News Broadcasting
ChannelNewsAsia to cover Olympics bidding session
MUMBAI: Hosting the most important sporting event Olympic Games is a matter of pride and prestige for countries around the globe. China is set to host the next edition in 2008. The question is who will be the host in 2012?
The 117th International Olympic Committee Session in Singapore is taking place nowin order to answer this question and business and financial broadcaster ChannelNews Asia is bringing viewers coverage of the event.
MediaCorp News CEO Woon Tai Ho says, “Every night at 7:30 pm for 15 minutes we will give a profile of a country contending for the Olympic Games. There will a lot of interest from around the world on 6 July. That’s when each country, starting with Paris, will do a one hour pitch to the IOC. It is expected to be visually dynamic”.
It is estimated that a billion television viewers in some 200 countries will tune into the International Olympic Committee (IOC) vote on 6 July 2005 and Channel NewsAsia will be at the Raffles City Convention Centre to bring daily updates throughout the day from 3 July. The opening ceremony at the Esplanade Theatre will also be aired “live” on Channel NewsAsia. Some IOC sessions will be held behind closed doors and Channel NewsAsia broadcast journalists will be on the ground to bring those latest developments.
Woon says, “Once the IOC’s decision is announced, we will capture the reactions of the country that wins the bid. We’ll also try to go to the country that did not win the bid, to see what their reactions are.” Channel NewsAsia will also be bringing viewers stories on how preparations are shaping up, leading to the big day.
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.
