News Broadcasting
BBC World’s Asia audience growing: report
NEW DELHI: The sixth Pan Asia Cross Media Survey (PAX) has found that unlike other news channels, BBC World has held onto the audience it gained in 2001 as well as showing annual growth in some of Asia’s biggest urban centres.
BBC World’s monthly audience grew by 14 per cent year-on-year to 993,000 – the fastest growth for any of the top ten international channels, according to a press release from BBC. BBC World enjoyed particularly large growth in Kuala Lumpur – up 79 per cent, Bangkok – up 41per cent, Hong Kong – up 17 per cent and Taipei – up 16 per cent.
According to the study, BBC World also attracts a further 590,000 monthly viewers in Seoul and in India which combined with the rest results in a total panel viewership of 1.58 million. This confirms the trend seen in the recent IATS survey among air travellers, the only other recent survey in Asia which even attempts to measure viewership amongst such business audiences.
In particular, BBC World’s investment in business programming is attracting a loyal audience of senior business people. Findings show that more than 44,000 ‘Top Management’ in Asia tune into BBC World ‘Every day/ Almost every day’ – more than any sports or business news channel. Among those in such senior positions in medium and larger firms (50+ employees), BBC World’s 21,000 regular viewers makes it the fourth largest international channel and the eighth largest among all the channels across Asia, including terrestrials (and among the top five outside Korea).
BBC World’s overall audience profile also remains enviably upscale. Among the largest ten international channels which business decision-makers in Asia-Pacific watch, BBC World’s audience includes the highest proportion of top management (34 per cent) and opinion formers involved in more than three business activities (30 per cent).
The PAX 2002 survey was conducted from July to September 2002 among 3,976 respondents in nine markets in South East Asia and India. This release is based on the full nine-markets (Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Taipei, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Seoul, and India).
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.
