News Broadcasting
Orange, Endemol bring ringtone chart to UK telly
MUMBAI: Orange and Endemol are teaming up to produce a network ITV series called Orange Playlist, according to reports appearing in a section of the European media.
Orange has struck a deal with ITV1 and the production company behind Big Brother, Endemol, to screen the music chart of mobile ringtones. The weekly show – Orange Playlist – will be paid for in part by the France Telecom-parented mobile operator and would be coming to UK TV screens from the end of next month.
The show will air in a late-night slot from 23 September and is scheduled to run for six months. Each episode will feature an interview with a celebrity on five songs they have chosen in five predefined categories: the past, the present, the future, a dedication and the celebrity’s all-time favourite track.
The relevant music videos will be played around their choices and the format will also include a run-down of the top fives in the singles, download and ringtones charts.
The show aims at a younger audience and viewers will be encouraged to send texts and picture messages to the programme with the best appearing on screen.
The Orange Playlist isn’t the first attempt to capitalise on music’s success – ringtone sales now beat CD single sales – in new media formats. Virgin and Napster announced last week they would be offering an online music chart, to hit the market just days before the Beeb’s own download offering.
The emergence of new ringtone and music download charts confirms the rising importance of these media, which are growing rapidly at the expense of CD sales.
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.
