News Broadcasting
MIPTV celebrates 40th anniversary next month
FRANCE: The International Television Programme Market held at Cannes turns 40 next month. MIPTV serves as a world-wide meeting place for all professionals in the field of television: audiovisual rights holders, broadcasters, producers, distributors, video publishers, cable, satellite and telecommunications operators. The event runs from 24-28 March.
To commemorate the occasion, 40 years of MIPTV have been captured on film. Reed MIDEM is creating a 40th anniversary film. The film will celebrate 40 years of both MIPTV and the television industry as a whole and will unfold against a backdrop of international events putting the progress and development of television worldwide into perspective. It will include extracts of those cult series, documentaries, TV films and series that have marked their era in the history of television, together with interviews with key professionals who have been instrumental in the success of the market.
Partnerships have also been concluded for access to archives with media institutes such as Path, Reuters, and I.N.A, who will also be providing much of the archival footage for this unique film. The film will also stand out as a key reference film where events such as the increasing technology in TV, international broadcasting and the globalisation of the industry as a whole are put into focus.
Milia – the World’s Interactive Content Marketplace will run along with MIPTV from 26-28 March. The new MILIA format will facilitate focused networking and global deal-making, building opportunities for digital entertainment across multiple platforms. The new programme will feature four key elements: Super Panels & Keynotes, Business Forums, Content Villages, and Targeted Networking Events.
The MILIA super panels and keynote sessions will cover the latest trends and strategic thinking affecting the digital platform and interactive content industries. They will provide the delegates with valuable market information as well as a deeper understanding of key issues as discussed by leading industry experts. The new business forums will provide a global platform for debate focusing on Mobile Entertainment, Enhanced & Interactive TV, Broadband Internet and Leisure Software whilst the Content Villages will provide a dynamic visual showcase for these industry sectors.
MILIA 2003 Enhanced and Interactive Television Business Forum will examine the business potential of Enhanced TV and Cross-Media Formats: Visitors can find out out about the latest creative practices and smart enabling applications for Enhanced TV Programming and Interactive Formats
Within the Palais des Festivals MIPTV will feature an exclusive interactive area which will incorporate MILIA’s Digital VIP Lounge and provide a convenient meeting place for broadcasters, producers and distributors of interactive formats.
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.
