News Broadcasting
BBC World Service expands medium wave transmissions to Northern India
MUMBAI: Today the BBC announced that it was responding to listeners’ demand for better radio reception by expanding its medium wave transmissions to India.
The beeb announced that its World Service programmes in Hindi and English will now be available to Indian listeners on 576 KHz medium wave, daily from 10 pm to 11:30 pm.
The transmissions will cover North West Bihar and a large area of Uttar Pradesh. BBC Hindi head Achala Sharma welcomed the launch of an additional medium wave frequency for the late evening Hindi programme Aajkal. This is broadcast daily from 10.30 pm to 11 pm.
She added, “During the BBC Hindi service’s recent roadshow across Bihar and Uttar Pradesh our listeners voiced the need for better reception. I am glad that we have been able to take a step in this direction.
” I hope that this new strong signal will give our audiences a better listening option and further expand our presence on the Indian airwaves.”
As a part of BBC World Service, BBC Hindi benefits from an international network of 50 bureaux and 250 specialist correspondents. BBC Hindi broadcasts four times a day at 6.30 am, 8 am, 7.30 pm and 10.30 pm. It is available on short wave and medium wave radio transmitters and through cable television.
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.
