News Broadcasting
5Fad partners with BrainMedia to launch mobile streaming service in China
MUMBAI: 5Fad, the web site of digital music service in China, has announced that it has signed a partnership contract with BrainMedia LLC. (music hookup) to launch a mobile streaming service that will enable customers in China to enjoy 3G quality services on their existing 2.5G data network.
Currently, 5Fad has released a music wireless search and music streaming service and will be beta testing in a controlled test group environment. Users only need to download the 5Player in order to enjoy stereo CD quality music from their mobile handset.
BrainMedia CEO Jim Herbert said, “The mobile handset has become the focus of the personal multimedia experience. This 5Fad/BrainMedia Mobile Streaming Service is one of the most important developments for the wireless value-added service industry. We look forward to joining 5Fad in opening up China’s vast market and become the leader in this market.”
5Fad CEO Duanping Wu added, “China is the biggest wireless communication market, having over 500 million mobile subscribers, achieving above 40 per cent of the global market share. The Mobile Music market is estimated to grow its revenue over tens of billions RMB. With the 3G deployment, more and more domestic companies will enter this market and face fierce competition. Now 5Fad has actively seized the first position in the 2.5G mobile streaming service market. So its future will be very promising.”
The official commercial release of the mobile streaming music service using the 5Player will be in the first quarter of 2007.
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.
