News Broadcasting
Prasar Bharati claims having earned more than it spent in 2004
NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati, managing Doordarshan and All India Radio, may be making a hue and cry about the high cost of acquiring sporting events for telecast, but has said that during 2002 and 2004 it has earned more that it had spent on acquisition of rights.
Quoting figures provided by Prasar Bharati, information and broadcasting minister Jaipal Reddy today informed the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) that in 2002-03 Prasar Bharati’s expenditure on sporting events was approximately Rs 630 million, while the revenue generated was over Rs 1.5 billion. During 2003-04 while Rs 670 million was spent on telecast rights, etc, revenue earned amounted to over Rs 1,300 million.
Reddy did not clarify whether the amount mentioned for 2004 also included the Rs 500 million deposited with Supreme Court in the wake of a legal controversy involving Doordarshan and Ten Sports over the telecast of cricket matches during the Indo-Pakistan series played in Pakistan.
Reddy also informed fellow parliamentarians that DD, being a public service broadcaster, did not operate a profit and loss account.
In reply to another question relating to Prasar Bharati, Reddy has clarified that the organisation was “not facing shortage of funds due to its expansion” activities, but was under a financial burden due to “additional liabilities on account of payment of various taxes and levies imposed on it.”
(Reddy is lobbying with the finance ministry for exempting Prasar Bharati from paying various taxes as it has been registered as a trust doing work for the benefit of public at large. The tax sops, if they come through, would include largely income tax.)
While denying that DD’s revenue model has been badly hit, the I&B minister also said that the pubcaster has earned Rs. 930 million in the first quarter of this financial year (April – June), compared to Rs 480 million clocked for the corresponding period previous year.
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.
