News Broadcasting
BBC World Service launches Dubai FM
LONDON: BBC World Service has started broadcasting on FM in Dubai, the latest in a network of FM operations in the Gulf co-operation council states. The move will also bring BBC Arabic to listeners in the Middle East in addition to providing high quality sound.
The beeb is now broadcasting on 87.9 MHz FM in the Greater Dubai area, reaching listeners in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Umm al Qaiwain. The new service follows the launch last month of BBC Arabic’s FM transmission to listeners in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital Abu Dhabi on 90.3 MHz.
An official release informs that BBC Arabic is now available to listeners in the Gulf region in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, as well as in the United Arab Emirates. It can also be heard on FM Amman, northern Jordan and neighbouring areas, as well as in Khartoum and Wad Madani in Sudan.
The two new FMs in the UAE are the result of an agreement between the BBC and Emirates Media Incorporated (EMI), which organises broadcasting on a federal basis across the UAE as well as broadcasting the international Abu Dhabi Television channel.
BBC Arabic broadcasts news and current affairs programmes to the region as well as several interactive discussion programmes which enable listeners and users of bbcarabic.com to take part in the discussions. BBC Arabic also broadcasts throughout the Arab world on shortwave and medium wave frequencies. Around the world BBC World Service is present on FM in 140 capital cities.
News Broadcasting
Network18 posts Rs 1,955 crore revenue, narrows FY26 losses
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.
