News Broadcasting
BBC shows to air on IN Mumbai cable channel
MUMBAI: BBC World and IN Mumbai, the news and events channel of Hinduja Group MSO INCableNet, today announced a content sharing agreement that allows for the airing of the British pubcasters programmes on the channel.
Starting 2 December, three of BBC Worlds popular programmes Wheels, India Business Report and Talking Movies will be available to IN Mumbai cable subscribers as part of their weekly schedule.
The announcement further cements a relationship that was forged in June with the signing of a deal that allowed for the 24-hour carriage of the BBC World Service radio programmes on INCableNet.
Asked as to what time slots the three BBC shows were getting, IN Mumbai president Ramindar Singh said the highest viewership the channel got was in the 10 pm prime time band. This is where the shows would be positioned, Singh said. The shows will have a twice-daily (first at 9:30 am) airing on three days of the week, he added.
Regarding the revenue sharing arrangement the deal envisaged, BBC World airtime director of sales Jonathan Howlett would offer no clue and said that was still being worked out. Queried as to what sort of brand positioning BBC hoped to achieve through the cable carriage deal for the radio service and TV programmes, Howlett said the long-term aim was to expand presence across television, radio and the Internet in India. These were all parts of a composite effort in that direction, he added.
Howlett also raised the possibility that BBC programmes would be dubbed into Indian languages to offer a wider reach. For the 24-hour radio service, in addition to English programmes, there is also four hours of Hindi programmes every day and half an hour of Tamil programmes.
Meanwhile, commenting on the new distribution agreement, IN Network Entertainment Ltd CEO R C Khanduri said: “The agreement is of strategic importance and comes at a time when channels are anxious to reach larger audiences and at the same time to bring new and varied content to viewing audiences. The large subscriber base of IN Mumbai will mean a wider audience for BBC World programmes and we look forward to developing this association further.”
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.
