News Broadcasting
UK photo agencies pick up tips from BBC’s ‘Paparazzi’
MUMBAI: Photo agencies in the UK have been requesting copies of the BBC series Paparazzi – to give their own snappers some tips.
Paparazzi ends its three-week run on BBC One today 19 January. The show follows the fortunes of Big Pictures, one of the top celebrity pictures in the world, and its army of paparazzos, who pop up everywhere from red carpet premieres to beaches in Barbados.
The programme studies their tactics as they bid to get the first shot of a celebrity caught unawares sent round the world. From talking their way onto hotel balconies to snap celebrity holidaymakers in bikinis or less, to stakeouts near celebrity homes in the hope of getting an unguarded moment on film, Paparazzi shows how the professionals get their shots..
The BBC claims that the show is proving to be an educational experience for other photographers. The BBC’s David Cartwright says the requests for tapes of the show were unprecedented. “In the past we have been sending copies to television previewers. But this is the first time we have been contacted by picture desks asking for tapes. A couple of agencies have expressly said that they want to show it to their own photographers to teach them a thing or two.”
The show is produced by BBC Wales. Today’s episode includes a photo-shoot with Rebecca Loos who became famous after her affair with David Beckham.
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.
