News Broadcasting
BBC promotes Arabic FM service through billboard
MUMBAI: The BBC is the first international broadcaster to win permission for a billboard in Baghdad. After months of negotiation with pre- and post-handover of Iraqi authorities, the 14×4 meter billboard, promoting BBC Arabic radio and online, has been erected on top of a large office building in the commercial Al Mansour district.
Promoting the BBC’s 89FM frequency with the strapline, ‘The World, Your News in Arabic’, the campaign reinforces the importance Iraqi people place on impartial and objective news from the BBC. Over 3.3 million people in Iraq are now listening to the BBC in Arabic, many of them tuning into the seven new FMs the BBC has launched across the country, informs the official release.
BBC World Service International marketing head Jane Futrell says, “It has been a real challenge for the team getting a billboard into Iraq, the timing and location took months to negotiate but research proves our audience is growing rapidly on FM. There is a need for impartial international news and it is important people know how to access us.”
The billboard is sited above an optician and is the latest stage in the BBC’s ongoing marketing campaign in Iraq. The other activity includes a map/ calendar for Baghdad residents and print advertising to promote the new FM frequencies in the Iraqi national daily Azzaman and a range of pan-Arab newspapers.
The UK based company – Virtuality – designed the artwork and the site was sourced and negotiated by Creative Media in the UK and the Lebanon-based contractor, Picasso, states the official release.
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.
