News Broadcasting
Discovery Travel & Living food series with Anthony Bourdain starts 1 May
MUMBAI: The gastronomic Indiana Jones comes to India. This May, Discovery Travel & Living’s premieres the Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations series. Not for the faint hearted, Bourdain’s travel experiences — the good, the bad and the ugly — are presented as he travels the world with his peculiar, raw and unfiltered edge. It will air from 1 to 5 May at 9 pm.
Bourdain is a best-selling author, reluctant food celebrity, fearless traveler, culinary adventurer whose no holds barred point of view will always reflect that experience. He is known for travelling the world seeking the authentic experiences and food that flavour the world’s cultures.
“This is not a food show — it’s about people, cultures and places as seen through the eyes of a chef and the prism of food,” says Discovery Networks India VP- Lifestyle Aditya Tripathi.
Apart from being positive for the restaurant business, Bourdain says the series has helped people become more educated and adventurous when it comes to food. Says Bourdain. “Food is maybe the fastest, easiest and best way ‘in’ to an unfamiliar place and culture. Once you’ve sat down with people and eaten their food, their whole world opens up to you in ways that wouldn’t ordinarily happen. Food, after all, is the purest expression of a country, of a culture, a region and a personality.”
Anthony Bourdain was quoted in a media report on the title, No Reservations as saying,”It means that there are things I want to do, there are things I want to see, there are things I want to experience before the time that I can’t do those things. No reservations, meaning we’re going all the way, baby. No fear. My whole life, cooking has been about control. Traveling and eating are about letting things happen.”
Bourdain is now executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles, NYC. He is the author of two novels, Gone Bamboo and Bone in the Throat and his first non-fiction work, Kitchen Confidential takes the reader into the kitchens to reveal the seamy side of the hospitality industry.
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.
