Although revenues for the corporation rose 13%, the increase in expenses is the main cause for the loss. However, the reason for the increase is Fox sold several of its assets and made new profitable investments in television and film (the movie industry).
Fox Network must use research to find new ways of marketing their programs. The research primarily consists of finding what is most popular in television with the target audience. There are many methods of secondary research that Fox can use to determine what their target audience will watch in the future. First, Fox may use the Census results to see the demographic separation of the American audience. From this information Fox may cater their programming to certain ethnic groups or age groups. Another way Fox can use secondary data is by analyzing rating results from other networks with private research firms such as, A.C. Nielsen. These ratings from similar networks can provide useful information on current trends in broadcast and cable television. What other networks show on their channels may be popular and Fox may spin off on their popularity. For Instance, Fox capitalized on the success of ABC's "The Bachelor" by creating "Joe Millionaire".
Primary data Fox may use in the future include the use of focus groups and show different possibilities for new shows. These groups mat provide positive insight on what people in general want to see on television in the future. Fox can also set up websites on all their prospective television programs and use the number of visits of those websites to determine the popularity of the shows. They may also try test marketing by trying out how certain shows work out in certain geographic segments. If a syndicated show is popular, other markets may also use the show. Another form of primary research Fox may use is seeing what is popular overseas in international markets. They can use the raw network ratings to see the television viewership and the overall buzz about the show in news programs and talk shows.