News Broadcasting
BBC sacks 60 people in its news department
MUMBAI:In a major cost cutting drive aimed at reducing redundancies, BBC bosses are axing 60 jobs in the news operation. More jobs may be lost when BBC’s Ceefax and online news services merge at the beginning of next year. In addition a recruitment freeze has been imposed across the entire BBC news department.
The redundancies come as the BBC director general, Greg Dyke, seeks to save ?160m across the entire corporation, states a BBC report.
“Spiralling costs and changes in programme requirements and aspirations are the main causes of the unexpected redundancies” BBC , newsgathering chief Adrian van Klaveren is quoted as having said in the report. Twenty-six jobs will go within the BBC’s newsgathering department, where significant changes will be made to balance the budget and meet changing editorial requirements, the report adds.
The budget shortfall in the news division is estimated to be about ?15m. However the deficit is in addition to last year’s overspend in the news budget following September 11, the war on terrorism and the Bali bombing.
“We understand people are very anxious to know the outcome and we will do everything we can to move this forward as quickly as possible in order to allay the uncertainties which everyone will be feeling,” commented Klaveren.
Interestingly, the report further reveals that BBC director of news, Richard Sambrook, had written to his department’s 3,300 staff inviting them to consider voluntary redundancy at the end of last year.
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.
