News Broadcasting
Al Jazeera hosts international television production festival from 27 March
MUMBAI: The second Al Jazeera International Television Production Festival, under the patronage of the chairman of the board of directors, Aljazeera Network H E Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, is to be held from 27 to 30 March at the Doha Sheraton.
The festival’s aims is to promote better cooperation and understanding among people and cultures, by offering a platform for cross-cultural communication and interaction, as well as bringing the work of independent film makers to the forefront.
In a press conference Al Jazeera channel’s public relations and media department director Jassim Ibrahim Fakhroo, managing director’s administrative assistant Mohamed B al-Sada, and Al Jazeera Production Centre’s director Abbas Arnaout outlined the networks plans for the festival.
The competition will cover four categories: Documentaries that portray facts through the use of video tape or cinema technology; Current Affairs including investigative programmes that tackle political or social issues with analysis of their various aspects; and features that convey a clear picture of an event. There is also an opportunity to promote a channel or a programme through promotion category.
As many as 94 films from various countries will be screened at the festival “This includes 34 films in the competition section, and Chinese, Iranian, French, and Latin American films,” officials told a press conference.
The competition films are from satellite channels, television stations, production institutions and independent filmmakers. Gold, silver and bronze awards will be provided to the following categories: 3 for non-Arabic documentary films; 3 for non-Arabic investigative reports; 3 for non-Arabic features, 3 for Arabic documentary films; 3 for Arabic investigative reports; 3 for Arabic features and 3 for promotions.
“A salient feature of the festival is that entry is free to all screenings,” the officials explained. The competition films are being shown in Sheraton’s Majlis hall from 28 to 30 April, whereas others would be screened in Salwa 1, 2 and 3 halls, starting from 10 am and going on up to 10.15 pm.
Last year’s golden award winning films are to be shown on 28 March. They are ‘Road to a Lesser Sunset,’ ‘El-Tantora,’ and ‘Living Among Us,’ all in Arabic with subtitles in English. There will also be a book fair in which Arabic and non-Arabic books, and documentaries on CDs will be available to the public.
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.
