News Broadcasting
News Corp shareholders okay US reincorporation
MUMBAI: The Rupert Murodch owned media conlgomerate News Corporation has announced that its shareholders and optionholders have approved the company’s reincorporation in the US.
News Corp expects the reorganisation to be completed by the end of the year
Addressing the company’s last board meeting in Adelaide yesterday 26 August Murdoch who serves as chairman and CEO of the company added, “On the television front we are making significant progress at our pan-Asian channel business Star. Star has certainly become an important and potentially significant growth engine for the company in the past two years as it has turned solidly profitable.
“After years of losses, Star reported a modest profit in fiscal 2003, but last year grew earnings eightfold to more than $50 million. Assuming continued success in India with Star Plus and continued growth in China we are confident of strong earnings improvements again in fiscal 2005.
As far as the reincorporation movie is concerned over 90 per cent of the shareholders (excluding the Murdoch family and associates) voted in favour of the reincorporation. The required majority was 75 per cent..
“We firmly believe that having our primary stock listing on the NYSE will make News Corp a more attractive investment for a far larger pool of potential shareholders.
“The move to the US will give the company far greater financial flexibility with which to pursue our goals.” Murdoch went on to reiterate that the move in no way diminished the company’s commitment to Australia.
In April Indiantelevision.com had reported that News Corp was planning to shift its incorporation to the US from Australia. 75 per cent of its revenues and profits are from US based businesses like Fox and now Directv.
“A year ago I stood before you and, perhaps a little boldly predicted that we could average annual earnings growth of 20 per cent in the coming years. Today, I am happy to be able to say: so far, so good. in fiscal 2004 we have delivered revenues of $21 billion – up 20 per cent – and operating income of $3.1 billion, up 21 per cent. Both these numbers are records for the company.
“In the filmed entertainment segment, we have achieved something few expected: another record year of operating income. Operating income reached $886 million, besting last year’s number by 38 per cent. It has been a combination of smart film-making, better risk management, a focus on profitability over market share and an exploding home entertainment market that generated our success” Myrdoch 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.
