News Broadcasting
Asianet announces Christmas programming
MUMBAI: Malayalam channel Asianet and its news channel Asianet News have lined up special shows for this Christmas. Though the stress is being given to film-related content, the channels have also taken care to bring its viewers some special reports and live discussions.
The “icing on the (Christmas) cake” is going to be the channel’s popular interview programme Chillujalakam which will have reining Malayalam superstar Dileep featured. The show will air at 12:30 pm. The channel has also lined up a filmy breakfast show featuring popular actor Jayasurya.
On the movie front, Asianet will premiere superhit Malayalam movie Nandanam starring Prithvi Raj and Navya Nair at 4:30 pm. Other movies the channel has lined up for the occasion include Mohanlal starrer Kaakkakyil and Bharat Gopi’s Entey Hridayathintey Udama.
Singer MG Sreekumar’s musical show Sari Gama Pada Nisa will have a special guest in actor Kunjako Boban. The channel has also lined up an interactive programme with actor Kalabhavan Mani. Popular Malayalam playback singers will come together for a musical show Snehasudinam. The channel will telecast telefilm Kalanju Kittya Muthu on the Christmas day. Asianet has already started airing special Christmas greetings from popular personalities who belong to the entertainment, cultural and political fields.
Both the channels will telecast detailed reports of the Christmas celebrations, live chat shows and programmes based on Christmas film releases.
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.
