News Broadcasting
BBC America is co-producing TV drama ‘Sharpe’s Challenge’ in India
MUMBAI: BBC America and Picture Palace Productions will co-produce the two part television miniseries Sharpe’s Challenge which will star Sean Bean who played the villain in the Bond film Goldeneye. The miniseries will be shot in India in Rajasthan from 3 November 2005 till Christmas and tells a story set during the time of the British Raj.
Written by Russell Lewis and produced by Malcolm Craddock and Muir Sutherland, Sharpe’s Challenge sees Sean Bean reprising his role as the swashbuckling hero. This is a prequel to the television series which had a succesful run in the UK on ITV and other territories in the 1990’s. In the story of the new project a year after Wellington crushes Napoleon at Waterloo, dispatches from India tell of a local Maharaja who is threatening British interests there. Wellington sends Sharpe to investigate on what turns out to be his most dangerous mission to date.
When a general’s daughter is kidnapped by an Indian warlord, the tension mounts, leaving Sharpe no option but to pursue the enemy right into its deadly lair. Deep in the heart of enemy territory he also has to keep at bay the beautiful but scheming Regent, Madhuvanthi, who is out to seduce him. the production crew will take advantage of
fort and palace locations that will showcase Rajasthan’s exotic locales. Needless to state there will be fight sequences featuring thousands of extras.
BBC Worldwide has completed a deal with Celtic Films Entertainment / Picture Palace Films to distribute both the ITV1 drama and the above mentioned international version of Sharpe’s Challenge. BBC Worldwide head of commercial development, independents Matt Forde said, “We are delighted that we have agreed a deal to distribute Sharpe’s Challenge. We feel this has all the ingredients to be a major international hit and we are thrilled to be taking Sharpe to the global market.”
Producers Muir Sutherland and Malcolm Craddock said, “We are excited to be making a new Sharpe production on location in India and are delighted that it will be shown in the UK on ITV1 and in the USA on BBC America. We also look forward to working closely with BBC Worldwide and 2|entertain in maximising Sharpe’s international value.” Meanwhile Bean who has gone on to star in high profile Hollywood films like Flightplan opposite Jodie Foster which will be released in India in a few days time is said to be keen to reprise his role as Sharpe.
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.
