News Broadcasting
Viacom’s revenues for the year rise 19% to $11.5 billion
MUMBAI: US media conglomerate Viacom has reported financial results for the full year and fourth quarter ended 31 December, 2006.
For the year, revenues were up by 19 per cent to $11.5 billion. Media networks revenues rose by seven per cent to $7.24 billion, led by an increase of 11 per cent in affiliate revenues to $2.03 billion.
Global ad revenues were up six per cent to $4.29 billion, while ancillary revenues grew two per cent to $916 million.
Viacom executive chairman Sumner M. Redstone, said, “Viacom delivered solid results for 2006, guided by a new management team under the leadership of Philippe Dauman, who has moved quickly to put the Company back on a steady path of success. I have great confidence that we will continue to build on the momentum of the last several months both in expanding our digital horizons and continuing to grow in traditional markets.”
Viacom president and CEO Philippe P. Dauman says, “We are making significant progress financially and operationally to ensure that we thrive in all distribution channels, including the evolving digital marketplace. Financially, our 2006 performance was strong, with double digit growth in revenues and operating income and 16 per cent growth in adjusted net earnings per share.
“During the first quarter of this year, we took decisive steps to deploy our capital in more productive ways, including restructuring our operations here and abroad. At the same time, we continued to introduce popular new programming on our linear channels, to expand our digital operations organically and to reach innovative agreements with new digital partners.
Additionally, we continue to expand on our position as a leading global provider of digital wireless video, and to innovate with new online sites and experiences.”
In 2006, acquisitions contributed $125 million in incremental revenues to media networks. The increase of 46 per cent in film revenues to $4.38 billion in 2006 from $3.00 billion in 2005 principally reflected the acquisition of DreamWorks and distribution activities for DreamWorks Animation and the DreamWorks live-action library.
This contributed $1.36 billion to 2006 revenues. Fourth Quarter revenues of $3.59 billion grew 32 per cent from $2.72 billion in 2005. Media Networks revenues rose by four per cent in the quarter to $2.08 billion from $1.99 billion in 2005 led by growth in affiliate revenues which were up 14 per cent to $532 million. Worldwide advertising revenues rose six per cent to $1.26 billion from $1.19 billion in 2005.
Ancillary revenues declined 15 per cent in the quarter versus 2005 to $289 million, principally due to timing and mix of home entertainment releases. Acquisitions contributed $78 million in incremental revenues to Media Networks in the quarter. Film revenues doubled to $1.57 billion, with the acquisition of DreamWorks and the distribution activities for DreamWorks Animation and the DreamWorks live-action library films contributing revenues of $560 million.
News Broadcasting
Times Network to air JVC Exit Poll across 5 regions on April 29
Four-hour broadcast spans states and Puducherry with data-led analysis
MUMBAI: Times Network is set to roll out what it calls one of its most expansive election programming efforts yet, culminating in the JVC Exit Poll on 29 April, with a multi-hour broadcast spanning key poll-bound regions.
The exit poll will air across Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, beginning at 5pm and 4pm respectively. Co-powered by Vedanta and Jindal Stainless, the programming aims to combine on-ground reportage with data-driven projections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
The network has deployed over 50 journalists across these regions, gathering voter sentiment and local insights in the run-up to polling. The effort builds on its ongoing election formats such as Election Yatra and Election Premier League, which have tracked campaign narratives and community-level issues.
In parallel, Times Now Navbharat has focused on constituency-level reporting in West Bengal through its Jan Gan ka Mann series, capturing voter opinions across diverse segments.
The coverage has also featured interviews with prominent political leaders. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan have appeared on the network’s election specials. From Tamil Nadu, voices including deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, BJP leader K Annamalai and NTK’s Seeman have also featured in discussions.
On the day of the exit poll, the network’s primetime anchors, including Navika Kumar, Zakka Jacob and Sumit Awasthi, will lead the coverage. They will be joined by a panel of political analysts, psephologists and senior journalists offering real-time insights and interpretation of trends.
The programming will integrate grassroots reportage with analytics from the JVC Exit Poll, aiming to give viewers an early sense of electoral outcomes ahead of the official results on 4 May.
With its combined English and Hindi broadcast reach, Times Network is positioning this effort as a comprehensive look at voter sentiment, blending field reporting, data and debate to decode what could lie ahead when the final mandate is revealed.
