News Broadcasting
Top policy experts will feature at broadband conference in Washington
‘Broadband Outlook 2002: Vision, Strategy, Implementation’, to be held in Washington on 23 January, aims at exploring cutting-edge trends in broadband business, policy, programming and technology. It will also try to offer unique insights into the future of this fast-paced, dynamic marketplace.
The conference will tackle questions such as:
a) What new services are on tap for 2002 and where will they appear? On the TV? On the PC? On both?
b) When will interactive TV arrive and, more importantly, do consumers want it? What are the limits that consumers are willing to pay for faster Internet connections, pay-for-play streaming services, and interactive TV?
c) What role do broadband communications play in times of crisis and how secure are broadband networks?
d) Are cable companies, telcos, satellite providers and wireless companies technologically ready to deliver on the promise of broadband? Which broadband architecture is best positioned to offer the range of new interactive TV and voice services? What new blueprints are on the drawing board?
e) Will more capital flow to broadband companies due to the importance of communications during times of conflict? Will streaming media gain steam as broadband penetration increases?
f ) What are the financial challenges facing broadband service and content providers? Which new broadband services are investors betting on?
g) Does the government have stake in ensuring broadband network reliability and service in times of national emergencies? How does broadband change the policy landscape and what are the pressing challenges for 2002?
h) Is interactive TV a threat to consumer privacy? Will new laws help or hinder the development of new broadband services?
i) Which broadband medium – cable, satellite, telco or wireless – will win the broadband race?
j) Will the growing number of alliances and cross-ownership linkages among ISPs, phone companies and cable operators speed the penetration of broadband? How will these alliances and linkages shape competition in broadband.
Former Federal Communications Commission chairman Richard E. Wiley will introduce the day’s keynote speakers. There will be an expanded speaker lineup for panels on business models, financial prospects, programming, and technology. The speakers include the senior V-P of Advanced Broadband Services, AT&T Broadband Susan Marshall, VP, Earthlink Communications, Tom Andrus, CTO, Charter Communications Steve Silva, CEO, Intertainer, Jonathan Taplin, VP of Interactive Services, Sony Corp. of America, Saul Shapiro, East Coast managing editor, MSNBC.com Michael Silberman, and VP of Broadband and Interactive Services, ESPN Manish Jha.
Cahners Publishing has signed on as a conference sponsor, joining the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), and Broadband Daily. Cahners publishes Multichannel News, Broadband Week, and Broadcasting & Cable.
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.
