News Broadcasting
UTV’s verticals profitable in FY’11, movie dominates
MUMBAI: The movie business is still UTV Software Communications’ leading vertical, but the television and gaming segments have supported the company’s growth in FY’11.
UTV has achieved its movie revenue guidance for the fiscal, posting a turnover of Rs 4.54 billion. while all the verticals have turned operationally profitable.
For the full-fiscal, the company with varied interests in movie production, broadcasting and gaming has posted a a consolidated net profit (after minority interest) of Rs 1.35 billion, a 154.03 per cent jump from Rs 533.32 million a year ago.
UTV’s operating revenue for the fiscal jumped 40 per cent to Rs 9.29 billion, from Rs 6.64 billion in the earlier year. Television business aided 38 per cent of the topline during the fiscal.
The company has consolidated the financials of UTV Communications (USA) LLC, IG Interactive Entertainment, UTV Global Broadcasting, UTV TV Content, UTV Games, First Future Agri & Developers, UTV New Media, Indiagames and the group’s stepdown subsidiaries -Ignition Entertainment, True Games Interactive, Genx Entertainment, UTV Entertainment Television, UTV Tele-Talkies, RB Entertainment Ltd & Vikatan UTV Content and the JV Screenshot Television Limited.
Movie Segment:
Aided by films like Rajneeti, No One Killed Jessica, Saat Khoon Maaf, and Dhobi Ghat among others, the movie business revenue jumped 44 per cent to Rs 4.54 billion, from Rs 3.15 billion a year ago. Operating profit went up 60 per cent to Rs 1.53 billion, from Rs 951 million.
UTV was largely de-risked with a combination of pre-sales and committed revenues on account of music, home video, TV and ancillary revenues prior to the release of the movies.
Television Segment:
The television segment revenue jumped 43 per cent to Rs 3.56 billion, up from Rs 2.49 billion a year ago.
The company posted operating profit of Rs 309 million from the segment compared to an operating loss of Rs 2 million in the earlier year.
Games and Interactive division:
UTV’s gaming and new media business raked in Rs 1.2 billion, contributing to 13 per cent of UTV’s total revenue. The company had registered a revenue of Rs 1.07 billion from the segment in the previous fiscal.
The segment saw an operating profit of Rs 141 million, as against an operating loss of Rs 148 million in FY’10.
The segment comprises Ignition, Indiagames, True Games, web and mobile foray of the company.
As of 31 March 2011, UTV had a net debt of Rs 8.19 billion.
Shares of UTV jumped 4.01 per cent to close at Rs 654.55 on the BSE.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 rolls out Battle for the States ahead of key polls
Multi-format election coverage tracks voter mood across five battleground states
NEW DELHI: CNN-News18 has launched a special election programming initiative titled Battle for the States, as India gears up for high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
Built around the theme ‘Road to Power’, the multi-format coverage aims to follow the entire electoral journey, from campaigning and polling to results and government formation. The network is leaning into on-ground reportage and data-backed storytelling to decode voter sentiment across regions where local issues often shape the narrative.
The programming line-up includes ‘Vote Tracker’, a three-part series developed in collaboration with survey agency Vote Vibe. The show blends survey insights with expert commentary and field reporting, using augmented reality graphics to present complex electoral data such as vote share, seat projections and leadership preferences in a more accessible format. It will air every Monday evening until April 6.
Adding a cultural lens to political reporting is ‘So Saree!’, a ground-driven segment where women anchors travel across constituencies dressed in traditional handwoven sarees from each state. The format uses attire as a storytelling device, highlighting regional identity while capturing grassroots voices.
Meanwhile, ‘Unfiltered Kaapi’ and ‘Chai-Niti’ bring a more conversational tone, drawing inspiration from everyday political discussions in tea stalls and coffee corners. These segments aim to break down key issues through candid, fast-paced exchanges between anchors and reporters, tailored to regional sensibilities.
For viewers seeking deeper insights, the weekend docuseries ‘Reporters Project’ takes a longer view, with correspondents travelling across constituencies to map voter concerns and political shifts on the ground.
“Elections are about people, their aspirations, identities and the issues that matter to them, and every state tells a different story,” said CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar. He added that the initiative focuses on understanding “the sentiment on the ground and what’s driving voter choices”.
Echoing the emphasis on credibility, Network18 CEO – English and business news Smriti Mehra said the network aims to combine on-ground reporting with data-led insights to deliver clear and timely coverage as the elections unfold.
With a mix of data, culture and grassroots reporting, CNN-News18 is positioning Battle for the States as a comprehensive window into one of India’s most closely watched electoral cycles, where every vote carries a story waiting to be told.
