News Broadcasting
BBC Vision launches new multiplatform strategy
MUMBAI: The BBC has announced that its integrated multimedia broadcast and production group BBC Vision will have a new strategy for multiplatform commissioning, content creation and delivery.
BBC Vision is looking to double investment in multiplatform, with an additional £30 million in funding over the next three years, subject to the BBC’s reprioritisation plans. A new architecture has been created for BBC Vision on the web.
For the first time, every television programme will have its own website with web support provided at three prioritised levels: Basic (created automatically), Enhanced (for 50+ programmes a year) and 360 (rich content for 15+ programmes a year);
There will be a new suite of user tools for rating and sharing content, improved search and navigation for users. There will also be a new, simpler commissioning process for multiplatform initiatives with a single point of commission (ie one genre commissioner for both TV and multiplatform elements), and one commissioning route via a standard e-commissioning system.
BBC Vision will also organise new, ring-fenced investment for mobile commissioning in three areas: Mobile television (clips and broadcast TV), social media, and location specific initiatives.
To craete awareness there will also be a year-long communication campaign to share audience research, market knowledge and BBC Vision’s requirements in-house, across the BBC, and with the wider independent sector. BBC Vision director Jana Bennett says, “BBC Vision was created in part to place the BBC at the heart of the multimedia landscape. We have a real advantage that’s born out of our scale and the range of our talent and skills here. I believe that together we can define this new creative space in terms of public service content and populate it with ideas that are distinctive and innovative.”
BBC Vision controller of portfolio and multimedia Simon Nelson says, “It’s too easy to dismiss the multiplatform opportunity as simply getting our programmes onto new devices or creating websites alongside programmes. The lack of a commercial imperative and the privilege of licence fee funding oblige [the BBC] to drive innovation and break new ground in attempting to serve all audiences in the UK. We will be able to liberate our content from the limitations of the live linear schedule…
“We can use the two-way nature of new media platforms to transform our relationship with licence fee payer collaborating with audiences in the creation of content and participative experiences.”
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.
