Fourth-quarter profits to June 30 almost trebled to $320m (£199.2m) compared with $114m for the same period last year, while fourth-quarter revenues rose to $4.6bn, up from $3.8bn last time, contributing to full-year revenues of $17.5bn, up from $15.2bn last time.
As well as '24', other shows such as 'American Idol' contributed to fourth-quarter income of $291m at the TV arm, as primetime ratings increased by 25%.
Ad revenue at Fox News grew as the channel's popularity soared during the war on Iraq and boosted the cable networks division, which reported fourth-quarter operating profits of $96m, up from $34m a year earlier.
Filmed entertainment saw fourth-quarter profits rise 13% to $85m, which was helped by the release of 'X2: X-Men United' and continued home entertainment and pay-TV revenue from last year's blockbuster animated movie 'Ice Age'.
The newspaper division, home to UK national newspapers The Sun, News of the World, The Times and Sunday Times, reported income for the quarter of $126m, up from $117m last time, with The Sun and News of the World putting in record ad revenues, up 4.2% and 8.7% respectively.
However, the division's full-year profits were down at $400m from $430m in 2002, hit by the price war between The Sun and rival the Daily Mirror.
The company singled out BSkyB for praise as the broadcaster yesterday announced profits of £260m, as its direct-to-home subscribers rose 12% to 6.8m and total subscriber revenues for the year increased by 15% to £3.18bn.
News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch said: "This past year was not without its challenges, including a cover price war in the UK newspaper market that, while now ended, lasted longer than expected, as well as the costs associated with covering the war in Iraq. Our strong results in the face of such obstacles are clear testimony to both the fundamental strength of our company and the resilience of our underlying business."
He added that the outlook for 2004 was promising and indicated that continued health of the ad market, along with the company's "strong broadcast and cable upfronts" and "growing popularity of our television and print products", would help the company's performance this year.
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