News Broadcasting
BBC Magazines, Financial Times come out with publication
MUMBAI: BBC Magazines and Financial Times Business magazines in rhe UK have joined forces to create a personal finance magazine that can save each reader up to ?115,000 if they follow the expert advice inside.
How To Be Better Off combines the consumer affairs expertise of major BBC television, radio and internet brands with the financial acumen of FT Business and aims to provide guidance and information for those who are interested in personal financial management but find current sources of advice in the market daunting.
British television talent share their best-kept financial secrets with readers. Radio 4’s You and Yours presenter Liz Barclay demonstrates how you can pay off your mortgage in five years; BBC Two’s Bank of Mum and Dad financial adviser Lawrence Gold reveals how to get out of debt quickly; and BBC One’s To Buy Or Not To Buy presenter Melissa Porter shows how adding a room to your property can substantially increase its value.
There are also contributions from BBC Two’s Working Lunch anchorman Adrian Chiles, Radio 4’s Alvin Hall, Duncan Bannatyne, Peter Jones from The Dragon’s Den, Alan Sugar from the Apprentice and many more. How To Be Better Off also features a BBC TV and radio section focusing on the best financial and lifestyle advice programmes coming up in the autumn – as well as key financial dates to remember. There’s even a pull-out pension, budget and tax figures calculator section.
BBC Magazines publisher Brian Whittaker says: “How To Be Better Off will take up a unique position in the personal finance market. Intrinsically linked to BBC programming output, I know it will be welcomed by those crying out for straightforward and practical personal finance advice that’s easy to understand, easy to act upon and not time-consuming to follow.”
FT Business publishing director Mark Cunnington says, “How To Be Better Off’s mission to help readers better organise their financial affairs in order to improve their quality of life will change the face of the personal finance magazine market. The magazine’s practical, approachable and user-friendly style will encourage more people to take an interest in their finances and manage them more effectively. Combining this with two publishing companies renowned for trust, integrity and independence will create a successful formula.”
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.
