Norton TV company plans US push

GRAHAM NORTON’S television production company is planning a push into the American market.

Latest accounts for So Television, the Bandon-born comedian’s company, show it turned over €2.5 million in the US, its first year of making programmes in the country.

Mr Norton moved to New York last year to make a US version of his hit chat show. New programmes may also follow.

“The directors intend for the company to continue to establish itself within North America, while also developing existing programmes on both the British and overseas markets,” he said in So Television’s latest accounts, which were just filed at Companies House in London.

The company saw its profits in the year to end July 2004 fell nearly 20% to €2 million on turnover of €15.3m. The turnover figure was down on the previous year as Mr Norton’s Channel 4 show ended.

According to the So Television accounts, Mr Norton charged fees of €1.7m to the company, a drop on his pay of €3.8m in 2003.

He also received almost €300,000 in dividends from the company’s profits.

After the payout to shareholders, So Television had retained profits of €827,856 and shareholders’ funds of €3.1m. The company has no long-term debt.

So Graham Norton was one of Channel 4’s biggest shows, but the Irishman has since departed the show for the BBC and a reported €7m deal. He is currently presenting the BBC1 entertainment show Strictly Dance Fever.

The figures in So Televisions’ accounts do not include any earnings from his best-selling autobiography.