Net profits rose to €968m (£605m), as the company included pan-European broadcaster RTL's earnings for the first time.
Underlying earnings were down to €1.2bn (£749m) against €1.25bn (£781m) last time and revenues rose 21% to €20bn (£12.5bn) - just short of the €21bn (£13bn) the company forecast in June. Ebitda rose 79% to €3.16bn (£2bn).
Despite contributing to Bertelsmann's massive hike in profits, RTL Group last week issued a profit warning as market conditions worsened in the advertising sector. It added that the terrorist attacks on the US would also hurt profits.
Elswhere at the group, the news was equally grim. The music division, BMG, posted a loss before interest, tax, amortisation and one-time gains of €5m (£3.1m) against a profit of €224m (£149m) in 2000. The division is axing 600 jobs - 5.5% of its workforce.
Its book club division, Bertelsmann Direct, saw losses widen to €54m (£33.7m) from €52m (£32.5m). However, scientific publisher Bertelsmann Springer's earnings rose to €68m (£42.5m) from €64m (£40m) and its printing division, Arvato, saw earnings increase to €186m (£116m) from €174m (£109m) last time.
Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Middelhoff said he will combine divisions and cut jobs in order to boost profit from 6% of sales to 10% in three years as he readies the company for a stock market listing in 2003.
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