News Broadcasting
Murdoch takes a re-look at cyberspace
MUMBAI: Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is looking at focusing at the Internet space with renewed vigour. In a meeting with the top American editors of various publications, Murdoch stated that the plan ahead was to focus on the space and shake it up in the same manner he did with TV.
Murdoch pointed out that the Internet was a fast-growing reality and an emerging medium. The immediate plan to go in for an overhaul of the Murdoch-owned websites of his New York Post, Fox News Channel and other properties to make them destinations for young people. He also added that increasingly people don’t have time for daily newspapers as well as the evening news broadcasts and hence the Internet plays a crucial role for news delivery.
Murdoch also acknowledged the cost factor that would be needed to go in for the upgradation of News Corp’s sites, but also said making them a pay service at this time was distant. Among the major papers, only The Wall Street Journal, currently charges access fees.
In addition, Murdoch also said bloggers should be encouraged to join news sites. This, he said, would broaden the coverage of news as well as make it interactive for the community at large.
Interestingly, Murdoch was one of the first movers into the Internet space but took a back seat when the dotcom bust took place in the late 90’s.
Now that one is seeing the revival of the dotcom space, Murdoch’s renewed interest in this space seems only justified.
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.
