News Broadcasting
Oltmanns joins PWC for Academy balloting process
MUMBAI: PricewaterhouseCoopers ( PWC), in its endeavour to renew and continue its association with the world-renowned Academy Awards, today announced that Brad Oltmanns, managing partner of the firm’s Los Angeles office, has joined the leadership team managing the 2005 Academy Awards balloting process alongside PricewaterhouseCoopers partners Greg Garrison and Rick Rosas.
These three will be fully responsible for the voting results which are scheduled to be announced during the 77th Academy Awards telecast on Sunday, 27 February.
“The Academy Awards balloting and voting demands the highest level of integrity and trust. We continue to find that in our relationship with PricewaterhouseCoopers,” said Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences executive director Bruce Davis. “We look forward to welcoming Brad to the stage later this month.”
“I am joining an exclusive group of PricewaterhouseCoopers partners who have been entrusted with one of the entertainment industry’s best kept secrets for 71 years running,” said Oltmanns. “It is a serious responsibility and certainly one of the biggest honors of my career. I am proud to continue the tradition for years to come.”
Oltmanns joins the group of individuals who have safeguarded the world’s most famous, hand-counted secrets. He has served the firm for 25 years, and is in charge of managing PricewaterhouseCoopers’ entire 1,000-person staff in Los Angeles. Oltmanns has also worked in leadership positions in the firm’s Chicago, New York and Minneapolis offices.
“I look at Brad and remember when PricewaterhouseCoopers first offered me the opportunity to lead the Academy Awards balloting process — the excitement, the privilege, the honor,” said PricewaterhouseCoopers’ longest-time lead balloting partner (retired) Frank Johnson.
“With a few helpful hints, I’m sure that Brad will make his mark among the exclusive group of past partners who have shared in this experience of a lifetime.”
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.
