News Broadcasting
Nick online launches Dot Kids domain web sites
MUMBAI: The online division of kids brand Nickelodeon has launched two new web sites as part of the Dot Kids Act. The act was established a couple of years ago to ensure safe spaces on the net for children under 13.
nick.kids.us for kids and nickjr.kids.us for parents and preschoolers have been created by the network as extensions of nick.com and nickjr.com. Elaborating further on the strategy Nickelodeon Online senior VP and GM Mike Skagerlind is quoted in a media release as saying, “At Nickelodeon we’re committed to putting kids first, and we want to be everywhere kids are, especially on the Internet.
“We are delighted to be able to extend Nickelodeon’s engaging Internet entertainment philosophy to the new dot kids domain in a way that continues to observe and respect kids’ safety and privacy,” he said.
One of the features that nick.kids.us offers is the SpongeBob’s Jellyfish Shuffleboard. Fans of the hit show SpongeBob SquarePants can play undersea shuffleboard with SpongeBob SquarePants and surfer-squirrel Sandy Cheeks.
Then there is The Fairly OddParents Big Superhero Wish Game. Fans of the special episode of The Fairly OddParents’ Big Superhero Wish can zap super-villains and rid Timmy Turner’s town of evil.
On the other site nickjr.kids.us there is Dora’s Super Silly Costume Maker: preschoolers can help Latina heroine Dora and her cousin Diego dress up for a super silly fiesta. They can also have fun with Blue’s Matching Game. The aim is to help To help Blue from the show Blue’s Clues find all the matching cards.
On 4 December 2002, US President George W Bush had signed into law the Dot Kids Implementation and Efficiency Act. This had created a kids.us domain to serve as a “safe haven” for children using the Internet.
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.
