News Broadcasting
Queen to visit BBC on 80th anniversary of Royal Charter
MUMBAI: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II will visit BBC Broadcasting House on 20 April to mark the 80th anniversary of the granting of the Corporation’s Royal Charter.
The Queen will officially re-open the original Broadcasting House in Portland Place, London, which has recently been refurbished as a part of the redevelopment of the site.
The Queen will be shown a model outlining building project plans for Broadcasting House by Sir Richard MacCormac, architect, and the BBC’s chief operating officer, John Smith, and will view a display of digital radio technology and Broadcasting House artefacts.
The digital radio technology consists of :-
>A DAB digital radio featuring an electronic programme guide (EPG)
>A wi-fi radio, which can pick up, via wireless broadband, internet radio stations around the world including all the BBC’s national stations
>A plasma TV screen with a Freeview box, displaying the BBC’s 24/7 radio service via digital TV
>A laptop computer demonstrating listening to radio via the internet on the BBC Radio Player
>Mobile devices capable of receiving radio services -i.e.- The iPod featuring a selection of the BBC’s podcasts and a new mobile telephone with DAB radio access
The Broadcasting House artefacts consist of: a ‘royal’ microphone used by King George V for Christmas broadcasts in the 1930s. The ‘King’s Radio’, a specially created version of a high quality radio set made by Murphy, the electronics manufacturer, and presented to King George V. The model was subsequently known to the public as the ‘King’s Radio.’ Also, a cigar box in the form of Broadcasting House presented to Lord Reith on his 10th anniversary as manager/director-general of the British Broadcasting Company/Corporation.
The Queen will then watch a production for BBC 7’s The Big Toe Radio Show and will meet presenters Kirsten O’Brien and Kevin Duala and young competition winners in the Drama studio.
The Queen will also view a recording for Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and meet presenter Jenni Murray, programme engineers and interviewees Dr Sarah Childs from Bristol University and Dr Rosie Campbell from Birkbeck College, London.
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.
