News Broadcasting
Phillip Hughes funeral to take place on 3 December
MUMBAI: The Hughes family has confirmed funeral arrangements for their son Phillip. The funeral will take place at 2 pm on 3 December in the Hughes family’s home town of Macksville in northern New South Wales.
It will be held in the sports hall of Macksville High School where Phillip was educated. Given the limited capacity in the hall, overflow areas will be made available for guests to watch the service via vision screens set up on the school’s two ovals.
The service will be broadcast live by the Nine Network with provisions made for all other television networks. ABC Local Radio and the Fairfax Radio Network will also broadcast the service live around the country. It will also be streamed live on Cricket Australia’s website and app.
Qantas has scheduled two additional B737 services between Sydney and Coffs Harbour on Wednesday to assist people wishing to attend the funeral. Qantas has provided these services purely on a cost recovery basis. Additional services may be scheduled in coming days.
CA chief executive James Sutherland said, “We are grateful to the Australian community for the overwhelming show of support it has extended to the Hughes family in recent days. The offers of assistance for Wednesday’s service have been remarkable.”
“While we know that people from all around the nation want to pay their respects to Phillip, there will only be limited capacity in Macksville, so the work of our broadcasters will help ensure people around the country can follow the service on TV, radio and online.” he added.
Cricket Australia has asked that the privacy of the Hughes family and friends continue to be respected in the lead up to Wednesday’s funeral. The SCG Trust and Adelaide Oval will also show Phillip’s funeral service live on their big screens.
Cricket Australia has also announced that the first Commonwealth Bank Test match between Australia and India will not start on Thursday 4 December as scheduled. Details around the Test match are still to be determined.
Sutherland informed, “We appreciate the incredible understanding and support of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. It has been nothing short of outstanding during these difficult times. We just ask the cricket community for some patience as we work through a range of scenarios in full consultation with the players, the Indian Board, the ICC and our broadcasters.”
Ticket sales for the Test have been suspended. Fans have been asked to hold onto their tickets until further notice.
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.
