News Broadcasting
Star News programmes to be reshuffled
NEW DELHI: Star News viewers will witness some reshuffling in its programmes starting 18 August, according to an official statement released recently.
Mera Gaon Mera Desh (MGMD), a 15-minute daily on how technology affects rural India, will take off from Monday at 5.45 pm. Consequently, Rajat Sharma’s Aaj Ki Baat is poised to occupy prime time in the slot, a company release said. The show will be aried twice a day in the early and late evening slots.
At present, Aaj Ki Baat is the only programme that Sharma’s IMPL produces for Star from its swanky studio based in Delhi.
An official statement from Star claimed MGMD, a first of its kind programme on Indian satellite news television, brings “eye-opening stories about how access to new economy has made worldwide developmental tools easily available to developing India”.
The programme would showcase efforts made by individuals and institutions to make life better for developing India. The Anurradha Prasad and Rajiv Shukla-promoted BAG Films has produced MGMD. Though officially not known, there are reports that Star would cough up few millions of rupees annually for the show.
Prasad, a TV producer who has worked for several satellite channels like Sahara TV and ZeeTV and Star Plus, has also produced rural shows for Doordarshan.
News Broadcasting
Network18 posts Rs 1,955 crore revenue, narrows FY26 losses
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.
