Hasta La Creative!

Citing strength in almost all its business units, the media giant reported $1.51 billion in profit, a 32 percent increase over a year earlier.

Sluggishness in the film divisions countered strong performances from cable television channels.

Built on lush portraits of human pathology, subscription- and ad-supported cable channels gradually became hotbeds of quality and profits, as detailed in “Difficult Men” by Brett Martin.

The decision to hold a stand-alone event reflected the company’s emphasis on interactive entertainment, including chats and playing along with a game show at home.

Michael Bass, a longtime deputy of Jeff Zucker’s dating from their days at “Today,” left Katie Couric’s syndicated talk show to be a senior vice president at CNN.

American Association of Advertising Agencies, New York, is joining with units of the McCann Worldgroup to sponsor a contest that will seek ideas to help market the ad industry to a broader audience.

Frank A. Bennack Jr., Hearst’s chief executive, plans to retire. He will be succeeded by Steven R. Swartz, the company’s chief operating officer.

Aereo, a start-up backed by Barry Diller that captures broadcast signals to be streamed online, is sowing chaos in the cable television business.

After the split occurs, Time Inc. will no longer have the lucrative film and television assets of Time Warner to prop it up.

Apple and Amazon are trying to make it possible for Web consumers to swap content on a grand scale, Time Warner’s spinoff of Time Inc. is the latest evidence of a strategy of divestment, and Facebook’s redesign strategy is already popular with advertisers.