News Broadcasting
And now a ‘Feel Good Party’!
NEW DELHI: Popular satirist Jaspal Bhatti Wednesday floated a new political outfit – the “Feel Good Party” – and promptly went on to mock at the country’s political tribe.
And in keeping with the times, he said his party was ready to form an alliance with any other party, ideology be damned, and said the symbol of the party would be a “smiling cat” and “a smiling dog”.
“I was compelled to float such a party because the feel good atmosphere promoted by the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) is so powerful and so impressive,” Bhatti told IANS, tongue firmly in cheek.
“Its only agenda is to generate a feel-good feeling and keep that sensation going, no matter how bad people may be feeling.
“If we are voted, we promise to spend public money on promos and advertisements to keep up a constant feel good feeling.”
Bhatti, 48, an electrical engineer, has used his simple, yet hard-hitting comic style both in television serials, on stage and on the streets to get his message across and see that it hits home.
The feel good party would field candidates in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, and “wherever the response is good”.
It is a “spoof” on political parties, and Bhatti has lampooned virtually every major political outfit of the country.
The party would have “no ideology”, he insisted, so that it would be that much easier to ally with just about anybody.
“We are open to an alliance with BJP or Congress, or even both,” he said straight-facedly.
And its prime ministerial candidate will only belong to the Bhatti family – a tribute to the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty dominating the Congress party.
“Though our prime ministerial candidate will be a Bhatti, we will not announce any candidate until after the elections, so that there is no friction in the party.”
The entertainer continued: “First cousins will not be allowed – although grandchildren and even great grandchildren can join.”
The symbol of the party would be “a smiling cat” and “a smiling dog”.
Indecision?
“We have kept both symbols so that even if our party splits and we lose one symbol, the other will remain with us!”
The animals are, of course, grinning widely. “It is the feel-good factor,” reminds Bhatti.
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.
