News Broadcasting
Anthony Salz is BBC vice-chairman
MUMBAI: Anthony Salz has been appointed as BBC’s vice-chairman and Richard Tait as a BBC governor.
Meanwhile, Dermot Gleeson has been re-appointed for a second four-year term of office as a governor.
Sir Robert Smith, national governor for Scotland will step down from the BBC Board of governors at the end of the year.
Salz and Tait will take up their posts on 1 August each for a four-year term. BBC chairman Michael Grade said, “Anthony Salz is among the most respected lawyers in British corporate life and will bring a wealth of experience to the BBC Board table. He is well qualified for the role of vice-chairman.
“Richard Tait’s experience of broadcast journalism, on the front line and in management, is second to none.His wise counsel will be particularly valuable as the BBC implements the recommendations of the Neil Report and the complaints handling review.”
Salz is currently the co-senior partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. He has been a solicitor since 1974 and joined Freshfields in 1975. His work has included projects in the broadcasting sector such as the merger of BSB with Sky. Tait was the editor-in-chief of ITN from 1995 to 2002, and editor of ITN’s Channel Four News from 1987 to 1995. Before joining ITN he had been editor of The Money Programme, Newsnight and the 1987 General Election Results Programme for BBC Television.
News Broadcasting
Network18 posts Rs 1,955 crore revenue, narrows FY26 losses
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.
