News Broadcasting
BBC Global News maintains record 233 million audience
MUMBAI: For the second year in succession, the BBC’s combined international news services attracted a global weekly audience of over 233 million during 2007/8, according to independent surveys.
The global audience figure for the combined services of BBC World Service radio, BBC World News television and the BBC’s international online news service bbcnews.com is up 23 million from 211 million two years ago.
BBC World Service’s weekly radio audience estimate is 182 million listeners a week across its 33 language services, down a million on last year’s record 183 million total. However its English language service attracted 40 million weekly listeners, up two million on last year.
Many people used more than one service. BBC World News – the commercially funded international English language news and information television channel – now has estimated record audiences of 78 million viewers a week, up two million on 2006/7.
The BBC’s international-facing online news sites – which include bbcnews.com and the Webby Award-winning bbcworldservice.co.uk – attracted 13 million weekly unique users.
BBC Global News director Richard Sambrook said, “Maintaining the BBC’s impact in this fiercely competitive global media marketplace for news services is a huge achievement.
“We are also pleased that the quality of our programmes and services have been recognised this year with four gold Sony Awards for BBC World Service radio programmes; a Webby for our online services and a prestigious Peabody Award for BBC World News.
“This demonstrates that people around the world still turn to the BBC when they need quality news and information that is independent and trusted.”
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.
