News Broadcasting
Nude antics put Australian reality show in trouble
MUMBAI: Australia’s third-ranked television broadcaster Ten Network Holdings Ltd. is in the firing line over its reality show Big Brother Uncut.
Critics argue that, the fifth Australian series of Big Brother is the raunchiest yet seen in Australia, with the uncut version featuring regular nudity, views of the contestants in the shower, and a steamy hot-tub romp by two contestants.
Big Brother has a group of strangers locked in a house and gradually voted out by the audience. Local versions of the show are produced around the world, from Britain to South Africa.
The show has now prompted Australian government politicians to demand a review of how much nudity can be shown on free television down under. According to a Reuters report, Government MP Trish Draper raised her concerns at a closed meeting of government MPs and senators after the latest uncut episode of the program, classified for viewers 15 years and older, featured contestants taking nude photographs of each other.
On the other hand, people who had been part of the contest feel the other way. A Reuters report has quoted one of the ex-contestants Michelle as telling that people should switch off their televisions if they did not like what they were watching.
“You put 15 sexually active people in the house who obviously enjoy sex and are young, it is going to happen. We are bored and we are going to do things,” said Michelle.
A Ten spokeswoman has been quoted as saying that, the program complied with the existing industry code of practice. The spokeswoman said she had written to the broadcast regulator to examine if the voluntary classification system was adequate for reality television programs.
Ten Network Holdings Ltd. has broadcast the Big Brother series as part of its strategy to target and build up a younger audience.
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.
