News Broadcasting
BBC Trust reviews its services for younger audiences
MUMBAI: The BBC Trust has launched its review of BBC services for younger audiences. The Royal Charter requires the Trust to undertake a comprehensive review of every BBC service at least once during a five-year cycle.
This will include full reviews of the three BBC services aimed at young people – BBC Three, Radio 1 and 1Xtra, together with other BBC output aimed at the young, such as formal learning websites and BBC Switch.
BBC Trustee Alison Hastings who is leading the review for the Trust said, “The BBC must offer something of value to people of all ages in order to deliver its public purposes, and young people are no exception. We will consider how young people are watching and using BBC programmes and services on television, radio and online, and the value they derive from them. Changes in technology are having a particular impact on young people’s media behaviour so it is important that we examine both what the BBC is currently doing and consider what it might need to do in the future.
“We will be looking at everything the BBC offers young people, and as part of this we want to hear from all young people, whether or not they use these services.”
The review will look into areas like how effectively the BBC is delivering the six public purposes to young people and whether the BBC is reaching young people through the various media outlets, at the times and in places that best suit them. It will also look into how well are the three services – BBC Three, Radio 1 and 1Xtra – performing against the terms and conditions of their service licences.
As part of the review, the Trust will open an online public consultation today. The consultation will run until 16 December 2008 and be promoted on the BBC’s services and elsewhere.
The Trust will commission audience research, speak directly to young people at outreach events organised by the Audience Councils and others, and consult with representative bodies and other interested parties who work closely with young people.
Within the broadcasting and media sector, broadcasters, producers and industry bodies will be invited to submit their views, along with BBC managers and staff. The Trust will analyse all the evidence it collects and expects to publish its review in spring 2009.
News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
