News Broadcasting
Discovery to focus on biographies of Taiwanese personalities
MUMBAI: Discovery Asia will produce a series of biographies of prominent Taiwanese personalities in association with Taiwans Government Information Office (GIO). The initiative is called Portraits: Taiwan.
The series wiil be aired from 25 December 2005 across Asia.
It features the life journeys of six prominent Taiwanese personalities from various fields and include Hwai-Min Lin (the arts), King Liu (from business and economics), Wun-Yu Che (agriculture), Henry Lee (science and technology), Master Cheng Yen (public welfare and environmental protection) and Huei-Mei Chang (entertainment and pop culture). The personalities were selected by the public in a poll that ran earlier this year.
Discovery Asia executive director and MD Tom Keaveny says, “Portraits: Taiwan is a series that embodies the Taiwanese spirit and the very best of Taiwan by uniquely documenting Taiwans success through its people. The lives of the six personalities offer inspiring stories that we feel will not only appeal to local audiences here but also to international viewers across the region in over 111 million homes Discovery Channel currently broadcasts to. The initiative also further enforces our commitment to invest in local talent and increasing the number of hours of local production in markets we operate in.
Taiwan GIO minister Pasuya Wen-Chi Yao, says, This initiative with Discovery is significant for us, it is the first time that an international broadcaster is presenting a biography series highlighting successful Taiwanese. Through their personal stories, we hope viewers around the world will gain a better understanding of our country and become more interested in Taiwan. In addition, this project also provides our local companies here with the ability to showcase their outstanding work and high quality of production on a world stage.”
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.
