News Broadcasting
BBC World spreads its wings with Qantas
BBC has announced that Australian airline major Qantas will be showing a selection of its programmes on its flights. Programes will be sourced from BBC World which is the Beeb’s 24-hour international news and information channel.
The programmes passengers will be able to enjoy include ‘Click Online’ which scrutinises the latest developments on the Net as well as keeping viewers up to speed with latest technical advances, Hardtalk with host Tim Sebastian talking to eminent personalities from various spheres of life and Simpson’s World.
The last one has John Simpson analysing and meditating on the evnts that are shaping the 21st century. An official release states that in Australia BBC World can be seen on Foxhole and Optus Television.
Speaking on the agreement Channel manager BBC World Stephanie Davey made these remarks: “We are delighted to be able to offer Qantas travellers a handpicked selection of quality BBC World programming featuring topical interviews, and news analysis, relied upon by people all over the world. Never more so than in the current climate have business travellers represented such a high percentage of our core audience. So we are delighted to be able to keep them up to date and informed even when they are in the air.”
BBC World claims to reach 192 million homes in 200 countries. It claims to be available to 800,000 hotel rooms all over the world.
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.
