News Broadcasting
‘Yeh dosti’ with salim-javed
MUMBAI: Following the re-release of one of Bollywood’s biggest hits, Sholay in an all-new 3D avatar, CNN-IBN, IBN7 and History-TV18 bring to their viewers Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, the most celebrated Bollywood scriptwriter duo of all times. This special show will be the duo’s first joint interview since they split up as a writing team in the early 1980s. In a candid conversation with CNN-IBN Entertainment Editor Rajeev Masand, the legends revisit their biggest hit Sholay, while sharing their experiences on the sets of the film and the discovery of Amjad Khan as Gabbar. Once dubbed ‘arrogant’ and ‘cocky’, the writers explain why they were inflexible about their price, and discuss the clout they wielded, which allowed them to make casting decisions on the films they wrote. In a particularly poignant moment, the former partners speak about their premature split and how it might have been averted had they acted with maturity.
Don’t miss this special show:-
On CNN-IBN:
• Jan 11th, Sat @ 2.00 PM & 10.30 PM
• Jan 12th, Sun @ 12.00 PM & 6.00 PM
On IBN7:
• Jan 11th, Sat @ 6.00 PM & 10.30 PM
• Jan 12th, Sun @ 12.30 PM
On History-TV18:
• Jan 12th, Sun @ 9.00 AM & 7.00 PM
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.
