A stronger box office showing by Viacom's Paramount film studio offset weaker advertising revenues than expected at US cable channels such as MTV in the second quarter, the media group reported yesterday.

Philippe Dauman, chief executive, said domestic advertising growth at Viacom's media networks division was just 1 per cent, below its earlier 3-4 per cent forecast, after a "significant" fall-off in spending by retail, automotive and some consumer-goods advertisers.