PETALING JAYA: Astro All Asia Networks Plc posted a significant jump in its net profit in its fourth quarter ended Jan 31, 2010 to RM37.6mil from a net loss of RM28.8mil a year ago.

For the full year (FY10), Astro is back in the black with a net profit of RM233mil against a net loss of RM529.2mil in FY09 and the group revenue grew 10% to RM3.3bil, underpinned by a strong performance from its core pay-TV business in Malaysia.

The group gained some 284,000 net new customers, bringing the residential subscriber base to 2.93 million, representing 49% penetration of Malaysian TV households generating earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisaton (EBITDA) margin of 29%.

AMP, the group’s domestic radio business unit, also returned a satisfactory performance that saw it confirm its position as the leading radio network in Malaysia.

Astro TV chief executive officer Datuk Rohana Rozhan said in a statement yesterday that the company achieved an EBITDA of RM846mil or a margin of 29% for the year under review which was the highest ever in the company’s history.

“This may be attributed to a strong execution of our operating plans and disciplined cost controls.

“The response to our high-definition services also continues to gain momentum and we plan to introduce new offerings in the future,” she said.

In India, Sun Direct continued its development as a leading provider of digital pay-TV services where it registered some 1.6 million net new customers in the financial year under review, taking its residential subscriber base to 4.1 million.

The board of directors has recommended a fourth interim tax exempt dividend of 5 sen per share, which would bring the total dividend for the year to 12.5 sen per share.