News Broadcasting
BBC World readies news, analysis specials
MUMBAI:BBC World, the 24-hour international news and information channel is gearing up for the grand finale of 2002 with an eclectic mix of news, business, analysis, sport and lifestyle programmes.
Most of the global and India-specific programmes on the channel will spearhead the year-end programmes by airing special episodes.
World Review 2002 will give a global perspective on a wide range of issues that affected the world last year with in-depth reports from every continent and an analysis of how things are likely to change. The programme airs at 3:00 pm on weekdays and 8:00 PM on weekends.
The World Business Report has lined up three specials – Holding On The Line which takes a look at 3G phones and how the big promise of new markets and future profits has evaporated, On The Brink which will look ahead at the global economy in 2003, and Accounting For Greed which will take the viewer to what lies behind the scandal and corruption in the corporate world. The programme airs at 6:00 am and 10:45 pm on weekdays.
Question Time India which airs on Fridays at 10:00 pm will feature two specials – the first will look at some of the major events of the year with a panel comprising leading academics and journalists, while the second will look ahead to the issues facing India in 2003 with a panel of leading politicians from the Congress and the ruling party BJP.
India Business Report will feature a special that will take a look at the overall performance of the Indian economy in 2002 with analysis and interviews with players and pundits, focussing on four important segments – stocks and shares, major industries, financial institutions and exports.The show airs Sundays at 11:00 am and Mondays at 10:00 pm .
Wheels, will telecast a unique episode on New Year’s eve featuring a spectacular show of the best cars and bikes launched this year and will announce the Wheels Awards for the year 2002.
Mastermind India will air the culminating episode of the programme recorded at the grand Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad . The show which forms the backdrop for the battle of intellects will finally reveal the Mastermind India winner for the year 2002. The show airs on Thursdays at 10:00 pm and on Sunday at 10:00 am with a repeat at 10:00 pm.
HARDtalk with Tim Sebastian has an interesting line-up of celebrity guests for its special episode. The guests include David Attenborough, Sinead O’Connor, Youssou N’Dour, Boris Becker and Tom Jones. The channel will also air the best celebrity HARDtalks from 2002 with Marianne Faithful, Pik Botha, John McEnroe and Seve Ballesteros. The programmes airs weekdays at 10:00 am, 5:00 pm and 9:00pm.
Also while Talking Movies will take a look back at some of the highs and lows of the movie world in 2002 and look forward to 2003 with presenter Tom Brook in two specials, Click Online will review the developments that transformed the world of IT in 2002.
Talking Movies airs Thursdays at 11:00pm and Fridays at 1:00pm and 5:00 pm respectively and Click Online on Sundays at 4:00 pm , Mondays at 11:00pm, Tuesdays at 2:00pm and Wednesdays at 5: 00 pm respectively.
Sport Today will bring the best from the last year, including the FIFA World Cup, the Tennis Grand Slams, the ICC Knockout tournament, and Michael Schumacher’s riots of wins in Formula 1 along with and a preview of sport in 2003. The show airs weekdays at 1:15 pm and 6:15 pm respectively.
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.
