News Broadcasting
Archer Media to launch 2 IPTV channels in China
MUMBAI: Archer Entertainment Media Communications Inc. will open its Beijing, China offices amid preparations to begin broadcasting of China’s first television-over-the-Internet (IPTV) channels exclusively for the Chinese people both within China, and Chinese Living Abroad (CLA) of over 30 million Chinese living around the world.
As per an official release, Jun Chen, Archer VP of business development, China, will direct Archer’s activities in China.
China Broadcast Live (CBL) and the PCO TV (People of Chinese Origin) channel targets a potential audience of a billion consumers and follows the inauguration of Archer Media and IndiaTVLive’s PIO TV (People of Indian Origin) via IPTV protocol, in New Delhi, on 17 August, 2006.
India TV Live and PIO TV are the first Internet television channels exclusively for the Indian diaspora community. Archer’s IPTV ventures in Asia heralds many more entertainment products to come from Archer Media, the release adds.
“Archer’s pioneering success in Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) places Archer Media in the forefront of the burgeoning global revolution in content delivery via the Internet,” says Archer CEO Michael Selsman. Archer Media will partner with Bangkok-based Buzz Technologies Inc to provide a state of the art experience for IPTV viewers.
Buzz Technologies has recently formed an alliance with Nero www.nero.com and a number of China based Manufacturers of Mobile Handsets and Computer Hardware, details of the agreements are expected to be made public in the coming week. Buzz will deliver IPTV over a range of devices including Smart Phones and PDAs.
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.
