News Broadcasting
TV tops news consumption in the UK
MUMBAI: In the UK, TV is the most used platform for news (79 per cent) according to the 2018 News Consumption in the UK research report published by communications regulator Ofcom.
TV is followed by internet (64 per cent), radio (44 per cent) and newspapers (40 per cent) among adults. However, internet is the most popular platform among 16-24s (82 per cent) and ethnic minority groups (EMGs) (73 per cent).
Television being the most-used platform, BBC One is the most important news source and is used by 62 per cent adults in UK followed by ITV (41 per cent) and Facebook (33 per cent). When it comes to online news, social media is used by 44 per cent adults.
BBC One is the most used source for news in Wales, Scotland and England, while UTV is most popular in Northern Ireland (NI). Facebook is the third most popular source across all nations. Welsh respondents are most likely to say they’re interested in news about their nation (55 per cent vs 49 per cent in Scotland, 37 per cent in NI and 32 per cent in England).
One in seven adults (14 per cent) use all four main platforms for news (i.e. TV, radio, newspapers and the internet).
Eighty two per cent of 12-15 year olds said that the news they heard from family was either ‘always’ or ‘mostly’ true, compared to 77 per cent for radio and 73 per cent for TV. Only one in three (34 per cent) think news stories on social media are reported truthfully.
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.
