News Broadcasting
Annual DD awards on 23 November
MUMBAI: The annual Doordarshan awards for 2002 are to be given away at the Goregaon Sports Complex, Mumbai on 23 November.
Aimed at selecting and promoting in house programmes of thematic, aesthetic and technical excellence and encourage in house talent, the awards have been classified into 33 categories, with a trophy reserved for the best regional kendra as well. The best programme in each category will be awarded prize money of Rs 25,000, 50 per cent of which will go to the producer / director of the programme and the rest will be shared by the production team.
The Doordarshan Awards event will be produced by Doordarshan Kendra Delhi as a sponsored programme every year, says the pubcaster, and will be telecast live on DD National. The categories for the calendar year 2001 include best show awards, as well as engineering and technical awards, individual awards as well as an award for the Best Doordarshan Kendra.
Among the popular categories, awards will be given for the most innovative programme, best music programme, best agriculture show, best documentary, best telefilm, best serial (play), best children’s programme, best youth programme, best women’s programme, best sports programme and best programme on wildlife and environment, best science and technology programme, best dance programme, best cinematography, best sound recording, best set design and art direction, best animation, best editing, best news report of the year, best make up, best graphics, live event of the year, best spot, Lifetime achievement and best TV show.
The engineering and technical awards include the Best installed Studio/HPT project in the country, Best installed LPT/VLPT transponder, Best maintained Kendra in the country, Best maintained DMC in the country and Best designed building in the country. Among the individual awards are those for Best Technical Paper, Best Import Substitution and Best Innovation.
The event is to be anchored by producer actor Sachin Pilgaonkar and former Miss World Yukta Mookhey.
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.
