Rupert Murdoch wishes to expand into more Fox channels.

The global media giant, run by Rupert Murdoch, also saw profits boosted by sales of DVDs and films.

Net profits for its fiscal third quarter were $465m, compared to $275m for the same period last year. Among its various units, Cable TV income rose more than 50% and satellite television operating income rose 25%.

Mr Murdoch is considering launching another Fox television channel by the end of the year and possibly other channels.

Sales of DVD movies such as Planet of the Apes and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen helped push profits in the film unit up by 6%.

cost cuts

News Corporation also owns Sky Italia, the Italian satellite television operator, which it created with the purchase of pay-TV company Telepiu.

"The growth has been broad-based and they brought losses down at Sky Italia faster than expected", said one analyst.

The company also took the opportunity to name Angela Shapiro as president of Fox Television Studios.

Ms Shapiro was a long-standing executive at Walt Disney.

Media giant

News Corporation owns newspaper, television, film and internet operations in the US, Europe, Australia, Latin America and Asia.

It is publisher of newspapers The New York Post, Britain's The Sun, The Times, The News of the World and large parts of British TV.

It also owns the 20th Century Fox movie studio.

News Corp is effectively run from the United States and gets 75% of its revenues in the US.