News Broadcasting
News Corp’s Chernin is MIPCOM’s personality of the year
PARIS: Media conglomerate News Corp’s president and COO Peter Chernin will receive the 11th MIPCOM ‘Personality of the Year’ award at a gala dinner for industry VIP executives in Cannes, France. The citation which will be given on 11 October recognises his career and contributions to the television industry. MIPCOM, however, takes place from 10-14 October.
Chernin also serves Fox Group’s chairman and CEO. He joined in 1989.
Reed MIDEM CEO Paul Zilk has been quoted in an official release saying: ” Chernin deserves this award because he has propelled News Corp’s TV and film businesses into leading positions globally. He has this exceptional ability to engage with the needs and aspirations of people worldwide and then define, market and distribute content to satisfy them. MIPCOM also salutes Peter Chernin’s achievements in leading efforts worldwide to combat the piracy that undermines our industry.”
Chernin said: “Television continues to make exciting progress on networks, through cable systems and via satellites across the globe. I am very privileged to be working in such a vital and vibrant industry. The potential of television – and the threats and competition against it – have never been greater. I look forward to meeting these challenges together with colleagues from all over the world.”
From 1989 to 1992, Chernin was the president of entertainment for Fox Broadcasting. Under his leadership, Fox launched such hit shows as The Simpsons, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, X-Files.
From 1992 to 1996, Chernin was the chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox. In this role, he oversaw all aspects of the studios: worldwide feature film production, marketing and distribution activities. Productions that were under his tutelage included Murdoch’s box office champ Titanic, , The Full Monty, Speed, True Lies.
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.
