News Broadcasting
BBC World in ‘Take Off’ mode with new show
MUMBAI: Close on the heels of launching an India specific campaign ‘What Affects the World, Affects You’, BBC World announced the start of its 6-part mini series Take Off, on the aviation industry in India, with a panel discussion on the booming sector.
The mini series will be aired on BBC World every Tuesday at 9 pm, and will talk to leading industry experts, asking them about the recent developments and exploring and analysing the future of this sector. With six repeats planned across weekdays and weekends the show is a key feature of the channel’s March programming
Region specific programming such as the sector stories on India is undertaken by the channel only in a few countries. BBC World is aggressively looking at the Indian market where it has to compete with both national news channels as well as international news channel CNN.
Speaking about the mini series, BBC World head of MarCom Vaishali Sharma said, “The mini series to be aired on our global network takes a look at the Indian aviation sector through the years. Our correspondent Karishma Vaswani had covered the ‘Aeroshow’ at Yelahanka and the excitement that has been generated over this sector in the past few years made it ideal to showcase this sector. The aviation industry has witnessed phenomenal growth in the last few years. With Take Off, BBC World will showcase the opportunities and achievements created by the Indian boom in the aviation sector, plus the threats.”
As part of the promotional activity, the channel also had a brief panel discussion on the budget and growth of the aviation segment with Go Air managing director Jeh Wadia and Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (Capa) CEO Kapil Kaul, along with minister for civil aviation Praful Patel, who joined in via video conferencing.
The mini series, which was commissioned to Miditec, starts at the cusp of the ‘Aero Show’ at Yelahanka in Bangalore and traces the journey of Indian aviation through the decades. The first episode takes an overview of the industry and the various issues that surround it. The subsequent issues will probe deeper into the problems faced by low cost airlines, government apathy, infrastructure problems, airline personnel as well as the rise of the budget airlines and privatisation.
Speaking about the advertising for the show, BBC World ad sales head Seema Mohapatra mentions that while the aviation sector itself could not advertise on the show, there had been great response from other advertisers. “The aviation sector spins off so many other areas like tourism and domestic travel for business that we are bound to see advertisers in those areas as well.”
The promotions for the show include a multimedia marketing campaign with BBC leveraging its radio connection. Sharma said, “We are looking at radio very actively and will use FM stations like Radio One and Radio City. The show will also be promoted through print, outdoor and online media.”
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.
