News Broadcasting
Spending on online content to sky rocket: IDC research
MUMBAI: Did someone say dotcoms are dead? A recent survey by tech researcher IDC reveals that that spending for online content worldwide will total over $ 50 billion in 2002.
The IDC report has another interesting projection – that by 2006 worldwide spending for online content will rise by over $108 billion.
The research findings confirm that the market for online content is being driven by businesses and consumers that are increasingly willing to pay for reliable sources of timely, accurate and complete information. It is also believed that as the market matures, buying patterns, purchasing behavior and the means of delivery, will continue to evolve.
Another research finding by Jupiter, a division of Jupitermedia Corp, reveals that online advertising supplemented by classified ads and increased spending by the traditional advertisers,will make a quantum leap from $ 5.6 billion this year to $ 6.2 billion in 2003.
An excellent example of this is the popular online search engine Google, which apart from delivering information has helped clients sell obscure products like bird diapers and leashes to name just a few. The study further states that some industries are better positioned to take advantage of the Internet, especially in the case of those products where the customer needs to do some research before making a purchase.
“The Internet will transform advertising because of its tracking ability, not its beauty,” Google Inc chief executive Eric Scmidt is quoted as saying in a report on net ads by The Wall Street Journal Online.
Google, which began running text advertisements earlier this year, doesn’t run banner ads or multimedia spots anymore. Commenting on Google’s strategy, the report gives an example of a user, say one looking for information on baseball gets links to Major League Baseball and the Hall of Fame, as well as a text ad hawking Barry Bonds baseball cards, thus enabling the website to translate to advertisers.
The research further reveals that the percentage of US households with online access is expected to grow to about 78 per cent by 2007 from the current 67 per cent, thus putting it at par with the number of homes with cable or satellite TV. This clearly indicates the tremendous scope for an ever increasing demand for online advertising.
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.
