News Broadcasting
Motorola, Scientific Atlanta sign up for CableLabs’ OpenCable project
Leading set top manufacturers, including Scientific Atlanta and Motorola, have signed CableLabs’ POD-Host Interface License Agreement (PHILA) over the last two weeks.
The PHILA is a portion of the CableLabs OpenCable project; companies that sign the accord receive a license to deploy proprietary technology necessary to manufacture OpenCable set tops. CableLabs recently told the Federal Communications Commission that the three companies who have signed the PHILA are Pace Micro Technology PLC, Motorola Broadband Communications sector and Scientific Atlanta.
According to CableLabs, the agreement focuses on the copy protection technology of the connecting point between an OpenCable point-of-deployment (POD) card and the OpenCable set-top box. This interface is the link that allows a retail cable box to be portable across a variety of different cable system headends by standardizing the communication between individual addressable POD modules and the connected set-top terminals or navigation devices.
CableLabs is a research and development consortium of cable television system operators representing the continents of North America and South America. The company also plans and funds research and development projects that help cable companies take advantage of future opportunities and meet future challenges in the cable television industry.
CableLabs president and CEO Dr Richard Green says : “Having three large consumer electronics manufacturers show their interest in making OpenCable boxes by signing the PHILA validates the cable industry’s commitment to this advanced digital service provisioning platform.”
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.
