News Broadcasting
DD to put a lone channel on UK’s BSkyB platform
NEW DELHI: Even as the Doordarshan director-general and information and broadcasting ministry secretary are in London to formally set up the European arm of Prasar Bharati, back home the organisation officials are reworking the economics to shave off expenses for taking DD channels on BSkyB platform in the UK.
The compromise formula now is to take just one channel to the UK, which would reduce the expenses.
Speaking to indiantelevision.com today, an official of Prasar Bharati, which manages DD and All India Radio, said the finance ministry had raised some objections on the expenses involved on going on to a digital platform. “But now we are reworking the proposal to cut down on the finances involved and would approach the finance ministry again next week,” the official added.
Incidentally, paring down of DDs international forays, along with some other issues like money that is owed to the organisation by superstar Amitabh Bachchan, is likely to figure in a board meet of Prasar Bharati, which is scheduled for early next week.
The proposal of two DD channels, DD News and DD International, to be on the BskyB platform would have cost Prasar Bharati Rs. 80 million annually. Plus, there were some other expenses to complete the formalities in the UK.
The Rupert Murdoch-controlled British Sky Broadcasting is the operator of the UK largest digital television platform and a leading broadcaster of sports, movies, entertainment and news.
The original proposal to take DD channels to the UK had been cleared by the Prime Ministers Office during the previous Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government.
However, some Prasar Bharati officials have also said that finance ministrys objections look trivial considering other national broadcasters from the region, like Pakistan TV, are already in markets like the US and the UK catering to people of their respective countrys origin.
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.
