News Broadcasting
‘Frames 2004’ develops unique themes for each day
MUMBAI: Frames 2004 , the global convention on the business of entertainment will kick off in two weeks’ time in Powai. The three-day event takes place from 15-17 March and the organisers have come up with a unique theme for each day.
They are India Unbound, Making It Possible and Vision 20/20 Future Perfect? As the last name suggests, the last day of Frames takes a broad perspective on the state of the industry. With CAS officially put on the backburner the question now is what do we do now on the crucial issue of addressability? Speakers attempting to answer this question will include Walt Disney Asia Pacific MD Doug Miller who will deliver the session’s keynote address. Prasar Bharati CEO K S Sarma will put forth the point of view of the pubcaster. Representing the technology side are NDS Asia Pacific’s VP, GM Sue Taylor and Motorola’s A K Sekhar.
Casbaa will host a session, which will focus on what India can learn from other countries regarding pay television. The speakers include Star CEO Michelle Guthrie, Celestial Pictures CEO William Pfeiffer, and CNBC Asia Pacific president and CEO Alexander Brown.
The second day will see two brainstorming sessions on how programmers and advertisers can improve their return on investment on the television. Turner International Asia – Pacific president and MD Steve Marcopoto will deliver the keynote address at one of the sessions. He will dwell on the strategies overseas broadcasters have adopted. Other speakers include Star India COO Sameer Nair, Tam CEO L V Krishnan and Sony’s executive VP Sunil Lulla.
On the opening day a key session will focus on radio. RadioActive: Unravelling the Mystery of Effective Radio Communication will be chaired by Banyan Tree Communications MD Anish Trivedi. Advertisers are confronting the challenge of how to maximise the return on investment. Lowe India executive creative director R Balakrishnan (Balki) will dwell on the ten golden rules of maximising advertising effectiveness on radio. Radio Mirchi CEO A P Parigi will dwell on the key issue of creating listener loyalty.
As had been reported earlier by indiantelevision.com, Reliance Industries chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani will deliver the final address at the event.
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.
