC in a bid to get the company out of the slump. On a more positive note VUE’s revenues amounted to 1,493 million euros an increase of three per cent over the corresponding quarter of last year.
Universal Television Group revenues increased by 15 per cent. Universal Television’s production and distribution revenues increased by 17 per cent due to increased licensing revenues for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and increased production volume of other shows. In India the show airs on Star World.
However there was bad news on the music and gaming front. UMG’s revenues of 978 million euros were 11 per cent below last year. The company attributed this to the adverse currency movements. Also the debut from 50 Cent was not repeated and the global music market continues to be in a state of rcession particularly in France.
There was growth in the UK, Germany and Latin America due to strong sales of domestic and regional releases. UMGs album market share in the US fell to 26.6 per cent versus 28.3 per cent in 2003
Vivendi Universal Games (VUG) fared even worse. VUG revenues in the first quarter amounted to 77 million euros. This marked a 27 per cent decline.
News Broadcasting
WITT Summit 2026 concludes in New Delhi
Babar Azam’s comical diving attempt goes viral as league introduces anti-dew measures.
MUMBAI: The WITT Summit just wrapped up with enough big ideas to fill a policy playbook because when India’s leaders, thinkers and icons gather under one roof, even the conversations hit sixes. The eighth edition of TV9 Network’s flagship What India Thinks Today (WITT) Summit 2026 concluded on Saturday after two days of dynamic discussions at its New Delhi venue. India’s largest multi-domain public policy and culture summit brought together political leaders, policymakers, sports icons, artists and technology innovators to examine the forces shaping contemporary India and its global standing.
Prime minister Narendra Modi delivered the keynote address on the theme “India and the World” for the third consecutive year. In a wide-ranging speech, he addressed the ongoing conflict in West Asia, calling for restraint and compassion while highlighting India’s continued development trajectory despite global turmoil.
The summit featured candid conversations with state leaders. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy articulated a people-first governance model and contrasted it with other development approaches. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav declared that Left-wing extremism had been effectively eliminated in his state and highlighted preparations for the upcoming Kumbh Mela. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann defended his government’s record, citing the closure of 19 toll plazas and creation of the Sadak Suraksha Force. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar expressed confidence in Congress prospects in Assam and addressed recent allegations against him.
On geopolitics and national security, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia outlined India’s ambition to become a builder of trusted digital infrastructure for the world, citing the rapid 5G rollout and village-level 4G connectivity.
Cricket received significant attention. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly praised player freedom and trust as hallmarks of great leadership and named MS Dhoni as the greatest captain due to his World Cup successes. India women’s team bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi credited the BCCI and Women’s Premier League for building a pipeline of world-class talent behind the team’s recent ODI World Cup triumph.
The summit also hosted the inaugural AI² Awards 2026, celebrating the convergence of human creativity and machine intelligence in storytelling and content creation. Poet and kathavachak Kumar Vishwas delivered a nuanced take on India’s concept of Dharma and criticised the recent arrest of an 80-year-old Shankaracharya. Veteran lyricist Sameer Anjaan and storyteller Neelesh Misra reflected on changing music trends and artistic responsibility in the wake of a recent controversy involving Nora Fatehi.
In a country where conversations often run as deep as the Ganges, the WITT Summit proved once again that when leaders, thinkers and storytellers come together, the real winner is public discourse lively, layered and refreshingly unafraid to tackle the big questions shaping India’s tomorrow.
