News Broadcasting
Prag Cine Awards 2015 to be held in Assam
KOLKATA: To promote regional cinema, Assam-based Prag Network, a 24×7 satellite channel, will be holding the ‘Prag Cine Awards’ in Dibrugarh, Assam on 21-22 March.
The aim of the award is to give support, recognition and inspiration to the Assamese film industry. Prag Network will honour eminent film personalities who have contributed to the cause of Assamese cinema. The award was first instituted in the year 2003.
Close to 24 movies have been nominated for the awards.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com Prag News chairman and managing director Sanjive Narain said, “It is the North East’s biggest cultural extravaganza and only cine awards.”
Performing at the awards will be Assamese singers Zubeen Garg and Papon (Angaraag Mahanta). “Some Bollywood stars will also come,” Narain said.
When queried about the number of award categories, Narain said that there were 29 categories including best actor, actress, film, director and music.
The 2014 edition of Prag Cine Awards was held in Bangalore. “Incidentally, 2014 was the first time when Prag Cine Awards was held outside Assam and we received tremendous response,” Narain said.
According to Narain, Prag News is distributed across the county via SitiCable, in the parts of Bihar (Darsh Network), J&K (7 Sea), Fast Way (Punjab) and West Bengal (CTVN).
“The channel is currently available across Assam and entire north-east regions and enjoys a viewership of over 10 millions. People can watch the award ceremony as Assamese movies are popular among cine watchers not only in Assam and north eastern region but across the world,” he said.
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.
