News Broadcasting
Miditech gears up for advertising show on BBC World
NEW DELHI: Miditech Private Limited is working on a new advertising/marketing show for BBC World. The 13-episode series is expected to go on air by March next year.
Miditech’s chief executive officer Nikhil Alva confirmed the development. “The pilot has already been cleared and we are getting on to the production of the show. The show is going to be about business of advertising. For this, we would be getting in touch with main players of the ad industry. The idea is to provide an insight into major trends and developments,” Alva said.
In comparison to CNBC’s Storyboard, which mainly focuses on emerging news from the advertising industry, the show on BBC will focus on the broadcaster’s perspective.
“Unlike Storyboard, this particular show will focus on advertising at macro-level. We will look at the overview of the advertising business,” Alva said.
On BBC’s plans for the ad show, a Delhi-based senior planning director, said, “From an advertising professional’s perspective, Storyboard is not a serious show. It is interesting but it’s not meant for insiders.”
Talking on the present scenario, the planning director said, “Overall, advertising today is surely reflecting the common man’s tastes. The coverage in media has increased. One has to remember the profile of the channel where the show is being aired and audience it caters so. Shows on advertising definitely have niche audience and the move (by BBC) is in tune with the growing importance of advertising.”
Alva’s Miditech has some other interesting projects in store. Alva said, “Science of India is expected to go on air on DD International in January. The 13-part series showcases Indian science and is divided into four sections – general science, medicine, architecture and art. Other shows include Off the Beaten Path, 26-episode travel series, focusing completely on India.”
On operations front, Alva is moving his base to Mumbai while his brother Niret, president of Miditech, will remain in Delhi. “Mumbai is the hub of activity and we get more projects from general entertainment channels there,” said Alva, who refused to reveal the names of the new projects.
The production house, which has got offices in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, has also launched its Singapore office.
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.
