News Broadcasting
WorldSpace Noah Samara to deliver key note at International Radio Conference Dubai
MUMBAI: International Radio Conference (IRC) is scheduled to be held from 22 May to 24 May in Dubai. The key note will be delivered by WorldSpace Corporation chairman and CEO Noah A. Samara.
The conference is aimed at a global audience of radio professionals and contemporaries from associated industries, including advertising and media.
It will also examine the future of radio in the Middle East. The sessions are; Shifting Stands, Breakfast Confidential, Smarter Music Scheduling, Bumpers ‘n Stabs, Doughnuts ‘n Stings, They’re not all Mad, Only the Good Ones!, Print vs Radio, 10 Great Ways to Make People Listen Longer, News You Can Use, New Frontier, Kill or Cure? Can Radio Survive the Ipod Era? and Paying the Piper! to name a few.
Arabian Radio Network Join Abdullatif Al Sayegh will speak on Shifting Sands and other major players in the region as they give an upfront assessment of the future of radio in the Middle East.
Emap UK expert Mark Story and Capital 98.5 UK expert Keith Pringle will provide top tips and closely guarded secrets to building the best breakfast show.
European award winning Imager EMap UK Andy Roberts, Soniic Design Jean Michel Meschin, BBC World Service on air editor Steve Martin, Radio Advertising Bureaux UK Douglas McArthur, BBC World Service business development head Simon Kendall and Virgin Radio James Cridland will provide a low-down at the sessions.
The sessions organised will also cover the pertinent issues facing radio professionals today including programming, technology and production.
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.
