News Broadcasting
BMG Japan catalogue is available at iTunes
MUMBAI: Music label BMG Japan and software major Apple have announced the availability of Japanese and international artists on the iTunes Store in Japan.
The addition of the BMG Japan catalogue brings Japaenese pop and international artists to the iTunes Store beginning today, including Alicia Keys, Avril Lavigne, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Foo Fighters, Justin Timberlake, Kasabian, Outkast, Pink, Seamo, Suga Shikao, Sukima Switch, Usher and more.
v executrive VP, co GM Daniel DiCicco says, “BMG Japan is delighted to join forces with Apple to make the wealth of our catalogue available through the iTunes Store in Japan. We look forward to continuing to drive BMG Japan’s digital development through this very important relationship by connecting the iTunes community to top J-Pop and international artists from BMG Japan.”
Apple VP iTunes Eddy Cue says, “Top artists, breakthrough pricing, seamless integration with iPod and groundbreaking personal use rights have made iTunes the number one online music service in Japan. We’re thrilled to bring BMG’s impressive catalog to iTunes so fans in Japan can download and enjoy even more great music.”
The iTunes Store in Japan now features more than two million songs, 3,500 music videos, Disney and Pixar short films, 65,000 podcasts and 16,000 audiobooks. With over 90 percent of songs priced at just 150 yen per song, the iTunes Store offers the great value and features that have made iTunes the number one online music service in the world, with over 1.5 billion songs purchased and downloaded. BMG Japan will continue to add more of its extensive catalog to the iTunes Store in the coming months.
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.
