News Broadcasting
MyNetworkTV, Sinclair Broadcast enter into affiliate agreement
MUMBAI: Foxs new primetime television network MyNetworkTV has secured affiliate agreements with Sinclair Broadcast Group to launch the network on 5 September 2006.
The announcement was jointly made today by Fox Television Stations CEO Jack Abernethy and Sinclair Broadcast Group president and CEO David Smith.
A total of 17 stations covering 11.9 per cent of the US owned or operated by Sinclair will officially become MyNetworkTV affiliates.
These include WTTA/Tampa, WCWB/Pittsburgh, WRDC/Raleigh, WUXP/Nashville, WCGV/Milwaukee, WSTR/Cincinnati, WBSC/Greenville, KRRT/San Antonio, WABM/Birmingham, WTVZ/ Norfolk, WNYO/Buffalo, WUPN/Greensboro, KVWB/Las Vegas, WFGX/Mobile, WMMP/Charleston, SC, WDKA/Paducah and WNYS/Syracuse.
These Sinclair stations join Fox Television Stations WWOR/New York, KCOP/Los Angeles, WPWR/ Chicago, KDFI/Dallas, WDCA/Washington, D.C., KTXH/Houston, WFTC/Minneapolis, KUTP/Phoenix, WRBW/ Orlando and WUTB/Baltimore.
Sinclair is operated by some of the smartest people in the business. Their decision to become MyNetworkTV affiliates further endorses our approach to provide local broadcasters with network programming and a business model required to succeed in todays converging digital marketplace, said Abernethy.
Smith added, We are excited once again to be part of the birth of a new network. We believe that over time this new network model will become a standard in the industry. The advantages MyNetworkTV provides to our stations are compelling, with both a creative programming model for our viewers and a favourable inventory split. We are especially excited about the Internet opportunities that will exist at the local level within this new paradigm.
MyNetworkTV will program 12 hours of original programming Monday through Saturday. Station-friendly by design, MyNetworkTV will enable broadcasters with significant operational flexibility and a seamless flow of original primetime programming. The networks pro-station strategy also intends to strengthen consumer recognition and increase viewership with powerful marketing initiatives conceived to unify the networks brand on both the national and local levels.
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.
