GECs
Virgin Mobile first to offer live digital mobile TV with BT Movio
MUMBAI: Live mobile TV is set to become a reality as British Telecom (BT) announced that Virgin Mobile will be the first mobile operator to sign up to the BT Movio broadcast digital TV and radio service for mobile phones.
Virgin Mobile will become the first mobile operator in Europe to offer its customers digital TV and radio content on a mobile device using broadcast technology.
The announcement of the deal coincided with the unveiling of the new handset which will screen the new TV service. The Trilogy, the world’s first DAB-IP enabled Smartphone, was unveiled at the 3GSM World Congress 2006.
Virgin Mobile will offer the broadcast service on a limited exclusive basis to its customers later this year giving its customers access to a wide range of digital TV content and more than 350 DAB digital radio stations nationwide broadcasting twenty-four hours a day.
Broadcast via the UK’s existing digital audio broadcasting (DAB) network, the Virgin Mobile service will deliver a reliable, high-quality viewing and listening experience to an infinite number of mobile users.
BT Movio managing director Emma Lloyd said, “BT is at the forefront of innovation and the BT Movio service is the first of its kind in Europe. By taking the leap into broadcast TV for mobile, Virgin Mobile will be able to offer customers a real live TV experience. We are delighted that they have chosen our platform. Bringing the world’s first DAB-IP enabled Smartphone to market is another huge achievement for BT and the beginning of a step change towards open standards in the area of TV broadcasting over DAB. By working with Microsoft and HTC we have been able to develop a handset that provides an easy to view, high quality experience, wrapped into a hi-spec media driven mobile phone. This will be vital in attracting mobile operators to the BT Movio service.”
Virgin Mobile sales and marketing director Graeme Hutchinson said, “Virgin Mobile customers will be the first people in Europe to watch real broadcast TV over their mobile phones. It’s not downloaded; it’s not looped; it’s real TV just like you get at home, and it’s real DAB digital radio – crystal clear sound. We’re delighted to be working with BT Movio, Microsoft, HTC and others, to bring this service to British consumers, and to help develop one of the most technologically advanced phones ever. We are in no doubt that this is the world’s best telephone.”
The mobile TV Smartphone has been developed jointly by BT, TTP, and HTC, one of the world’s biggest original design manufacturers for mobile devices. This Smartphone is the world’s first mobile device based on IP delivered over a broadcast network. The lightweight, Trilogy device features a 2.2″ screen, ideal for consuming video content, and a range of other media driven features including removable storage and an integrated 1.3 mega pixel camera. Designed primarily around user feedback from the BT Movio pilot in the UK, the largest of its kind in Europe, the Trilogy is expected to have broad appeal among mobile users.
BT has developed a strategic relationship with Microsoft to enable a secure and efficient environment for delivering broadcast services on a mobile handset. Microsoft’s Windows Media technologies, including Windows Media Video and Windows Media Audio Pro, enable BT Movio to deliver high-quality audio and video content over a DAB network using minimal bandwidth.
The BT Movio service also incorporates Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology to ensure secure delivery of premium video and music content. Windows Media technologies integrate seamlessly with the Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system used by the HTC smartphones
Microsoft corporate vice president of Windows Digital Media Amir Majidimehr said, “The optimised capabilities of the Windows Media and Windows Mobile platforms are powering entirely new digital entertainment scenarios in the wireless space. Our collaboration with BT and HTC is breaking new ground for broadcast capabilities to mobile handsets and making mobile TV a reality for consumers.”
BT Movio is the first wholesale TV offering of its kind in Europe and will be available in the future to all mobile operators in the UK.
GECs
Sahara One reports financial results, notes director exit and business realignment
Muted revenues, steady expenses and strategic adjustments shape company’s current phase
MUMBAI: In a tale where the sands seem to be slipping faster than they can be gathered, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited has reported another quarter of wafer-thin income and widening losses, even as a boardroom exit adds to the unease.
The company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that its board, in a meeting held on April 4, approved its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2025. The numbers paint a stark picture. Total income for the quarter stood at just Rs 0.13 lakh, unchanged sequentially and sharply down from Rs 0.26 lakh a year earlier.
Losses, meanwhile, deepened. The company posted a net loss of Rs 24.16 lakh for the quarter, compared to Rs 18.81 lakh in the June quarter and Rs 39.69 lakh in the same period last year. For the six months ended September 2025, the cumulative loss stood at Rs 39.69 lakh, while the full-year loss for FY25 was reported at Rs 60.72 lakh.
Expenses continued to outweigh income by a wide margin. Total expenses for the quarter came in at Rs 24.30 lakh, led by employee benefit costs of Rs 6.51 lakh and other expenses of Rs 17.78 lakh. Earnings per share remained in the red at Rs (0.11) for the quarter.
The balance sheet reflects a company with significant assets on paper but limited operational momentum. Total assets stood at Rs 23,065.57 lakh as of September 30, 2025, broadly unchanged from March 2025. Equity share capital remained steady at Rs 2,152.50 lakh, while total equity was reported at Rs 18,004.85 lakh.
Cash and cash equivalents saw a modest uptick to Rs 6.75 lakh from Rs 4.68 lakh earlier, supported by a positive operating cash flow of Rs 180.01 lakh for the period.
Yet, beneath these numbers lies a more complex narrative. The company’s auditors flagged their inability to obtain sufficient evidence to form a conclusion on the financial statements, citing lack of access to records. They also raised concerns over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, pointing to insufficient funds, delayed recoveries, and stalled content investments.
Adding to the governance overhang, the company disclosed that Rana Zia has resigned as whole-time director, effective October 16, 2025, citing other professional commitments. The resignation, noted and accepted by the board, also brings an end to her role across company committees.
Regulatory pressures continue to loom large. The Securities and Exchange Board of India has already initiated penal actions for non-compliance with listing norms, with trading in the company’s shares remaining suspended. There is also a risk of promoter demat accounts being frozen.
Legacy legal issues remain unresolved. A substantial deposit of Rs 694,027.88 thousand linked to the long-running OFCD dispute involving Sahara group entities is still under the purview of the Supreme Court of India. Restrictions on asset disposal continue to weigh on the company’s financial flexibility.
Operationally, challenges persist across multiple fronts. Advances worth Rs 1,92,916 thousand given for film content remain stuck, with delays in project completion and uncertain recoverability. The company’s YouTube channel, despite being operational, has generated no revenue for over three years due to compliance lapses. In a further twist, management has indicated that revenues may have been fraudulently diverted through unauthorised changes to its AdSense account, with a police complaint in the works.
There are also missed revenue opportunities. Television content rights continue to be used by a related party despite the expiry of the licence agreement, with fresh negotiations still underway.
For now, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited appears caught between legacy disputes and present-day operational hurdles. As losses linger and governance questions mount, the road to recovery looks less like a sprint and more like a slow trudge through shifting sands.
