News Broadcasting
Pio TV, IPTV channel dedicated to Indian diaspora goes onstream
MUMBAI: US-based India Broadcast Live, a global entertainment and media company, has unveiled Pio TV, a television channel meant for the Indian diaspora. The channel will be available through the Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) platform.
Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi formally inaugurated the new channel yesterday at a function held in New Delhi.
IBL has begun streaming a variety of content from India, including news, sports and entertainment in several Indian languages to 40 million Indians living outside of India and 1.2 billion Indian subscribers in India via www.IndiaTVLive.com, states an official release.
“We look after the interest of the 20 million people of Indian origin (PIOs) and non-resident Indians (NRIs) who reside overseas. Hence I am delighted to launch this new platform that will connect the expatriates with instantaneous news and information from India,” Ravi has been quoted in media reports as saying.
PIO TV will offer specialized programming to the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) around the world. The channel distributed via the Internet on www.IndiaTVLive.com will offer daily news bulletins, business news & features, talk shows, sports coverage, segments on lifestyle, fashion, cuisines, culture, tradition, religion and an exhaustive coverage of Bollywood and Indian entertainment, the release adds.
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.
