News Broadcasting
BBC Trust finds merit in commissioning decisions
MUMBAI: The BBC Trust has completed its first biennial review into the operation of UK pubcaster the BBC’s “Window of Creative Competition” (WOCC).
The review found that the WOCC is working well and commissioning decisions are being made on merit with no obvious bias towards in-house teams or independent producers. The review was led by BBC Trustee Rotha Johnston.
Johnston said, “The public judge the BBC on the quality of its programmes. For the BBC to produce a wide range of high quality and distinctive programmes, the commissioning process needs to work effectively. Our review has shown that in its first year, the WOCC has worked well.”
Elaborating upon the review, Johnston stated, “The review found that commissioning decisions are being made on merit, with independent producers doing well in the WOCC’s first year. Meanwhile the BBC’s in-house teams are responding positively to the challenge of increased competition. Everyone wants the best programmes to be commissioned and there is evidence that the WOCC is playing a part in achieving this.”
Some of the findings of the review are:
– The WOCC is working well and commissioning decisions are being made on merit with no obvious bias towards in-house teams or independent producers.
– Commissioners are seen as being open to good ideas regardless of where they come from.
– Independent producers welcome the WOCC but needed more information about its operation.
– There is a reasonable spread of opportunities across genres and by audience, cost, and geographic area.
– Independent producers have won three quarters of the opportunities under the WOCC, performing particularly strongly in children’s, knowledge, entertainment and comedy.
The Trust has made a number of recommendations to improve the operation of the WOCC. These recommendations are designed to make the WOCC more open, transparent and accessible, as well as ensuring the commissioning process is operating as efficiently as possible.
These recommendations are:
There should be clearer information and guidance about the WOCC’s operation, the scope of opportunities available and role of the e-commissioning system.
The BBC should consider how the principles of the WOCC can be better applied to sport. There should be more sharing of best practice across genres.
The BBC should consider adopting better labelling of programmes, to make clear which programmes have come from different commissioning routes in order to better assess the operation of the WOCC in the future.
The BBC should consider how it can offer independent producers a better understanding of audience data.
The BBC should review its handling arrangements for complaints about the process.
The Trust has asked the BBC Executive for an initial report on these recommendations by November 2008.
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.
