http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/05/business/media/strong-film-and-cable-profit-at-fox-tempered-by-network-tv.html 2014-11-05 02:30:16 Strong Film and Cable Profit at Fox Tempered by Network TV The movie studio and cable networks at 21st Century Fox reported better-than-expected results for the quarter, but the broadcast group fared poorly. === LOS ANGELES — Movie studio and cable network growth resulted in better-than-expected quarterly profit at 21st Century Fox. But weakness at the Fox broadcast network continued to bedevil the company. The media conglomerate, which is controlled by Rupert Murdoch, said on Tuesday that income in its fiscal first quarter totaled $1.04 billion, or 47 cents a share, a decrease from $1.26 billion, or 54 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding one-time gains, earnings rose to 39 cents a share, from 33 cents a year ago. Analysts had expected 36 cents a share. Revenue totaled $7.89 billion in the quarter, which ended on Sept. 30. Operating income at the company’s movie studio spiked 40 percent, to $458 million. Hits included “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” which took in $707.5 million worldwide, and “The Maze Runner,” which grossed $305.7 million. The studio also benefited from the home entertainment release of “The Fault in Our Stars.” Cable networks — FX, FXX, Fox News Channel and others — reported a 5 percent increase in operating income, to $1.04 billion. A 21 percent increase in programming costs dented cable results, the company said. Satellite television operating income rose 9 percent, to $207 million. Faring poorly was the Fox broadcast network. The 21st Century Fox division that houses the network recorded $174 million in operating income, a 25 percent decline. “We know we have work to do,” Chase Carey, the company’s president and chief operating officer, told analysts in a Tuesday conference call. “A couple of hits can make a big difference in this business.” The network’s fall season is off to a feeble start. An expensive new reality series, “Utopia,” was a flop — the network canceled it on Sunday — and new scripted shows like “Red Band Society” and “Mulaney” have been disappointments. Fox has been encouraged, however, by solid ratings for “Gotham,” a new drama. In Shares of 21st Century Fox rose slightly in after-hours trading after closing down 3 percent for the day, at $33.33. Media stocks declined across the board on Tuesday after Discovery Communications lowered its full-year growth outlook, citing weaker ad sales, and Dish Network, the satellite TV provider, struck For his part, Mr. Carey rejected concerns about ad weakness. “Pricing has held up well,” he told analysts, noting that 21st Century Fox’s cable networks saw “solid growth” in advertising sales.