News Broadcasting
Prasar Bharati hopes to find distribution partners to push DD channel in UK on BSkyB
NEW DELHI: Indian pubcaster Doordarshan wants to travel to the UK to woo TV audiences of Indian diaspora, but doesnt have the requisite fund of its own to do so as the government has refused financial help in this regard.
So, Prasar Bharati, which manages Doordarshan and All India Radio, would float tender inviting companies interested in distributing a Doordarshan channel in the UK on the BSkyB platform.
Interacting with journalists during a demonstration of DDs DTH service today, Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma admitted that lack of adequate fund has hampered a DD channel joining the BSkyB platform.
Pointing out that the government has refused to extend a helping hand in this regard, Sarma said, Since the cost of being distributed in the UK is high and we are not in a position to do so ourselves, we are looking at private parties to help us in doing so. The government has refused any additional financial aid.
According to him, it would cost Prasar Bharati Rs. 140 million per year per channel to be distributed in the UKs cable and digital pay platforms.
He expressed hope that people would be interested in being the distributor of a DD channel in the UK and earn revenue by targeting people of Indian origin there.
In this regard, he said that five companies have shown interest in distributing five language DD channels in the United States and have offered $ 50,000 per channel per year as a minimum guarantee to Prasar Bharati.
Initially, Prasar Bharati had drawn up plans to take two channels, one news and the other having entertainment-related programming, to the UK on the Rupert Murdoch-controlled BSkyB platform.
The finance ministry had struck down this proposal indicating Prasar Bharati re-work the whole project, including future revenue models. Finally clearance for one channel had come through. The rider: DD wants to go to the UK, it would have to pay for the fare.
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.
