GECs
News Corp Q2 profit triples; Star TV operating income up by 43%
MUMBAI: Media conglomerate News Corps second-quarter profit has tripled from $386 million to $1.08 billion, on revenues of $6.7 billion.
Television operating income went up by 20 per cent on strong revenue growth at the pan Asian network Star and lower promotional costs at Fox due to the earlier launch of its fall lineup versus a year ago.
Star’s second quarter operating income increased by 43 per cent as advertising and subscription revenue growth, mainly from India, drove total revenues up nearly 30 per cent.
STAR PLUS, STAR ONE DRIVE NETWORK GROWTH
Gains were led by weekend programming initiatives at the number one Hindi general entertainment channel Star Plus and from the successful launch of Star One. Meanwhile subscription revenues increased on new channel offerings and higher pricing.
News Corp chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch said, “Our performance this quarter reflects the sustained momentum we have generated across the majority of our businesses. We translated the desirable audiences we deliver for advertisers into double-digit earnings gains at our television and cable network programming segments.
“We drastically lowered Sky Italia’s operating loss, keeping it on track to deliver its first full year of profitability. We released a number of successful films this quarter each of which should generate strong returns later this fiscal year when distributed in home entertainment.
“We also hit the ground running with our recent new media investments, expanding the number of registered users of MySpace to over 50 million and positioning us to capitalise on the expanding on-line advertising pie as broadband continues to proliferate. Additionally, we are spending considerable time exploring ways to increase the value of our vast content libraries, such as our recently announced deal between FX, the Fox network and DirecTV for on-demand content.
“The sustained financial success we have achieved over the last several years provides us the flexibility to invest in these new business opportunities while at the same time delivering continued fiscal year growth to our shareholders.”
NOT SUCH GOOD NEWS ON FILM FRONT
The filmed entertainment segment reported second quarter operating income of $299 million versus the $407 million reported in the same period a year ago. The decline was primarily due to difficult comparisons with record second quarter results a year ago, led by the worldwide home entertainment performances of Day After Tomorrow, Garfield, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story and I, Robot, as well as from the catalogue performance of the Star Wars Trilogy.
The current-year results primarily reflect several successful film and television home entertainment releases, as well as increased revenues from the worldwide theatrical and pay-TV markets. The second quarter film results were largely driven by the worldwide home entertainment performances of Fantastic Four, Kingdom of Heaven, Star Wars Episode III and Mr. & Mrs. Smith, as well as by contributions from various titles including Napoleon Dynamite and Day After Tomorrow.
Additionally, the pay-TV availability of Oscar winner Sideways and I, Robot contributed to the strong quarterly results. The current quarter also included films like Cheaper By the Dozen 2, The Family Stone, The Ringer and Walk the Line, which has grossed over $110 million in domestic box office and won three Golden Globes and got two Oscar nominations.
Twentieth Century Fox Television (TCFTV) increased contributions versus the second quarter a year ago, primarily reflecting continued momentum in home entertainment
sales, most notably from Family Guy and 24.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
