News Broadcasting
BBC’s podcasting activity gathering steam in the UK
MUMBAI: The BBC’s attempts at using the Internet as an alternative means of delivering content to its viewers in the UK is gathering steam. The broadcaster has announced that it will podcast up to 20 more radio shows – including sections of the Today programme and selected Radio 1 speech content – as it extends its download trial.
BBC Radio and Music Interactive controller Simon Nelson revealed that more programmes will be available to download and podcast at bbc.co.uk/radio until the end of the year. This follows the popularity of the BBC’s previous downloading trial.
Podcasting is an extension of downloading, whereby listeners can have new programmes automatically delivered to their computer as soon as they are posted on the Web. Listeners download an application (such as iPodder) that checks the Web to find the new version of tagged audio files – such as In Our Time – the listener has selected.
Nelson says, “These technologies can transform the value we deliver to audiences and make our programmes more accessible for both new and existing audiences. The BBC was the first British broadcaster to podcast when we made In Our Time available last year and this trial will enable us to further explore the editorial, technical and distribution issues involved.”
The BBC is hoping that the project will offer a more detailed picture of audiences’ appetite for downloads and their preferred content. Moreover, the time-limited trial has been set up to better inform the development of the BBC strategy for audio downloads and on-demand content, which Nelson is leading across the BBC.
The trial means the BBC will offer its first daily podcasts – the Today programme’s 8.10am interview – along with weekly titles and speech highlights from Radio 1 programmes for listeners to download and transfer to portable audio players.
The programmes confirmed so far for podcasting include In Business. Anchor Peter Day examines trends and developments in industry and the world of work. Another show From Our Own Correspondent delivers personal reflections by BBC correspondents around the world. On the show In Our Time the host Melvyn Bragg and guests explore the history of ideas.
The BBC will also include a series of radio programmes in its next trial of the Interactive Media Player (iMP). This trial will offer rights-protected, time-limited downloads of both TV and radio programmes. The imp aims to offer UK residents a TV and radio catch-up service for programmes that have been broadcast, as part of the BBC’s drive to use new technology to offer even greater public value to licence fee payers.
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.
