News Broadcasting
BBC celebrates 40 yrs of ‘Top of the Pops’ with viewers’ vote
LONDON: UK entertainment channel BBC Prime will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the music countdown show Top of the Pops with a special New Year’s Eve music countdown.
Throughout this month and December, BBC Prime viewers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa will be able to vote for their favourite music acts from a selection of pop classics from the past 40 years, through the BBC Prime website www.bbcprime.com/totp40.
The Top of the Pops anniversary special will be hosted for BBC Prime by singer Melanie C. She was formerly known as Sporty Spice from the international pop group Spice Girls.
This is the first time all BBC Prime viewers have been able to join in a single, international vote to decide scheduling.
An official release informs that BBC Prime’s Top of the Pops voting website enables BBC Prime viewers to watch clips of some of the biggest names in pop performing on the show over the past 40 years.
The artistes on display include Abba, Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Sting and Elton John. Viewers then vote for their favourite clips and can watch the New Year’s Eve special to see the results.
BBC Prime claims to be broadcasting to over 12 million subscribers in more than 100 countries and territories. Over 2200 hours of new programming are transmitted each year.
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.
