• by Wayne Friedman , August 9, 2006

News Corp.'s fiscal fourth-quarter net profit climbed 19 percent, due to big ad revenue gains at the Fox News Channel and its Fox network. The media giant grabbed a net profit of $852 million, up from $717 million for the same period a year ago. Revenue rose 11 percent to $6.8 billion.

The television division's quarterly income rose 17 percent to $403 million, on higher ratings from Fox shows, including powerhouse "American Idol."

News Corp.'s cable network group saw operating income soar 42 percent to $194 million--mostly from improved ad sales from the Fox News Channel.

News Corp.'s movie division pulled in big DVD sales of "Big Momma's House 2" and the hefty theatrical box-office sales of "Ice Age," lifting the division's operating income by 83 percent to $200 million.

It wasn't all good news for all News Corp. media. Newspaper division operating income fell steeply--32.5 percent to $170 million.

News Corp. signed a deal Monday to have Google become the search-ad partner for its rapidly growing MySpace.com online, worth $900 million in cash.