GECs
A busy year for newspapers around the world
NEW DELHI: Though the entire world is being overtaken by a convergence wave riding on the wings of digital technology, those in the newspaper industry are trying their best to keep the print medium alive through various methods including tackling newer subjects or blending newer technologies.
The World Association of Newspapers has slated a large number of events this year to keep alive the spirit of reading, which continues to grow despite the growth of television and the Internet.
A World Newspaper Advertising Conference and Expo is being held on February 22 and 23 in Zurich (Switzerland) to examine what newspapers are doing to increase advertising revenues and market share. The meet is being hosted by Swiss Press.
Early next month, there is a meet on ‘Digital Winners – Mobile Strategies for Newspapers’ in Oslo (Norway). Hosted by Telenor Broadcast and to be held on March 8 and 9, the meet will focus on how newspapers can follow the strategic lessons from mobile, Television and internet to make money from digital media. The conference will highlight what mobile solutions are available and why these have to be included in multi-media strategies. Subjects to be covered include ‘Mobile marketing; experiences and success stories’, ‘The digital user revolution’, and ‘Disruptive changes in the media industry’, ‘Adopting to the new business environment’.
The Seventh World Young Reader Conference and Expo from March 25 to 28 in Washington will explore the full range of new strategies and tactics newspapers for reaching young readers who are accustomed to getting their news and information through non-traditional means. Hosted by the Newspaper Association of America Foundation, the meet will feature speakers from around the world. Studies will include those of cases of how newspapers learned to think young throughout the organisation without alienating the core readership both in print and via other multi-media channels, ‘Connecting a social network generation to our paper: how we did it’, ‘Myspace.com in print: how we did it’, and ‘Newspapers in Education (NIE) that works: How to get started or get even better in this core strategy for anyone who still wants to be doing print in 15 years’.
The Sixtieth World Newspaper Congress, the 14th World Editors Forum, and Info Services Expo 2007, are being held in Cape Town from June 3 to 6. Hosted by the Newspaper Association of South Africa, the meet will discuss “Quality Journalism in the Digital Age” in nine sessions and eleven social events. Subjects include ‘The multi-newspaper newsroom is born!’ talking of the first newspapers that manage merged newsrooms, ‘Integrated newsrooms: what print does best and what online does best’ with examples of working mergers between print and online newsrooms, ‘Sharing best practices: five examples of newspaper cooperation’ where five prominent editors from around the world will present new ways of cooperative work among newsrooms and ‘Reuters Master Class on Web 2.0: is user generated content bringing anything new to news?’ by Reuters which is a partner of the 2007 Forum.
Other events include the Third Middle East Publishing Conference is to be held on April 17 and 18 in Dubai on “The Middle East – The New Newspaper Revolution” to explore the rapid change occurring to newspapers in the region and around the world, and the World Digital Publishing Conference and Expo and World Editor and Marketeer Conference & Expo will be held from October 17 to 19 in Amsterdam (The Netherlands).
GECs
Sahara One reports financial results, notes director exit and business realignment
Muted revenues, steady expenses and strategic adjustments shape company’s current phase
MUMBAI: In a tale where the sands seem to be slipping faster than they can be gathered, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited has reported another quarter of wafer-thin income and widening losses, even as a boardroom exit adds to the unease.
The company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that its board, in a meeting held on April 4, approved its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2025. The numbers paint a stark picture. Total income for the quarter stood at just Rs 0.13 lakh, unchanged sequentially and sharply down from Rs 0.26 lakh a year earlier.
Losses, meanwhile, deepened. The company posted a net loss of Rs 24.16 lakh for the quarter, compared to Rs 18.81 lakh in the June quarter and Rs 39.69 lakh in the same period last year. For the six months ended September 2025, the cumulative loss stood at Rs 39.69 lakh, while the full-year loss for FY25 was reported at Rs 60.72 lakh.
Expenses continued to outweigh income by a wide margin. Total expenses for the quarter came in at Rs 24.30 lakh, led by employee benefit costs of Rs 6.51 lakh and other expenses of Rs 17.78 lakh. Earnings per share remained in the red at Rs (0.11) for the quarter.
The balance sheet reflects a company with significant assets on paper but limited operational momentum. Total assets stood at Rs 23,065.57 lakh as of September 30, 2025, broadly unchanged from March 2025. Equity share capital remained steady at Rs 2,152.50 lakh, while total equity was reported at Rs 18,004.85 lakh.
Cash and cash equivalents saw a modest uptick to Rs 6.75 lakh from Rs 4.68 lakh earlier, supported by a positive operating cash flow of Rs 180.01 lakh for the period.
Yet, beneath these numbers lies a more complex narrative. The company’s auditors flagged their inability to obtain sufficient evidence to form a conclusion on the financial statements, citing lack of access to records. They also raised concerns over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, pointing to insufficient funds, delayed recoveries, and stalled content investments.
Adding to the governance overhang, the company disclosed that Rana Zia has resigned as whole-time director, effective October 16, 2025, citing other professional commitments. The resignation, noted and accepted by the board, also brings an end to her role across company committees.
Regulatory pressures continue to loom large. The Securities and Exchange Board of India has already initiated penal actions for non-compliance with listing norms, with trading in the company’s shares remaining suspended. There is also a risk of promoter demat accounts being frozen.
Legacy legal issues remain unresolved. A substantial deposit of Rs 694,027.88 thousand linked to the long-running OFCD dispute involving Sahara group entities is still under the purview of the Supreme Court of India. Restrictions on asset disposal continue to weigh on the company’s financial flexibility.
Operationally, challenges persist across multiple fronts. Advances worth Rs 1,92,916 thousand given for film content remain stuck, with delays in project completion and uncertain recoverability. The company’s YouTube channel, despite being operational, has generated no revenue for over three years due to compliance lapses. In a further twist, management has indicated that revenues may have been fraudulently diverted through unauthorised changes to its AdSense account, with a police complaint in the works.
There are also missed revenue opportunities. Television content rights continue to be used by a related party despite the expiry of the licence agreement, with fresh negotiations still underway.
For now, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited appears caught between legacy disputes and present-day operational hurdles. As losses linger and governance questions mount, the road to recovery looks less like a sprint and more like a slow trudge through shifting sands.
