News Broadcasting
BBC ups presence with first South Asia editor
NEW DELHI: BBC News has apppointed its first ever South Asia editor. The British broadcaster’s newsgathering division has appointed Paul Danahar to the newly created role of South Asia Editor.
He recently took up his new position and is based in New Delhi. Danahar has now assumed editorial responsibility for the BBC’s entire news operation for India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan. The South Asia appointment completes the BBC worldwide plan to place seven senior news editors in the field to oversee the organisation’s huge newsgathering operation. The others are placed in Washington, Jerusalem, Russia, Singapore, Johannesburg, and Brussels, according to a press statement from BBC.
Danahar has several years experience in the region, having worked as a senior world affairs producer for the BBC, based in Delhi between 1996-2000. During that time he covered all the major news in the region, from the Kargil conflict, the coup in Pakistan to the Orrissa cyclone and the Bangladesh floods. He also travelled extensively in Afghanistan during the Taliban era and returned there last year after 9/11 to work with BBC correspondents – Rageh Omaar and John Simpson, in the run up to the fall of Kabul to American-led forces.
Much of his last two years have been spent in Africa helping run the BBC news operation there. Danahar was quoted in the release as saying about his new appointment: “It’s fantastic to be back in South Asia and I’m thrilled to take on what is a huge job at such an important time for the BBC. This region is now firmly under the international spotlight, not only because of regional tensions but because it has the potential to have such a major impact on the rest of the world both politically and economically. The BBC has huge audiences here and continues to be well ahead of CNN and CNBC in the market place. That’s a strong foundation that I intend to build on.”
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.
