The company said losses, including a $352.7m (£247.5m) charge as its Blockbuster video chain converts to DVD rental from VHS, were $190.4m (£133.6m) or 11 cents a share compared with a profit of $33.4m (£23.4m) last time.
Excluding the Blockbuster charge, third-quarter losses were $9m (£6.3m) or 1 cent a share. Revenues were down slightly on the same period last year to $5.7bn (£4m) from $5.8bn (£4.1m).
The company's Ebitda slid to $977m (£677.9m) from $1.44bn (£982.6m) last time, but the company reassured investors that if the current market conditions continue it expects full-year pro-forma Ebitda to be slightly higher than the $5bn (£3.5bn) it achieved in 2000. It added that it should achieve double-digital Ebitda growth in 2002.
Viacom's results for the nine-month period to September 30 showed a 2% increase in pro-forma revenues to $17.2bn (£12bn). This reflected its merger with US TV network CBS and the acquisition of the assets of outdoor advertising and radio firm Infinity and UPN it did not already own, and its purchase of BET, Black Entertainment Television.
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