Business

Cable lifts News Corp. Q4 results

News Corp. yesterday reported operating profit of 32 cents a share in its fiscal fourth quarter — in line with Wall Street estimates.

The result compares with an operating profit of 35 cents last year.

The media company’s cable operations posted a 26 percent jump in operating profit in the period.

The company reported a net loss of $1.6 billion in the quarter, reflecting a $2.9 billion pre-tax charge primarily related to its publishing business.

In the year earlier period, News Corp. reported net income of $683 million.

Revenue in the quarter fell 6.7 percent to $8.4 billion.

For the year, revenue gained 1 percent to $33.7 billion, aided by double-digit growth in cable programming such as Fox News and movies including “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.”

The company, the parent of The Post, said operating income from its wide-ranging media segments jumped 13 percent to $5.6 billion from the prior year. Adjusted earnings per share climbed 19 percent to $1.41.

“We are proud of the full-year financial growth achieved over the last 12 months, led by our Cable Network Programming and Filmed Entertainment segments,” said Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO.

News Corp., which previously announced plans to split into two separate companies — one with its publishing assets and the other with its entertainment assets — said yesterday the process should take a year to complete.

News Corp. shares fell 3.5 percent in after hours trading, to $22.90.