News Broadcasting
Americans getting an overdose of reality TV: study
Mumbai: Four out of five Americans say that there are too many reality dating programmes like The Bachelor on the air. And when it comes to Survivor and reality celebrity-type programs, like The Osbournes 67 per cent feel that there are simply too many.
These are some of the key findings from a recent poll about reality TV programmes conducted by global research firm Ipsos-Insight. The company recently surveyed 1,000 adults on 18 varieties of TV programming from reality shows and talent competitions to prime time dramas and found that many respondents are overwhelmed by the number and type of reality TV options.
However the study noted that the reality TV genre was still popular. Shows in this genre garnered four of the top six most watched spots between 8 -14 March. While reality TV is a huge pop phenomenon in the US the category is getting too crowded. Viewers are picking the winners and zapping the losers without mercy an official release informs.
For every The Apprentice (a ratings hit for NBC that has made its host, Donald Trump, the nation’s newest reality TV hero) there is a Forever Eden which has struggled since its premiere. It quickly dwindled to low single digit rating/share figures in the all-important adult 18-49 demographic. The study stated that the challenge in the reality TV genre was that concepts get old very quickly making it hard to keep things fresh. But just when one thinks that the genre is dead or lost its edge out of nowhere comes The Apprentice.
Viewers want more historical documentaries. 51 per cent of the respondents said that there were too few of these shows. Crime-solvers, sports documentaries, situation comedies, and primetime dramas are well slotted. Half the people agreed that these programmes are shown in just the right amount. Coming back to reality TV the study noted that with the novelty of the genre wearing a little thin, the pressure on programmers to do their due diligence to identify winners and losers in the pilot stage is increasing. The polling data seems to suggest that only a handful of the new reality TV concepts would survive longer than two to four weeks.
When it comes to talent competitions, such as Fox’s American Idol, an equal number of Americans say there are just the right amount of these programs on TV (44 per cent) as do those that say there are too many (43 per cent).
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.
