News Broadcasting
BBC Magazines to launch girls’ lifestyle magazine ‘Amy’
MUMBAI: BBC Magazines in the UK will add to its pre-teen portfolio of titles when it launches Amy, a lifestyle magazine for 5-8 year old girls next month.
With lots to read and do, Amy will feature many popular CBBC brands including Tracey Beaker, Blue Peter, Smart and Really Wild Show and will be designed to provide interactive activities and entertainment for young girls.
With CBBC content at it core, Amy will also feature a range of other topics, including film, arts and crafts, stories, puzzles, dancing and quizzes. The 32-page magazine will be published every three weeks, with each issue carrying a high quality cover mounted gift as well as featuring competitions with prizes.
BBC further says that a strong colour palette with familiar icons and fonts will give the magazine a distinct identity. Extensive research with parents and children in the pre-teen age group showed there was a strong opportunity to develop a magazine for 5-8 year olds, with a different positioning to existing magazines in the market. Amy has been designed to combine the world of young childhood play, whilst acknowledging the needs of maturing pre-teens.
BBC Magazines youth and children MD Toni Round says: “With only one other title in the market for this age group, our research showed there was a real need for a new magazine for this transitional group. During this period, 5-8 year old girls are discovering more about the world around them and learning new skills, particularly reading.
“Amy will help them develop these skills, with content that is designed specifically for them. We know that they have grown out of the pre-school titles in the market but are still very much little girls who are not yet ready for older magazines like Girl Talk. Amy will give them ‘their own’ magazine that reflects their world.
“During research, a magazine concept fulfilling these needs received an incredibly positive response and was heavily endorsed by mums, as well as girls. As with all our Youth and Children’s magazines, we will ensure that readers get the most out of Amy in terms of fun, learning, and stimulating activities to sustain their interest and also satisfy mum’s needs.”
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.
