News Broadcasting
America’s first female President takes centrestage on Star World next month
MUMBAI: English general entertainment channel Star World’s strategy is simple! get more viewers to sample it by launching new shows almost every month.
The latest addition is Commander In Chief. Starring Geena Davis as America’s first female president, the show kicks off on 7 November and airs on Tuesdays at 10 pm with repeats on Wednesdays at 10 am and on Sundays at 6 pm.
Mackenzie Allen, played by Davis (who won an Oscar for The Accidental Tourist) has a lot on her plate – three kids, an ambitious husband, and she is about to become the first female President of the US. Following the death of the President, Vice President Mackenzie accepted the job against everyone’s wishes including Speaker of the House, Nathan Templeton.
Now, Mackenzie has to contend with Nathan’s hostility, foreign leaders unaccustomed to dealing with a woman in power, and her husband who’s less than thrilled with the pink décor of his First Husband’s office. Mackenzie will have to break out of traditional roles to prove herself to her family, staff and the entire world.
In the first episode Mackenzie Allen, who serves as Vice President of the US, has a tough decision to make, whether or not to go against the wishes of the dying current President. He has asked her to step down and let someone a little more appropriate take his place in the Oval Office. However, it’s not only the President that is calling for her resignation, it’s her entire party which elected her as the Vice President to start with.
Star World will also set a Table For Three. The show kicks off on 6 November at 11 pm and airs from Tuesday – Saturday at 5 pm. The show chronicles the tragic destruction of a family and the bonds of brotherhood when two brothers on the run from the mafia find themselves in a heated battle of passion, betrayal, deceit and murder over the woman they both love.
This one-hour drama stars Michelle Belegrin as Andrea Zavatti, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy restaurateur who quickly becomes the object of affection for the Thomas brothers Alex and Louis. Alex, played by Zack Silva, is the unpretentious, handsome chef who loves Andrea with a pure heart. Louis, portrayed by Nate Haden, is the charming and ambitious older brother who also falls in love with Andrea and wages a bitter war with Alex when he realises he is already after her heart.
Vivian Gray portrays Andrea’s best friend Suzy Edwards, who quickly turns villainous when she seduces Andrea’s scheming boyfriend George played by Tomy Dunster. Along with the help of his equally manipulative half-sister Victoria, played by Sofia Milos, George works to take control of the Zavatti fortune.
Eliana Alexander plays Rita Thomas, Alex and Louis’ mother who was left to raise her two sons alone after her husband Peter, portrayed by Al Bandiero, abandoned her many years ago. Chris DeRose is mob boss Joey Gamarra, who seeks retribution after catching Louis in bed with his daughter Cara, played by Kelly Albanese.
The channel will also air the reality show The Scholar from 9 November evry Thursday at 10 pm with repeats on Fridays and Mondays at 11 am.
The opportunity of a lifetime is about to come true for one of America’s best and brightest high school students in a one-hour unscripted series that will give the winner a college education from a top-rated school of their choice.
Filmed on location at the University of Southern California, The Scholar positions itself as being the first show ever to celebrate higher education as the ultimate American prize. For the chance at a full ride to the college of their choice, ten qualified high school seniors from economically disadvantaged backgrounds — who might not otherwise have an opportunity to attend one of America’s top universities — will compete for a full scholarship, a prize that could be worth as much as $240,000. They will have to demonstrate excellence in the areas of academics, leadership, creativity and community service, while facing sudden-death oral exams defending themselves to an Ivy League scholarship committee.
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.
