News Broadcasting
All channels to sing National Anthem Saturday
Varied renditions of the National Anthem will feature on all television channels in the country on Republic Day as the country gears to celebrate its 52nd Republic Day tomorrow.
The initiative is the brainchild of BharatBala Productions, and is backed by the Confederation of Indian Industry. The producers have got celebrated vocalists like Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Pt Bhimsen Joshi, Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, DK Pattamal and Jagjit Singh to sing Jana Gana Mana for the small screen. The music for the project has been arranged by AR Rahman and the films have been directed by Bala and Kanika. The duo of Lata and Asha are scheduled to make their appearance together in a common rendition.
Each film has the artists singing the Anthem in their own style, according to a release, giving music buffs a chance to see the subtle variations that the musicians bring to the Anthem. These exclusive films will be telecast throughout the day tomorrow on all TV channels including Star News, Aaj Tak, Set Max, Doordarshan, Doordarshan Metro, DD International, DD Sports and all DD regional Kendras, Channel V, B4U Music & Movies, Universal, MTV, etc, Sahara, Sabe TV, Asianet, Eenadu TV, Raj TV, Sun TV, the Zee channels and Jaya TV & Vijay TV.
BharatBala Productions are veterans in the television field and have created several televison commercials. Their recent efforts include films such as Maa Tujhe Salaam-Vande Mataram, Vande Mataram 2 and Desh ka Salaam.
BharatBala Productions have also made a documentary titled, Gurus of Peace which involved filming peace laureates like Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama; Mikhail Gorbachev; Yasser Arafat; Shimon Peres and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
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.
