News Broadcasting
BBC World Service introduces a new musical identity
MUMBAI: For the first time in over seven years the BBC has introduced a fresh musical identity to the BBC World Service.
Composer and musician David Lowe, commissioned to work as a composer-in-residence at the BBC’s famous Bush House studios, created the sounds that now introduce and accompany BBC programmes.
BBC World Service editor Steve Martin said, “We felt it was about time we gave the BBC World Service a contemporary and easily recognisable musical identity. We commissioned David Lowe and he worked very closely with journalists in the newsrooms and broadcasters heard on air everyday. Together they produced sequences which are a perfect fusion of David’s music and our presenters’ familiar voices.
“Some people may question why music is so important to a speech-led broadcaster but music speaks volumes about the personality of our radio station. The innovative musical beds will help listeners to identify and distinguish the BBC on what are increasingly cluttered radio air-waves across the world.”
Lowe said, “I really enjoyed being immersed in the BBC news rooms. I used to work in radio so I really felt at home in this environment. Just being in Bush House amongst people who are themselves creative was also inspirational. The studios are so well designed and wonderfully sound proofed, such a peaceful place to work. All in all a wonderful experience.”
His new music can now be heard at the top of each hour and throughout popular BBC news programmes including The World Today, Business Daily, World Briefing, World Have Your Say.
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.
