News Broadcasting
BBC journalists win medical journalism awards in the UK
MUMBAI: BBC journalists bagged four prizes at the Norwich Union Healthcare Medical Journalism Awards 2005 in the UK a few days ago. It won prizes for television and radio in both the regional and national categories.The awards are administered in conjunction with UK’s Medical Journalists’ Association.
BBC Radio 4’s Matthew Hill took the prize in the Broadcast Radio (National) category for a report on out of hours GPs and was presented with his award at a ceremony in London.
Fellow Radio 4 reporter John Waite received a special commendation in the same category for Face the Facts.
BBC News’ Medical Correspondent Fergus Walsh took the prize in the Broadcast Television (National) category for a report into polio in Nigeria.Walsh said, “I was delighted to have won, and in particular for a report on polio, which is an important issue and does not get a great deal of publicity. I hope the report went some way to raising awareness and helps in the battle to eradicate the disease.”
Fellow BBC Scotland journalist Richard Wilson took first place in the Broadcast Radio (Regional) category for a report on 50 years of the Pill.
Among the other winners were,Panorama reporter Liz Bloor who also received a special commendation in the same category for her report in Secret Nurse and The Frontline Scotland team – reporter Ross McWilliam, producer Stephen Magee and researcher Claire Bothwell – were the winners in the Broadcast Television (Regional) category for a piece on the real cost of care.
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.
