News Broadcasting
BBC’s ‘Top Gear’ gets into the interactive mode musically
MUMBAI: What is the greatest driving song of all time? That is the question that the BBC is looking to answer through its car show Top Gear. Over the following weeks the producers of the show will be conducting a poll in the UK. Fans of the show are invited to vote for the song that gets their motors running, spins their wheels or quite simply takes the stress out of the daily commute.
After the votes are in, a shortlist of the five most popular songs will be drawn up. Then, over the following five weeks, each episode of Top Gear in the UK will feature a film made by a champion urging viewers to vote for that song.
The show’s host Jeremy Clarkson says, “It is that moment when you’re in your car on a great road and that one song that makes driving in your car just amazing There are obviously hundreds to choose from – I’ve got my favourites, which the others naturally think are rubbish; but we want you, the public, to decide.”
The winner could be the product of a classic rock icon like Bruce Springsteen or U2. It could be power pop from Lenny Kravitz or Sheryl Crow; perhaps a Motown Classic, an RnB hit. Viewers may well decide to go with a late night driving song like The Doors’ Riders on the Storm.
Queen’s rock opera Bohemian Rhapsody, Eric Clapton’s Layla and Steppenwolf’s hymn to the open road Born To Be Wild can also win.
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.
