News Broadcasting
WorldSpace unveils new logophone; audio signature
MUMBAI: WorldSpace the satellite-based digital radio services has unveiled its new logophone, an audio signature of the company’s broadcast identity phrase, ‘WorldSpace Satellite Radio’. The exercise of launching an audio signature has been executed, which will symbolise for the company’s 27 branded channels
The company’s new audio signature, which will be heard between songs and DJ breaks. It has been designed, by which it can be readily adapted to fit the company’s wide range of content and original programming, or used independently for corporate branding activities.
“WorldSpace’s audio signature provides brand cohesion for the individual channels, uniting them as recognizable elements in the WorldSpace Satellite Radio network; it does a phenomenal job of highlighting our diverse range of content,” said WorldSpace vice president of global programming Billy Sabatini. “When subscribers hear the audio signature, they know they are getting the highest quality content and programming.”
Subscribers will hear customised variations of the new audio signature on a variety of WorldSpace channels, including:
* UPop – The station for globally focussed pop music that knows no boundaries, UPop offers hits by the biggest international stars such as Robbie Williams, Daniel Bedingfield, The Killers, and Kylie Minogue.
* Riff – Presenting jazz to a global audience, Riff features legends such as Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie, contemporary artists like Diana Krall and Arturo Sandoval, and blends the widening range of international jazz players.
* Bob – Offering new music with a new attitude, Bob serves a global audience with music from some of the world’s best modern rock bands, including Green Day, Nirvana, Weezer, and Radiohead.
* Radio Voyager – Playing today’s hottest adult hits, Radio Voyager brings great music from artists like Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow, Coldplay, U2, GooGoo Dolls, and Jack Johnson.
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.
