News Broadcasting
BBC World Service to organise roadshows in Uganda
MUMBAI: The BBC World Service has hit the road to meet its many listeners across Uganda and to broadcast programmes live till Thursday 27 October 2005.
The BBC World Service roadshow will visit major towns in Uganda promoting connectivity with flagship programmes Network Africa, Fast Track and Africa Have Your Say. Audiences will be given the opportunity to directly engage end-Say).with the programmes via a special SMS text number – 00 44 77 86 20 2008 – and requested to Save This Number, Send Your Message and Have Your Say (Save-S
The BBC’s top African presenter, Paul Bakibinga, himself a Ugandan, is the face of the campaign which tours towns in Southern Uganda – Masaka, Mbarara, Fort Portal, Jinja, Tororo and Mbale, as well as the capital, Kampala. Along with encouraging people to Save-Send-Say with the BBC’s special SMS text number for the newly re-launched Africa Have Your Say and Fast Track programmes, he will also distribute new scheduling information and collect questions for the programmes.
Bakibinga says, “This is a great opportunity to meet our audiences. They know and recognise us by our voices, and we can hear them, too, as they call, message or email our programmes, engage in the BBC’s global conversation.”
BBC World Service regional executive editor, Africa and Middle East Region Kari Blackburn says that the main aim of the Uganda roadshow is to get people involved with the BBC output and encourage them to have their say. “We will be talking to them, asking them to fill in questionnaires, and encourage them to have their say on issues which are important to them. We will also give them a chance to suggest subjects they would like to hear discussed in the future. We want them to feel that all our programmes are really for them and about them.”
BBC World Service editor African Productions Martin Davies says, “Uganda is one of the BBC’s biggest markets in Africa for English-speaking audiences with about two million Ugandans listening to us weekly. We want to showcase our special African programming to them. Our top presenters, Bola Mosuru, Vera Kwakofi and Solomon Mugera Omollo are all coming to Uganda to broadcast their programmes – Network Africa, Fast Track and Africa Have Your Say – live from Kampala and Jinja.”
BBC World Service is an international radio and online broadcaster delivering programmes and services in 43 languages. It uses multiple platforms to reach 149 million listeners globally, including SW, AM, FM, digital satellite and cable channels. It has more than 2,000 partner radio stations which take BBC content, and numerous partnerships supplying content to mobile phones.
Africa, Have Your Say – the hour long interactive BBC radio and online programme formerly known as Africa Live! – will now increase from one day a week to broadcast every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 4 pm GMT.
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.
