News Broadcasting
News Corp invests further in its UK newspapers
MUMBAI: The Rupert Murdoch owned media conglomerate, News Corporation has announced a significant investment in its UK publishing subsidiary News International Limited.
The company will spend in the course of the next four to five years over ?600 million on new printing plants.
News International publishes The Sun, the News of the World, The Times, The Sunday Times and the TSL Education supplements, say media reports.
The investment will enable the company to acquire state-of-the-art full-colour printing presses and build new production plants in Enfield, north of London, Glasgow, and Knowsley, close to Liverpool.
New Corp chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch said, “News International is Britains leading national newspaper publisher, producing some of the greatest newspapers in the world. At News Corporation, we have always been a long-term investor at the forefront of technological innovation. This exciting new project demonstrates again our absolute commitment to the future of print.”
News International executive chairman Les Hinton said, “This will ensure News International maintains its leading position in the national newspaper industry. The new presses will provide colour on every page bringing advantages to both advertisers and editorial. This is a long-range project taking more than four years to complete.
“Over this period inevitably there will be job changes and losses as the new automated technology comes on line. There will be no impact on jobs for at least two years and, wherever possible, reductions will be achieved through voluntary redundancy,” he added.
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.
