News Broadcasting
Lille Dialogues set for 24 March under Series Mania Forum
Mumbai: Series Mania’s president Rodolphe Belmer and founder & general director Laurence Herszberg have announced the guests of honor for the 2022 Lille Dialogues. Lille Dialogues is all set for 24 March and this year, the summit is themed around ‘Empowering the Audiovisual Industry with Creativity.’
The one-day summit brings together European lawmakers and international TV industry leaders to encourage joint reflection on the challenges facing the industry and to promote international cooperation. Sharing the idea behind this year’s theme, Herszberg said, “now more than ever, our goal is to promote a culture that fosters pluralism, diversity, and social cohesion.”
Belmer added that creativity is the starting point for the influential stories that end up on our screens, therefore, it’s an essential topic to explore in the industry. “We look forward to welcoming our esteemed guests to Lille to share their ideas and expertise,” Belmer said.
The event, which is part of the ‘French Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2022,’ is organised in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, the CNC, and the European Commission. The 2022 edition will feature panel discussions, plus several keynotes delivered by top industry executives, exploring the crucial role of creativity in the international audiovisual industry and asking the question of who governs it.
Meanwhile, the hotly anticipated Series Mania Forum is set to unwind between 22 and 24 March within the fifth Lille-based edition of the Series Mania Festival.
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.
