News Broadcasting
BBC Two’s Jane Root to join Discovery
MUMBAI: BBC Two channel’s controller Jane Root is to leave BBC to join Discovery Networks as executive vice president and general manager of the Discovery Channel in the US.
First female channel controller in the history of BBC television, Root will leave the BBC in mid-May.
BBC director of television Jana Bennett said: “Jane is an exceptional creative talent, who has inspired programme makers – both in house and independent – to deliver bigger and better ideas for the audience.”
“From The Office to Great Britons and Eroica, Jane’s energy and passionate commitment to backing the best talent and developing the most ambitious programmes are very much in evidence on the screen. And, with programmes like Restoration and The Big Read, she also pushed for them to have a life beyond the screen and took them out into communities across the UK.”
Speaking about Root’s contribution in an official press release Bennette said: “Jane’s contribution to BBC TWO, steering it to two Channel of the Year awards, and to BBC television as a whole has been enormous and I warmly wish her well in her new role at Discovery. However, I don’t feel that this is really a departure. Although she won’t be with us in the UK, her presence in Washington will strengthen the thriving partnership between the BBC and Discovery in the US. We look forward to continuing to work with her in the future,” she added.
According to BBC acting director general Mark Byford, “Jane Root has been an outstanding creative leader of BBC Two spearheading a wide range of outstanding landmark programmes and events and original work across drama, factual, comedy, current affairs and music. We all wish her well with her new job and thank her for her brilliant contribution, while here at the BBC.”
Announcing her appointment, Root commented: “It’s been the worst kept secret in the whole of British television, but I can finally confirm that I am leaving BBC Two for Discovery. It was a hard decision to make, leaving the BBC and BBC Two in particular will be difficult. Two is a very hard channel to say goodbye to: it’s got such a strong personality, and so many brilliant people contribute to it. I’ve completely loved the past five years.”
“But Discovery is also a great place, and a special partner to the BBC, so I am really excited about the challenges ahead.”
The channel will soon be inviting applications for the post vacate via press advertisement, says a company release.
According to media reports, Root joined the BBC in 1997 to set up and head the newly-formed Independent Commissioning Group (ICG), which worked with independent production companies. During her tenure ICG brought many hit shows to the BBC, including The Cops, Dinnerladies and The Naked Chef. She joined BBC Two as controller in January 1999.
Previously Root had been joint managing director production company, Wall To Wall Television, a company she co-founded. She was responsible for both the creative and business development of all commissions and, over 10 years, oversaw numerous highly successful programmes including The Media Show, Eat Your Greens/Grow Your Greens, Sophie’s Meat Course, Rwandan Stories and The Garden Guru.
Prior to her television career, Root as a freelance journalist and film critic, worked at The Guardian, New Statesman and a range of film and women’s magazines.
Besides, she has contributed to several books on film and is the author of Pictures of Women (1981) and Open the Box: About Television (1983).
Jane has also lectured in Film Studies (1981-84) and was the manager of the film distribution company, Cinema For Women (1981-83).
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.
