News Broadcasting
Alpha Bangla initiates Alpha Gaurab awards
MUMBAI: Zee’s Bengali presence Alpha Bangla is celebrating the successful completion of its five years with the awards ceremony Alpha Bangla – Alpha Gaurab. The function is aimed at felicitating the talents of the Bengali TV industry.
The channel will also pay tribute to the stalwarts of the industry by giving the Alpha ‘sarbottam sambordhana’ (Lifetime achievement award) to Ruma Guha Thakurta, Amala Shankar, Geeta De, Shirshendu Mukherjee and Tapas Sen.
Alpha Bangla is reaching out to its viewers through the Alpha Gaurab initiatives as viewers have been given the responsibility to elect the winners in 17 different categories. For this, one lakh forms have been distributed extensively through cable operators through Zee Turner across West Bengal, Playwin booths and distributors of the sponsors.
The event will be held on 26 September at Science City and the channel will telecast the ceremony on 3 October from 7:30 pm onwards, informs an official release. According the release, an interesting highlight will be the presence of all the characters of Alpha Bangla in their respective character get-ups.
The juries for the grand process include Soumya Bandopadhyay (Pratidin), Gautam Bhattacharya (Anandabazar Patrika), renowned actors Arindam Ganguly and Satabdi Roy, Samaresh Majumdar (author) and Arindam Chakraborty (Zee News executive producer), adds the release.
The different award categories are:
Alpha Shrestho Dharabahik, Alpha Shrestho Purush, Alpha Shretsho Naari, Alpha Shrestho Dampatti, Alpha Shrestho Maa, Alpha Shrestho Pita, Alpha Shresthto Koutuk Charitra, Alpha Shrestho Khalo Charitra, Alpha Shreshto Paribar, Alpha Shresthto Santan, Alpha Shrestho Anchor, Alpha Shrestho Pratibha, Alpha Shreshto Parsho Bhumika (Nari), Alpha Shreshto Parsho Bhumika (Purush), Alpha Shreshto Shirso Sangeet, Alpha Sarbopriyo Anushtan, Alpha Chotoder Priyo Anushtan.
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.
