News Broadcasting
‘Raamkhilavaan’s’ suspended animation to continue
MUMBAI: Raamkhilavaan CM n Family, the Sabe TV spoof that was not intended as a spoof, does not seem destined for an early comeback.
After Bihar chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal supporters dragged the satellite channel, and the serial’s cast and crew to court, claiming defamation, the twice weekly show had to be taken off air after just a month of being on air. The series, that launched on 5 August, was taken off after the first week of September.
According to a Sabe TV spokesperson, the case pending in the Patna high court, is expected to reach a verdict by the end of September. The channel hopes to get a positive reprieve from the Supreme Court if the Patna court order goes against it.
The serial revolves around a self-serving chief minister who has mastered the art of manipulating democracy for personal gain. In his nefarious projects, he is abetted by his scheming wife Imarti and daughters Rajneeti, Party, Ghotali and Sarkar, named after important political junctures of their father.
The writer-producer of the serial, Ashwini Dheer, claims that only the wig is the common factor between his protagonist and Laloo Prasad Yadav. Apart from Raamkhilavaan, the channel had introduced three other new shows around the same time, but the spoof was the only show which managed to attract the most publicity due to its colourful albeit controversial content.
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.
