News Broadcasting
BBC is best for global breaking news
MUMBAI: Two studies have revealed that BBC World News is the leader in global breaking news, with stories from a wider spread of locations and journalists in more countries than other international news broadcasters. The BBC’s leadership in coverage of fast moving international stories is also reflected in independent data which shows that the BBC is by far the most retweeted news source on Twitter.
These findings form the basis of two new marketing campaigns which are running on the channel and bbc.com to highlight the broadcaster’s breaking news leadership and social media credentials.
The original study, conducted in partnership with LiveStation, examined the four main international news providers and showed that BBC World News is ahead on the breadth of its editorial agenda and the extent of its editorial resource.
Peter Horrocks, Chairman, BBC Global News Ltd, said:
“Audiences rightly value the BBC for its accuracy and impartiality and we are consistently rated the world’s most trusted news broadcaster. This data also shows we are just as fast as our competitors and are number one for breaking news from around the world.
“The BBC’s breaking news is authentic news – rather than the non-existent or minor developments in stories which other broadcasters label ‘breaking news’.
“Our competitors boast about how far they go to cover stories. We don’t need to ‘go there’ because the BBC is there already – in a far wider range of locations than other news broadcasters.”
The study reveals that the BBC covers stories from the widest variety of locations, with journalists in almost 100 countries. This is more than any other broadcaster and offers the unique ability to provide local insight into events of global importance. Over the study period, the BBC had local reporters covering breaking news stories from considerably more countries than any of its competitors.
BBC World News also has the richest variety of content, reporting on a more even spread of topics across the world than the other news channels.
Contrary to widespread perceptions, the BBC is as least as fast as other international broadcasters, and often faster. When compared to its competitors, the BBC was first with the story on marginally more occasions than anyone else.
The LiveStation findings have since been validated by a similar study conducted this month in partnership with Kantar Media. Breaking news matters on radio, TV, online and especially on social media. Recent research from NewsWhip shows that the BBC is the world’s most retweeted news brand, with its stories shared a record 2.7 million times in March – almost 50% more than any other publisher. Bbc.com also achieved record figures with 96 million unique users and an all-time high of 1.3 billion page views* over the same month.
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.
