News Broadcasting
Prasar Bharati running short on cash
Prasar Bharati Corporation, the autonomous body modelled on the UK pubcaster BBC and overseeing the work of Doordarshan (DD) and the All India Radio (AIR), is facing a cash crunch and will move the government to release the funds allotted to it.
Admitting this fact, a senior Prasar Bharati Corporation official told indiantelevision.com, “There is a cash flow problem and we are taking up this issue with the government.”
According to the Corporation official, who is also part of the governing body, Prasar Bharati has mooted a proposal that it will sign a memorandum of understanding with the government to get released the grant-in-aid to it in two tranches. “This will ease the financial problems which the Corporation has been facing for quite some time now
Though the official denied any knowledge of non-payment of dues for work which had been sourced from outside, Prasar Bharati insiders did reveal to indiantelevison.com that the funds crunch has resulted in arrears piling up.
For example, the insiders said that casual reporters working for DD have not been paid their remuneration or get the payments late. Casual reporters are paid at the rate of Rs 750 per day and cannot be employed for more than ten days in a month.
Similarly, it is also said that DD had contracted an outside agency to act as its research division and undertake research work for various reports, analysis and news features for which payment is pending.
However, several efforts made by indiantelevision to elicit a response from the persons concerned who undertake research activities for DD proved futile.
But there is no denying the question that Prasar Bharati, partially on an expansion mode under chief executive KS Sarma, who is now slightly over three months old in the Corporation, is facing a cash flow problems.
Armed with a Rs 1000-million kitty for sourcing fresh programming, the Corporation will also soon start commissioning and buying programmes outright. “If we find, for example, a serial good then the Corporation will buy out the rights for it outright,” the official said.
The issue relating to finances and other matters will be discussed by the Prasar Bharati Corporation board meeting slated to be held on 3 July.
There is also a proposal to re-launch DD News, closed down earlier this year on 26 January after over 18 months of existence. But whether this will find favour with the board members and also the government, which still retains control over the Corporation indirectly, is still to be seen.
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.
