News Broadcasting
Viacom, DirecTV ink carriage deal
MUMBAI: MTV parent Viacom Inc and recent Rupert Murdoch acquisition DirecTV on Wednesday signed a deal that ensures continued carriage of all MTV Networks’ programme services currently carried by DirecTV.
The deal also provides for CBS analog broadcasts as well as CBS’ high-definition Super Bowl coverage and its HDTV lineup in owned-and-operated markets. DirecTV will also continue to carry UPN analog broadcasts. MTV Networks’ Nicktoons will be made available to viewers who subscribe to DirecTV’s Total Choice Plus package.
The affiliation agreement allows for Viacom’s MTV Networks services, including MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, TV Land, Spike TV, CMT, Noggin, VH1 Classic, MTV2 and Comedy Central as well as BET to continue to be available to DIRECTV subscribers nationwide, reports say.
Meanwhile, DirecTV on Wednesday also filed for permission with the Federal Communications Commission to move one of its satellites to an orbital slot controlled by Telesat Canada, a move that will allow it to offer US customers more local channels. The DirecTV 5 satellite would be moved into the Telesat-controlled orbital location of 72.5 degrees, once the DirecTV 7S satellite is launched later this quarter. This satellite will replace DirecTV 5 at 119 degrees, freeing up the latter to move to a new location. This will also allow DirecTV to expand local-into-local channel service to a minimum of 130 US markets by 2004 end, reports quote a company statement as saying.
The commitment for the expansion had been made to the FCC as part of the recent $6.78 billion acquisition by Murdoch’s News Corp, the reports add. The broadcaster, which boasts more than 12 million subscribers, has said that its aim was to begin the rollout of local-into-local service to the additional markets by early April 2004.
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.
