News Broadcasting
Public Service Broadcasting Day tomorrow
NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati will observe 12 November, as done every year, as the Public Service Broadcasting Day. It is on this day in 1947, Mahatma Gandhi visited the studios of All India Radio, for one and the only time to broadcast his message of peace to the people of Kurukshetra.
To commemorate the occasion, Doordarshan Kendra, Delhi is a organizing a Festival of Films in New Delhi on 11 and 12 November.
Keeping in mind its public service mandate, the films chosen for the festival represent the plurality of thought and ideas of multi cultural society. The films at the same time also represent the range and variety of subjects that Doordarshan has set for itself, an official release states.
Known Unto God produced by Doordarshan Kendra Imphal captures the conflict in the North Eastern region with an underlying message that peace and amity are essential for the growth and development of individuals as well as society.
My Soul My Passion from Doordarshan Kendra Thiruvananthapuram captures the many hues of the culture of Kerala.
The Hamlet of Mountain Monarch, another film from Doordarshan Kendra Thiruvananthapuram, documents the habitat of a wild deer in the hills of Kerala.
The Back Stage Boys is a documentary on illegal emigration of third world citizens to the developed countries and the trauma associated with it. This documentary has been produced by the Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT).
A number of experts have been invited for interactive sessions with students of mass communication, journalism and other related fields. The Film Festival was inaugurated by S Sundresan, member (finance), Prasar Bharati Corporation at 3 pm today. K Tlanthanga, deputy director general, Doordarshan presided over the inaugural function.
Tomorrow, information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj will release a special cover on the occasion of the Platinum Jubilee of Broadcasting in India. Ramesh Bais, minister of state for information and broadcasting, will preside over the function to be held at the LTG Auditorium, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi.
As part of the events commemorating the day the Broadcast Engineering Society (India) has organized a public service broadcasting lecture at the India Habitat Centre, in which the Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma and the Times of India executive managing editor, Dileep Padgaonkar, will speak.
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.
