News Broadcasting
3G phone-enabled Chinese drama series to launch in Singapore
MUMBAI: The broadcast world and telecom operators are keen on joining hands to churn out content for third-generation phones to offer entertainment clips.
China’s state-owned television firm Mediacorp and Singapore’s media regulator Media Authority of Singapore will release a Chinese drama series on 3G phones by the end of June before screening the show on television.
The drama series PSI Luv U features Asian heartthrobs like Roy Chiu and Chen Yi Rong as well as popular MediaCorp artistes. The show is slated to launch in Singapore by the beginning of 2006.
PS I Luv U will also be streamed by regional telecom operators on mobile handsets in other parts of Asia, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia, according to media reports.
Unlike traditional TV content, the production of 3G mobile content takes into account the unique characteristics of video streaming and factors such as visual composition on mobile screens, the length of each episode and the highs and lows in the plot development.
Mediacorp plans to produce at least 10 3G drama series totalling over 200 mini-episodes next year. Mediacorp also has plans to export several of its original entertainment programme formats to broadcasters around the world.
Last year, Twentieth Century Fox created a series of one minute dramas based on the show 24 exclusively for high-speed wireless services being offered by mobile major Vodafone.
The mobisodes, as they’re being called, were introduced in May 2005.
In 2001, Japan’s NTT DoCoMo was the first operator in the world to launch its 3G service. But the service failed to take off in a big way because of poor geographical coverage, sluggish feeds and pricey handsets.
Across the world, broadcast and cable networks have jumped onto the 3G bandwagon, rushing to churn out content for mobile phones and collaborating with telecom operators to provide entertainment clips that can be aired over the wireless network.
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.
