News Broadcasting
BBC current affairs veteran Robinson to call it a day
MUMBAI: UK pubcaster BBC’s current afairs veteran Mike Robinson has decided to step down as editor of the Panorama block. He is retiring from the BBC after spending 25 years with the organisation. He has been the editor of the BBC’s flagship current affairs strand for more than five years.
He and his team have produced many shows including the story of the row between the government and BBC which culminated in the death of David Kelly, which won the RTS Home Current Affairs journalism award and was the first of a number of Panoramas examining the government’s case for war.
Other programmes include John Simpson and Tom Giles’s tale of death by friendly fire in the Iraq war, which won the RTS International programme award; and the trilogy of investigations into the anti-depressant Seroxat, which had a significant impact on both the programme’s audiences and the field of drug policy and regulation.
Panorama’s RTS award winning investigation into corruption in horse racing also had significant impact, forcing the Jockey Club to hold an internal enquiry and strengthen its security measures. Before joining Panorama, Robinson had worked in a variety of roles including Editor of the One O’Clock News and News Editor across BBC TV News as a whole.
After joining Panorama as a film-maker in 1992, he produced a number of documentaries, including The Story of Child B; Valentina’s Story and When Good Men do Nothing on the genocide in Rwanda, and the famous Martin Bashir interview with Princess Diana. The latter recorded one of the largest TV audiences in BBC history and picked up a Bafta, one of two which he won.
BBC News director Helen Boaden said, “Mike’s passion for Panorama and his commitment to serious current affairs have made him an outstanding Editor of the series over many years. He’s never been afraid of tackling vested interests, current orthodoxies and unfashionable issues and subjecting them to rigorous, scrutiny and appraisal. We shall miss his vision and his tenacity very much and wish him good fortune in the coming years.”
Robinson said, “I am delighted to have been worked for so many years with a talented Panorama team still committed to producing ambitious and significant television journalism across a broad agenda. With its public funding, the BBC still occupies a privileged position within British society and I greatly appreciate the backing I’ve enjoyed for the difficult and challenging journalism for which I have had responsibility. After 25 years with one broadcaster, I relish the challenges and opportunities that the future holds.”
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.
