News Broadcasting
BBC’s new production fund for the UK
MUMBAI: Three UK production companies will be the first to benefit from a new BBC fund.
They are Twofour Productions, Pier Productions and Multi Media Arts. They had applied for the £100,000 You Don’t Need To Live In London fund.
The fund aims to boost regional production in the UK unearthing talent which would benefit hugely from a cash injection. The announcement followed a tough selection process which attracted applicants from throughout the UK. They had never previously produced network entertainment.
The above mentioned companies will be mentored by BBC Entertainment senior commissioning executive Alan Brown. They will develop and shape their ideas over the course of a year. Twofour Productions has made mostly leisure/lifestyle programmes with recent credits including Gardens Through Time (BBC Two), Accidents Can Happen (BBC One), The City Gardener (Channel 4).
Pier Productions was selected on the basis of its strong track record in radio production in drama, factual and comedy. Multi Media Arts makes factual and factual entertainment shows such as Reality Bites, Powerhouse and The Blizzard of Odd.
BBC Entertainment commissioning controller Jane Lush said, “We were all impressed by the quality of the applicants and the final decision was a hard one. Twofour Productions, Pier Productions and Multi Media Arts demonstrated creativity coupled with very promising ideas and I look forward to seeing our relationships develop over the next few months.”
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.
