News Broadcasting
Harris awarded contract for developing Iraqi Media Network
MUMBAI: Harris Corporation has been awarded a one-year, $96 million contract by The Defense Contracting Command-Washington on behalf of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) currently governing Iraq.
The company will develop an existing but antiquated media network into a modern media organisation for the Iraqi people.
The Iraqi Media Network (IMN) programme includes equipment, operation, training, and provisioning of programming for national radio and television networks and a national newspaper with operating locations in Baghdad and more than 30 other locations throughout the country. Two additional six-month contract options could increase the total value of the programme to nearly $165 million.
Harris president, CEO Howard Lance was quoted in a company release saying, “We are extremely pleased to be selected to play this role in the rebuilding of Iraq’s critical broadcast and media infrastructure. We created a focussed organisation to support reconstruction efforts in Iraq and to apply the unique capabilities that Harris has to offer in both commercial and government communications systems.
” The extensive experience of our broadcast communications division on international projects, combined with the large integration programmes expertise of our government communications systems division, will ensure the success of this initiative. The free flow of information is crucial to any modern society, and we are committed to making this ambitious goal a reality.”
The goal of the IMN contract is to create from the existing organisation a first class, integrated media network that will include two national radio channels, two national television channels, and a national newspaper Al Sabah. The release adds that Harris will lead this project and provide all of the necessary transmitters, integration and automation broadcast equipment with support from two local companies. They are the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI), a Middle East media network, and Al Fawares, a Kuwaiti company with Iraqi ownership.
LBCI is responsible for training and content programming for the two radio channels and two television channels-one for news and one for entertainment. All four channels will be terrestrial and the all-news television channel will additionally be available by satellite. Al Fawares will assist in expanding the newspaper into national status based on the company’s experience with Al Watan in Kuwait, and also will provide security, logistics and construction services.
Harris is an international communications equipment company focused on providing product, system, and service solutions for government and commercial customers. The company’s five operating divisions serve markets for government communications, tactical radio, broadcast, microwave, and network support systems.
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.
