News Broadcasting
News Corp’s Fox gets license in Serbia
MUMBAI: Media conglomerate News Corporation has announced that its venture Fox Televizija formed in cooperation with partners in Serbia, has been awarded a national television license in the Republic of Serbia, the larger of the two republics that comprise the country of Serbia and Montenegro.
News Corp. along with its Serbian partners participated in a public tender process that was launched earlier this year by Serbia’s Republic Broadcasting Agency. The Broadcasting Agency’s Council announced the results of the tender process a few days ago.
News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch said, “Serbia’s tender process for the national television licenses was professionally managed from start to finish. This has been one of the most expertly managed international competitive tenders for a national television license in which News Corp. has participated. The Republic Broadcasting Agency should be commended for the fair and transparent process.”
News Corp. and its partners have committed to providing high-quality entertainment and information programming. News Corp. and Fox Televizija will also direct considerable resources into the production of original programming in Serbia. News Corp. will immediately begin the roll-out of the Fox Televizija operation under the management of Mr. Dan Bates, an experienced international television executive.
News Corp’s investment in Serbia builds on the company’s successful European television business highlighted by the highly profitable television station, bTV, in Bulgaria.
News Corp. Europe’s chairman Martin Pompadur said, “Together with our Serbian partners, we are committed to bringing all of the resources necessary to develop a top quality television station. News Corp. will aim to be a valued member of Serbia’s business and media communities.”
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.
