News Broadcasting
BBC World Service turns the spotlight on those wielding power
MUMBAI: BBC World Service asks the question Who Runs Your World?. This is patr of a season of programmes that turn the spotlight on power: who has it, who wants it, how it’s used and how it’s changing.
The two-week season which has kicked off aims to challenge and inform listeners, creating a global forum for debate among the 190 million people who tune into the BBC’s international news services on radio, television and online every week. BBC World Service director Nigel Chapman says, “Who Runs Your World? is the most ambitious themed season ever attempted by the Global News division of the BBC. It will provide an unprecedented global forum for debating issues of power in the 21st century. It aims to push the boundaries of interactivity, asking audiences to help define the season early on, via a dedicated website at bbcnews.com/yourworld. Audiences will be telling us, and each other, their stories and views, as well as engaging in a global conversation in three special live debates in Washington, Delhi and Cairo about who runs their world.”
The season examines who runs the worlds of business, sport, science, religion, entertainment, art, culture and crime – and explores the power these worlds wield over our everyday lives. It hears from people in power, people with no power, people who’ve had power and lost it, and those who are challenging the very basis of power structures.
Among the issues explored are: how much power politicians have within a given country; to what extent real power lies outside formal political structures; whether national governments a are being replaced by supra-national bodies; and what happens when formal power structures break down. Critically, it also assesses how much power and control individuals have over their own lives.
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.
