News Broadcasting
Stephen Sackur replaces Tim Sebastian on ‘Hardtalk’
MUMBAI: News broadcaster The BBC has announced that Stephen Sackur will be the new host of the current affairs show Hardtalk.
He replaces Tim Sebastian who decided to step down in order to concentrate on other projects for the BBC. Two years ago Sebastian had visited India on a promotional tour. Sebastian had presented Hardtalk since it began in March 1997.
Sackur takes over from 18 April 2005. He is currently based in Brussels, Belgium, as the BBC’s Europe correspondent. He will move to BBC Television Centre in London.
Sackur says, “This is a huge challenge for me. I have spent the past 15 years as a foreign correspondent, representing the BBC abroad, and am very much aware of the massive pulling power of Hardtalk. I’ve met many world leaders, all of whom respect Hardtalk.
“I can think of no bigger programme to get involved with. I’ve had pretty much the best job in the BBC as a foreign correspondent, and the only way of topping it is through Hardtalk, putting tough questions to the people who shape our world.”
Sebastian said, “It has been an enormous privilege to ask leading questions and to travel the world trying to get answers. We have left some bruised political egos in our wake, and some important feathers ruffled. I wish Stephen luck and I hope very much that viewers will give him their support.”
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.
