News Broadcasting
3 DD channels to be on 3G cell phones globally
NEW DELHI: Media barons Rupert Murdoch and Subhash Chandra believe that the rules of television are changing as consumer demands change with the advent of digital media.
So does Indian pubcaster Prasar Bharati, which manages the world’ biggest terrestrial network Doordarshan and its sibling All India Radio.
Three Doordarshan channels would now be available on all 3G mobile phones globally from April-end, according to a senior executive of Prasar Bharati.
“We have tied up with First Serve Entertainment (former Indian tennis star Vijay Amritraj’s US-based company) to make available DD National, DD Bharati and DD News on all 3G mobile handsets all over the world Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma said today.
The agreement with FSE is non-exclusive, leaving Prasar Bharati to enter into similar deals with other companies. However, the revenue generated from this distribution pact would be shared equally between FSE and DD, Sarma added.
DD launches SMS & IVR-based services
DD has also joined hands with ACL Wireless Ltd to launch SMS (short text messages sent over cell phones) and IVR-based interactive services.
The services will be available over the short code 676733 where the last two digits, 33, stand for DD.
As part of this partnership, DD launched an SMS-based news service, adding to the other interactive services that it has via ACLs India6767 platform.
ACL Wireless Ltd, a developer and provider of cutting-edge wireless solutions for consumers and enterprises, has won this contract from DD for a period of three years.
Under the contract, ACL will design, install and manage the services, which, in turn, will be made available to more than 400 million viewers of DD across the country.
ACL offers this service through a fully-hosted multi-modal platform, which is connected to all mobile operators in India. “The DD tie-up is significant as it further consolidates our presence in the wireless domain,” according to ACL Wireless president Atanu Mandal.
DD has used ACLs services for a variety of programmes like contest during cricket matches and in shows like Super Hit Muqabla, Wheel Smart Shrimati, Gen Next and Total Health.
According to DD, interactivity is being proposed to be extended to subjects like stock market alerts, board exam results, video clips of news headlines and SMS-based greetings service for DD News users.
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.
