News Broadcasting
David Bainbridge to lead BBC’s digital marketing initiatives
MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC has appointed David Bainbridge to lead the marketing of its digital and new media services. Bainbride is currently YooMedia’s business-to-business arm MD. He takes up his new job in May.
The appointment follows the BBC’s decision to restructure its marketing, communications and audiences division, and the new high level post indicates the importance the corporation places on the future of digital services.
His responsibilities will include driving the BBC’s Building Digital Britain activities including driving the take-up of digital television and radio (DAB), On Demand TV usage, new internet/broadband penetration and driving the reach of the bbc.co.uk sites.
Leading a team of 15 marketing and communication professionals, he will also play a key role in the BBC’s involvement in Freeview and Digital UK and the development of a free satellite offering by the BBC and other industry partners. He will report to BBC director of marketing, communications and audiences Tim Davie. He will be an integral part of the BBC New Media management team led by Ashley Highfield, who is the director of new media and technology.
Davie said, “David has an impressive record of achievement in the marketing, broadcast and new media sectors. He is the right person to lead marketing and communications for the BBC’s Building Digital Britain ambitions, and I am delighted to have recruited a candidate of such outstanding calibre to join our strong BBC team.”
Highfield said, “David has a wealth of experience in understanding our audiences’ needs in this rapidly changing world. His skills will be critical to us to maintain our reach and relevance with our digital services. We very much look forward to him joining the team.”
Bainbridge said, “It doesn’t come much more exciting than helping to figure out the role the BBC plays in a converged world. Combine this with telling the British population what this means in real terms and the impact it could have on their every day lives and you have one of the most interesting communication challenges in the UK over the next few years.”
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.
