News Broadcasting
BBC asserts largest intl news channel in Asia Pacific status
MUMBAI: BBC World has been named the largest international news channel across four key markets in Asia Pacific, according to peoplemeter data for February 2004 in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore and South Korea.
BBC World has the biggest audience share and viewers watch the channel for longer than any other global news network.
The BBC’s commercially funded international 24-hour news and information channel has a 50 per cent share of international news channel viewership (of the three channels, BBC World, CNN and CNBC Asia) among the people in Asia Pacific measured in the Nielsen Media Research – as much as CNN and CNBC combined.
Among the AB social class and PMEBs (professionals, managers, executives and businessmen), BBC World also leads with 46 per cent.
Viewers watch BBC World for longer than either of its two main rivals. Each viewer spends an average of 56 minutes per week tuned into BBC World, and the average upscale viewer 79 minutes, both far longer than results for its competitors.
The research shows that BBC World’s total weekly reach in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore and South Korea had grown from 967,000 in October to 1,024,000 in February. This is an increase of six per cent; BBC World is the only news channel to show a rise. Of that figure, 531,000 – more than half – are “exclusive” viewers, who tune in to BBC World but do not watch CNN or CNBC at all.
BBC World head of research and planning Jeremy Nye says, “These impressive results confirm and update growth seen in the Pan Asia Cross Media Survey [PAX] and Asian Target Market Survey [ATMS]. We’ve been conducting our own research in Asia and Europe to try to understand what is contributing to this growth. It reveals the increasing salience to our viewers of such long-term global problems as conflicts, corruption, hunger and lack of education, and attempts to alleviate them. It also finds that viewers in Asia value channels with a global agenda and in-depth coverage – hence the popularity of BBC World.”
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.
