News Broadcasting
DD to introduce DTT service in the four main metros
In a move aimed at demonstrating the government’s commitment to make all pay channels mandatorily routed through a conditional access system, national broadcaster Doordarshan is all set to launch its Digital Terrestrial Transmission (DTT) service in Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata from June.
To access the service a subscriber needs a decoder (set-top-box) which costs about Rs 3,500 and an antenna for Rs 150, according to a report in a leading national daily. The report states that there will be no monthly subscription charge for the service.
DTT will beam 12 channels, five of which will be DD National, DD Metro, DD Bharati, DD Sports and DD India (earlier known as DD World but a name change has taken place effective 13 April). DD plans to generate revenue by leasing the remaining transmitters to private broadcasters to beam the remaining seven channels.
The report quotes DD officials as saying that private broadcasters will be roped in before the year is through. They said that the national broadcaster is in negotiations with niche and city-centric broadcasters.
DD director-general SY Quraishi has been quoted as saying that the aim was to provide a full-fledged bouquet that covers DD’s role as a public broadcaster and a complete entertainment-cum-educational network.
Quaraishi says he expects the price of the set-top-box to come down to as low as Rs 1,000 once its penetration increases in the market. Senior DD officials said that Consumer Electronic and Television Manufacturer’s Association (Cetma) officials have expressed interest in bundling the decoder with new television sets that are to be manufactured 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.
