News Broadcasting
ITV celebrates 50th birthday in May
MUMBAI: UK commercial network ITV will celebrate its 50th anniversary in May be entering the Rose d’Or Hall of Fame.
The channel will be hosting its 50th Anniversary Press launch event and dinner at the Rose d’Or Festival in Lucerne, to launch its celebrations and special anniversary programmes. The Rose d’Or Festival runs from 3 – 8 May 2005 in Lucerne, Switzerland.
To start the festivities ITV will be inducted into the Rose d’Or Hall of Fame in the presence of ITV programme director Nigel Pickard, ITV executives and ITV stars. The honour recognises ITV’s achievements as the most popular broadcaster and producer in Britain since its first transmission, back in 1955. The channel has made soaps and entertainment shows as well as the prestigious and influential South Bank Show.
Pickard says, “It’s a great honour for ITV to be inducted into the Rose d’Or Hall of Fame, especially in this our 50th year. This year’s festival provides us with the perfect backdrop for unveiling our anniversary plans and we are very much looking forward to the event in Lucerne.”
Rose d’Or CEO Georges Luks said,” The Hall of Fame is where we honour those who have made the greatest contribution to the industry, the most creative, the most original and the most successful. We are privileged to see ITV join the roll call of honour in the Rose d’Or Hall of Fame, in well deserved recognition of ITV’s fantastic 50 years of broadcasting and its unparalleled editorial achievements.”
A popular television show that will be inducted into the Hall of Fame is Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Considered by some to be the most innovative cult television show of all time Monty Python’s Flying Circus was and remains a phenomenon.
On the BBC for four seasons between 1969 and 1974, the total of 45 episodes were the showcase for classic scenes such as Dead Parrot and The Lumberjack Song which are considered seminal milestones in the history of comedy, both by industry practitioners and viewers alike.
Meanwhile Sir Bob Geldof will recieve this year’s Rose d’Or Charity Award which will be presented in remembrance of the late actor Sir Peter Ustinov. Geldof’s is being recognised for his passionate determination to take action in the face of human suffering. He created Live Aid, the greatest fund raising concert ever, which commemorates its 20th Anniversary on July 13th 2005.
Throughout his career Geldorf has highlighted political solutions to the global issues of poverty and disease. Calling upon governments to cancel third world debt and acting as a passionate advocate of Nelson Mandela’s fight against Aids, Geldof’s activism, fight against global inequity and compassion have earned him this tribute
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.
