News Broadcasting
News Corp’s operating income rises 22 %
MUMBAI: The Rupert Murdoch controlled US media conglomerate News Corp has reported fourth quarter consolidated revenues of $6.1 billion, a 12 per cent increase over the $5.5 billion in 2004’s quarter.
For the year ended 30 June 2005 it earned revenues of $23.9 billion, an increase of 15 per cent over the $20.8 billion in fiscal 2004.
Consolidated operating income for the fourth quarter of $955 million was up 42 per cent over the $674 million a year ago. For the year, operating income was $3.6 billion, an increase of 22 per cent over the $2.9 billion in 2004.
STAR INDIA CONTINUES TO SHINE
The Star Group’s fourth quarter and full year operating income more than doubled on revenue growth of 24 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively. Revenue gains for both the fourth quarter and full year primarily reflect the continued strength of Star Plus and Star Gold as well as contributions from several new channels in India. The television segment as a whole reported fourth quarter operating income of $344 million, a decrease of $7 million versus the same period a year ago, and full year operating income of $952 million, a slight increase over 2004. Record operating income at Star was offset by higher programming costs at Fox and a soft US ad market.
News Corp chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch said, “We are extremely pleased with the continued growth we achieved during 2005. Star received approval to launch a DTH service in India and doubled its earnings contributions. 2005 marked our third consecutive year of record profits. What is pleasing about this past year is not just that we once again delivered double-digit revenue and operating income growth across nearly all of our businesses but perhaps more significantly many of our developing businesses turned profitable.”
The movie segment reported fourth quarter operating income of $109 million, up $14 million from the $95 million reported in the same period a year ago, and record full year operating income of $1.1 billion, up 17 per cent from the $905 million reported in fiscal 2004. Current quarter and full year results primarily reflect solid worldwide theatrical and pay-TV revenues and strong contributions from film and television home entertainment releases.
The results were largely driven by the home entertainment performances of Alien vs. Predator, Sideways and Napoleon Dynamite, as well as contributions from various catalogyue titles including Ice Age. Additionally, the worldwide theatrical distribution of Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, as well as the pay-TV availability of The Day After Tomorrow and Garfield contributed to the strong fourth quarter results.
Cable network programming reported fourth quarter operating income of $137 million, an increase of $17 million over the fourth quarter a year ago and record full year operating income of $702 million, an increase of $214 million over 2004. Fox News Channel (FNC) reported operating income growth of 30 per cent for the fourth quarter and 40 per cent for the full year fuelled primarily by double-digit advertising revenue growth, which was partially offset by higher costs associated with covering international breaking news stories. During the quarter News Corp states that FNC further increased its leadership position as the number one cable news channel, more than doubling the viewership of its nearest competitor in prime-time and nearly 90 per cent higher on a 24-hour basis.
The net a priority for the future: Going forward media reports indicate that News Corp is preparing to spend up to $2 billion on the internet. Murdoch has said that this is the group’s top priority as far as global expansion is concerned. It is said to be looking at buying a small internet search engine and is also developing its own mass entertainment website. The Fox sites that are present at the moment are more promotional in nature.
So far this year, the company has spent more than $700 million investing in Web companies. As had been reported last month by Indiantelevision.com News Corp signed a definitive agreement to acquire Intermix Media for approximately $580 million. With the addition of MySpace,and Intermix’s network of sites, News Corp expects its web traffic in the US to nearly double to more than 45 million unique monthly users.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
