News Broadcasting
Al Jazeera to launch documentary channel on 1 January
MUMBAI: Middle East broadcaster Al Jazeera Network has announced that it will launch its documentary channel on 1 January.
The broadcaster is looking at the channel to champion the promotion of documentary culture in the Arabic world and beyond. From its unique position, Al Jazeera Documentary will pay particular attention to the Middle East with a special focus on the cultural diversity of its societies.
As the first service of its kind in the region, Al Jazeera Documentary will broadcast programmes focussed on different aspects of human activity including social, political, cultural, scientific, historical, and environmental.
The channel, which will broadcast in Arabic, will sponsor talent and work in partnership with the documentary industry and filmmakers across the world to develop programmes.
Al Jazeera Network DG Wadah Khanfar said, “Building on the spirit of Al Jazeera, the Documentary Channel will focus on under-reported stories in the region and elsewhere. It will open a new window on the human experience wherever it might be, and provide another avenue for mutual understanding between peoples and cultures. As a natural evolutionary step for the Network, the Documentary Channel will extend the vision and mission of Al Jazeera and complement what we have accomplished over the last ten years.”
Al Jazeera Documentary will present the other side of reality, the side that transcends the immediacy of news coverage and digs deep into the heart of human stories. Its informative and educational approach will be driven by hope and the broader human horizon focusing on issues that are usually marginalised and ignored.
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.
