News Broadcasting
Basu to do ‘University Challenge’ for BBC World
MUMBAI: The master of quiz is back with a new one.
Siddhartha Basu may be taking longer to decide on the kind of show he wants to do with Doordarshan, but his plan of action for the next series on BBC World is ready. After the unmitigated success of Mastermind India, a delightful exercise in some serious intellectual sparring, Basu is set to launch University Challenge on the satellite channel in August.
This year, Mastermind India takes a break, according to Synergy, Basu’s production company. The groundwork is ready and Basu’s team is now sending out calls for entries to participate in the contest through leading dailies. The all India inter college TV quiz requires participants to be over 18, top quizzers, part of a four member team nominated to represent their college or university, and need to be bona fide students of colleges affiliated to universities/ deemed universities recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
University Challenge has been running on BBC UK for the last 40 years as the licensed version of the American programme, College Bowl. The series will have its first ever telecast on BBC World in India, starting August 7, 2003, with Indian teams and an added bonus of five special episodes featuring top British University Challenge teams. A total of 32 episodes will be telecast.
University Challenge in India will be planned as a nationwide search for the brightest and best-informed college students in the country in 27 Indian knock out rounds, according to Synergy.
University Challenge is a prime time, elimination quiz show where the best quizzing teams from prime university colleges across India vie for top honours in a head to head challenge with opponent college teams. The four special episodes consisting of winning teams from the British University Challenge will be pitted against the top quizzing teams from Indian colleges. The series will end with a grand final between the Indian University Challenge winning team of this year and the winning team of the UK University Challenge. The British teams will be flown down by British Council India to participate in the recordings in Delhi.
Each episode of University Challenge will feature two teams of four members each.
A typical question answer sequence will comprise of a ‘Starter’ question, which will be open to all eight contestants. Whichever contestant buzzes in the answer to the ‘Starter’ question correctly, his/her team is asked three linked bonus questions, of a specified subject field. This sequence of question answers will be repeated as many number of times as the duration of the episode (i.e. 26 minutes) permits.
The series would cover the gamut of sports, theatre, technology, industries, films, music, dance, science and medicine, television, advertising, art and literature, destinations, cuisine and many more areas.
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.
