News Broadcasting
Net’s the fav spot for info on soaps: study
MUMBAI: It seems like viewers want to learn more about their favourite TV programmes on the Web. People are using the Internet to find out about their special shows – the plot and characters – says a report by Yahoo! and Mediaedge:cia.
Using the Web in this way–dubbed “media meshing” by the report-“fulfills a need to become more deeply involved with hobbies, interests or stories that kindle passionate involvement,” states the report.
The study, “It’s a Broadband Life”, says that about four out of 10 viewers with broadband connections look up websites for information TV programming. The study, undertaken by Forrester Research, covered 3,207 adult consumers in the US and another firm HeadlightVision conducted interviews in 17 households.
Interestingly, websites mentioned in TV ads are then looked up by a whopping 34 per cent of broadband users. And 18 per cent, or one in five viewers, take part in online TV polls and 11 per cent go online to learn about characters in a show.
Wired broadband users account for 50 per cent of Internet hits while dial-up connections are lower at 43 per cent. Though wireless broadband users only account for 8 per cent of the traffic, the number is rising says, the report.
An important distinction between broadband and dial-up users is that the former spend an average of 6.2 more hours online each month at home than dial-up users. Broadband users also view an average of 2,330 pages each month at home–almost twice as many pages as the 1,217 views by dial-up users.
“Broadband really transformed users’ experiences,” said vice president-category development at Yahoo! Beth-Ann Eason. “When you have broadband, you’re more likely to pursue a greater depth of knowledge around a particular topic,” she said.
Broadband users are more likely to engage in a wide variety of online activity, including downloading videos, sharing photos, publishing Web pages and participating in online dating, than are dial-up users, according to the report.
Online buying is a hot activity with broadband users. Sixty-eight per cent of respondents with wireless broadband and 49 per cent of those with wired broadband report regularly making purchases on the Internet, compared to 38 per cent of those on a dial-up connection.
Additionally, consumers who go online via broadband are five times more likely than dial-up users to access more than one type of media simultaneously.
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.
