News Broadcasting
Tourism Australia ties up with BBC for “Peschardt’s People”
NEW DELHI:Tourism Australia has signed an agreement with BBC World to sponsor the popular series Peschardt’s People, which profiles famous and infamous people in the Asia-Pacific region.
The deal, announced by the BBC’s 24-hour news and information channel yesterday, covers the channel’s South Asia/Middle East feed and reaches nearly 25 million viewers. It is the first regional sponsorship for the series and provides Tourism Australia with a strong presence in India – considered to be one of its most important tourism markets, a press statement issue by the broadcaster said today.
Presented by the BBC’s Michael Peschardt, the series provides viewers with a ‘behind the scenes’ look at the lives of some of the most famous and infamous people in the Asia-Pacific region.
The series is also a perfect fit for Tourism Australia as it has a strong Australian flavour. Michael Peschardt, is a well-respected BBC journalist based in Australia and the series also features several famous Australians. The line up of guests include; former ‘Australian of the Year’ and world-leading plastic surgeon Atticus Fleming; Narayana Murthy – one of India’s most respected business leaders; New Zealand actor, Sam Neill and cricketing legend Rod March.
Michael spends an average of three days with each of his guests, interviewing them about the people, places, and issues that really matter to them, in a relaxed and informal style, encouraging them to open up and talk sincerely and passionately about their lives.
BBC World’s VP of sales for Asia and Australasia, Sunita Rajan, says: “We are delighted to have Tourism Australia showcase their destination message on BBC World. BBC World is the leading international news channel in India, and the country is now one of the world’s largest democracies and its influential and affluent individuals are travelling more than ever.”She said also that the fact that BBC World was voted as the leading television channel for travellers two years in a row also makes this the perfect environment for Tourism Australia to launch its campaign in.
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.
