News Broadcasting
Prasar Bharati targets 2 million DTH subscribers by end 2005
NEW DELHI: On the eve of a formal launch of Doordarshans DTH service by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Prasar Bharati said that it has set a target of two million subscribers by end 2005 and increasing channel capacity to 50 by June next.
On the occasion of a demonstration of DD Direct Plus, the brand name under which DD would market its free DTH service, Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma said, By December 2005 we hope to have a subscriber base of two million, which may help the platform net additional private TV channels.
Though he ruled out any private sector pay channels immediately joining DD Direct Plus, he did say that 40-odd free to air TV channels, including German pubcaster DW, standing in the queue having shown interest in joining the DTH platform.
He added, Since we do not have much capacity at the moment to include all TV channels that have shown interest, we have asked Tam to carry out a survey and based on the popularity of a channel, it would be allowed entry on DD Direct Plus.”
DD Direct Plus is a free to DTH service offering 32 FTA TV channels, including 13 private ones, and 12 customised radio channels. A subscriber would have to make an one-time investment of Rs, 3,000-Rs 3,500 on the hardware and pay no monthly subscription fee, unlike the countrys first DTH service, marketed by Zee Telefilms under Dish TV brand name.
Sarma was optimistic that there would many takers for this service, as about 45 million TV homes in the country dont have any cable service. In this regard, Prasar Bharati has distributed 10,000 set-top-boxes, free in those states where TV coverage is below the national average.
A higher-end version of the set-top boxes, being manufactured by private companies, do have an option for smart cards in case of pay channels joining DDs DTH platform in future.
The STBs being sold in the market are not branded ones, but Prasar Bharati plans to float a tender inviting interested hardware companies to make Prasar Bharati branded boxes after paying a minimum guarantee on a non-exclusive basis.
DD Direct Plus, beaming through NSS 6 satellite, includes all DD channels, apart from the likes of BBC World, Sun TV, Star Utsav, from the Zee stable Kairali TV, Zee Music and Smile TV, Jain TV, Aaj Tak and Headlines Today. The radio channels include All India Radio channels.
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.
