News Broadcasting
Top presenters for Banff World TV fest
MUMBAI: The Banff World Television Festival, which is a global hub for those wanting to network with television’s hottest commodities, has announced a stellar lineup of presenters for its famed master sessions and case studies.
The Banff World Television Festival, which will take place from 12- 15 June at the Fairmont Banff Springs amid the Canadian Rockies, will welcome directors Jon Cassar and Jeremy Podeswa among its growing list of participants. Though Cassar’s credits include La Femme Nikita and Mutant X, he is perhaps best known for his work as director/co-executive producer of Fox’s Emmy and Golden Globe-winning drama, 24. Podeswa’s credits include Showtime’s wildly popular series, The L Word, and HBO hits, Carnivàle and Six Feet Under.
Attendees will also have the chance to get up close and personal with Academy Award and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Lionel Chetwynd, Fox Reality Channel COO and general manager David Lyle, accomplished director, producer and writer Patricia Rozema and producer Peter Raymont, among others.
From pulse-pounding thrillers and edge-of-your seat dramas to poignant documentaries, hit reality series and beyond, each of these television industry heavyweights contributes his or her own unique expertise, all of which add up to the dynamic spectrum of conference programs for which BANFF is famous.
“For the past 25 years, our goal has been to get attendees face-to-face with executives whose experience can provide a compelling, timely and relevant insight into the world’s television climate,” said Banff World Television Festival CEO Robert Montgomery. “This year is no different. BANFF will celebrate its 26th Anniversary with a very well-rounded compendium of TVs’ greatest thinkers, movers and shakers.”
Banff World Television Festival’s master sessions and case studies consist of hour-long programs in which VIP guests engage in lively moderated question and answer dialogues before an audience.
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.
