News Broadcasting
BBC radio service suffers declining listenership
MUMBAI: It is cementing its position as the world’s leading international radio broadcaster. However, in India as in other countries, BBC World Service is grappling with a major decline in its listenership.
In a recent report, it admitted to having suffered major setbacks in India over the past year. It claims a weekly global audience estimate of 146 million.
Besides India, BBC World Service also experienced significant losses in Western Europe, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh and Russia.
Meanwhile, the above mentioned 146 million figure equates to at least 50 per cent more listeners than any comparable international radio broadcaster. The bad news is that the figure represents a four million drop from last year’s figure of 150 million. The figure took into account a significant drop in short wave radio listening year-on-year. This has been partially offset by a big rise in listening through FM.
BBC World Service’s acting director Nigel Chapman noted that short wave listening is in long term decline. “Audiences demand better audibility. It is sometimes difficult to find suitable FM partners in some countries or to overcome regulatory obstacles, like bans on international news broadcasting on local FMs, in others.”
BBC World Service is now available on FM in 139 capital cities. On a bright note it added that independent surveys conducted in top markets also showed that it remained the most trusted and objective international broadcaster when compared to its main radio competitors in each market. The survey was done in 16 markets including the US, Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia.
In Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, BBC World Service claims to enjoy a 60 per cent weekly reach. In Iraq, the launch of FM broadcasts in Baghdad, Basra and other major cities helped to secure a weekly audience of 1.8 million.
Nearly half of its total audience comes from Africa and the Middle East. Audiences across both regions increased by 6.8 million from last year to 68.5 million.
Online BBC World Service has been able to extend its reach particularly among younger audiences. The website attracted 279 million monthly page impressions in March 2004. This equates to over 16 million unique users a month. This is a rise equivalent to eight million new monthly users of the BBC’s international news sites during the 13 months between February 2003 and March 2004.
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.
