THE SIMPSONS - THE SIMPSONS CONTINUE TO LIFT NEWS CORP

News Corp particularly credited strong box-office results from The Simpsons Movie and Live Free or Die Hard for a 23-percent boost in operating income, to $1.05 billion, in its last quarter. Profits, however, declined 13 percent from those of a year ago, when the results were lifted by one-time gains from asset sales, mostly of local newspapers. In a conference call with reporters and analysts News Corp Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch dismissed as "rubbish" complaints that the addition of 27-year-old Natalie Bancroft to the News Corp board represented a disservice to the company. Bancroft, a member of the family that owns Dow Jones, which News Corp is in the process of acquiring, has acknowledged that she is a newcomer to both business and journalism. "We believe she'll be a very fine director," Murdoch said. "They're a funny family, and they couldn't decide between themselves who to nominate."

08/11/2007