News Broadcasting
‘Amanat’ bids adieu tonight after marathon run
MUMBAI:Amanat, the show that had pride of place in Zee’s programming and led one of the longest and most popular runs on Indian television, winds to a full stop today.
The last episode of the saga of a father bringing up seven daughters single handedly will be telecast today. Directed by Sanjiv Bhattacharya and later by his wife, Sapna, Amanat that began in 1997, was able to hook viewers with its sentimental storyline of a close knit family that faces a stream of trials and tribulations. It was Amanat which, rival Star admitted much later, that had a relatable backdrop and an identifiable narrative, was socially correct and portrayed some cherished emotions – elements that that were later incorporated into the making of successes like Kyunkii and Kahaani.
Amanat held its own in subsequent years on prime time, at one time notching TRPs as high as 19, says Bhattacharya. Post 2000, however, the weekly serial was, along with the other popular Zee serial Koshish, a victim of the Kaun Banega Crorepati onslaught. Although Bhatttacharya says she intended to wind up the serial last year itself, Amanat continued at the channel’s behest.
In May 2002, the channel again asked Bhattacharya to fast forward the storyline 20 years, in a bid to woo back a declining viewership. Finally, a decision was taken to end the serial gracefully in the first week of September. The medium budget serial was able to establish a rapport with viewers, says Bhattacharya, as it portrayed every day Indian life and Indian culture in a way other serials did not.
Amanat in fact proved to be a stepping-stone for Gracy Singh, one of the sisters in Amanat, who later bagged the lead role in Aamir Khan’s Lagaan.
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.
