News Broadcasting
DD’s DTH to expand bouquet to 50 channels in June
MUMBAI: DD Direct Plus, the direct-to-home (DTH) service of Prasar Bharati, will undergo its first phase of expansion in June this year. As per the plans, the number of TV channels on the DTH platform are being ramped up from 33 to 50 while the radio channels will go up from 12 to 20.
“DD Direct Plus will increase its strength from 33 channels to 50 channels by the end of June this year. The new channels joining the DTH platform will be from Hindi as well as the regional markets,” Doordarshan director general Navin Kumar tells indiantelevision.com. He, however, did not name the new channels which were hopping on to the DTH offering.
The private broadcasters joining the DD Direct Plus bouquet will be paying Prasar Bharati annual fees of Rs 10 million, according to Kumar. “Prasar Bharati charges the private broadcasters part of DD Direct Plus annual fees of Rs 10 million and this is applicable to even the new channels joining the DTH platform,” Kumar says.
In the second phase of expansion, DD Direct Plus will add up a further 50 channels to take the total DTH bouquet to 100 by the end of the year.
What about offering FM radio stations? There is no development yet on DD Direct Plus’ plan to sign FM radio stations, Kumar says. Under the present policy, FM radio stations can operate only within a particular geographical area and cannot have a pan-India presence. This had come as a stumbling block for Prasar Bharati when it planned to offer space to private FM channels in DD Direct Plus.
News Broadcasting
Network18 posts Rs 1,955 crore revenue, narrows FY26 losses
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.
