News Broadcasting
MIPTV 2003 special attraction this year are Russian broadcasters
MUMBAI: The International Television Programme Market (MIPTV), which will be held on 24-28 March 2003 in Paris, has received a record growth in the number of Russian attendees this year.
The Russian Pavilion will host the focus on Russia conference on 26 March 2003.
The special conference is aimed at exploring the territorys creative, technical and financial resources and looking at potential co-production opportunities.
10 Russian companies will take take seven stands during the market to exhibit their new products and services. During the MIPTV 2003 market, Russia and the ex-USSR will be represented by major Television channels, TV networks, leading production and distribution companies and a substantial number of participants from the Ukraine.
Amongst the Russian companies who will take up the stands are five new entrants. Experts say that the encouraging response is indication of the Russian television industry’s revival.
The Russian television scene has been completely transformed since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. According to an official release, there are total of 140 million Russian viewers and 98 per cent of households own a TV set. It therefore seems like there will be several opportunities in terms of programming content, international partnerships and cultural exchanges during the MIPTV market. All these will be high on the agenda during MIPTV for this territory.
During the MIPTV, Mosfilm Cinema Concern will feature along with the first private broadcaster – NTV, Family Screen Company, Moscow based Malaya Asia Co, Russian pubcaster TV Channel Russia (RTR) and Rospo Film- company.
There will be an umbrella stand representing 31 Meridian Studio, 7 TV and Svarog Film during the MIPTV.
During the meet, speakers will discuss movies and series, showcase post-communist documentaries, sports programming and comedy shows. Yuri Folodarsky the co-producer of the first company to create an animated comedy around football entitled Animal Wars will be one of the key speaker.
The event organised by Reed Midem was attended last year by 10200 executives, 2686 companies from 92 countries including 1205 exhibiting companies on 450 stands, and 2,603 buyers.
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.
