News Broadcasting
ABU uses BroadcastAsia as venue for workshop on audio heritage protection
MUMBAI: At a workshop held at last month’s BroadcastAsia 2004, techniques of protecting and restoring audio heritage material in the region were discussed by three experts.
These material exist with many broadcasters in the region in media such as old shellac discs, phonographic records, audio tapes and optical carriers, which have suffered damage due to ageing, poor storage conditions and bad handling.
The speakers discussed techniques of cleaning and restoring these disks, tapes and CDs. It is estimated that there are 300,000 cylinders, 10 million shellac discs, 4 million instantaneous discs and 25 million vinyl discs, and around 100 million hours of audio on tapes in existence.
The transfer of audio material from these formats is time consuming (estimates three times the duration of the material) and needs to be done at the best possible quality. CDs, though commonly believed to be robust, are not free from damage due to mishandling and poor storage conditions. One message that was conveyed at the session was that transfer technologies may improve over time, so Keep The Originals wherever possible.
In adtion there was a demonstration of electronic audio restoration using specialised equipment. The equipment used was Cedar from UK. It was impressive how well old audio material with a lot of noise, clicks and crackles was cleaned in real time. Specifically, an audio recording transferred from a broken record (but pasted together to recover audio) was cleaned removing the thumps that was produced when the stylus went over the join.
One message that came from this session was that material should be archived without being passed through any such digital restoration processes. Restoration technologies are constantly being improved and developed so that future restoration will need audio in the original state to achieve the best possible result. Digital restoration is recommended for restoring material for immediate use.
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.
