News Broadcasting
ICTV demonstrates ActiveVideo Platform at Broadcast Asia
SINGAPORE: VOD solutions provider ICTV has introduced its ActiveVideo platform at the 11th Annual Broadcast Asia Conference and Exhibition being held from 20-23 June 2006.
In its demonstration, ICTV has showed how the ActiveVideo platform combines the attributes of television and the web and enables operators, programmers and advertisers for the first time to successfully bring broadband video programming and advertising models from the internet to the television, informs an official release.
The platform delivers web-driven programming and both live and VOD streams. ActiveVideo programming is delivered through the widely deployed VOD infrastructure through any VOD-capable set-top and navigated with standard remotes, adds the release.
Capitalising on the ability to deliver web programming as MPEG video to any digital set-top box, the ICTV ActiveVideo platform is entirely standards- based, requiring no custom integration or proprietary development. Live and VOD programming can be blended with content that is created and modified quickly using standard web tools and talent, and distributed to the headend via standard web infrastructure. The ActiveVideo platform runs within the existing VOD infrastructure, delivering all programming from the headend as MPEG video, and integrates with and extends existing set-top based interactive approaches.
“Viewers have been taking greater control of their video experiences, particularly on the PC and increasingly on mobile devices,” said ICTV president and CEO Jeff Miller. “The ActiveVideo platform enables the delivery of programming that most precisely meets the needs of the individual viewers, as well as high-CPM ads that are targeted, auditable and interactive.”
The ICTV demonstration at Broadcast Asia also includes two applications of the ActiveVideo platform: An ActiveVideo Mosaic, the multichannel, customizable, personalized mosaic for video-rich navigation, and ActiveVideo Channels, which enable existing broadband networks to be delivered to the TV in real time, adds the release.
The ICTV ActiveVideo Mosaic creates a simplified, personalised navigational experience by providing live video from, and navigation through, multiple channels simultaneously. The ActiveVideo Mosaic can be personalized based upon subscriber, operator, or programmer choice, or via system response to subscriber viewing habits- all on any digital set-top box. Interactive elements, including web-driven targeted advertising, can be incorporated within the mosaic screens.
With ActiveVideo Channels, network operators and programmers can enhance the value of existing channels by allowing viewers to take active control of what they see and when they see it. With the use of their remote controls, television viewers can select an ActiveVideo Channel from the standard program guide and enter a broadband experience that includes video, navigational elements, channel branding, banner advertisements, and links to different video segments. Screens can be manipulated to reflect personal viewing interests and purchasing preferences.
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.
