News Broadcasting
AXN wages war in western territory next month
AXN has announced a slew of films catering to viewers nostalgic for the wild west and good old fashioned war films. The westerns will air on Tuesdays and war films will air on Fridays at 10 pm beginning April.
The action commences on 2 April with Soleil Rouge. The films stars Charles Bronson and Ursula Andress. Based on a true event in the American west in 1870, the film deals with a robbery on board a train. The target is a gold Japanese sword, meant as a gift from the Japanese Emperor to America's President.
On 5 April, Tora! Tora! Tora! takes centrestage. Unlike last year's release Pearl Harbour which is embarrasingly full of American jingoism, this film shows the war from the Japanese viewpoint. Japan's motivation stemmed from a strong sense of patriotism and honour, so much so that the soldiers did not think twice about sacrificing their lives for their country.
On 9 April, Buffalo Bill and The Indians with Paul Newman and Harvey Keitel take pride of place. Buffalo Bill was considered an important show and now Indian chief Sitting Bull is about to get involved. However, the chief has an agenda of its own which involves the American President.
On 12 April, watch one of the greatest war films ever made. The Longest Day won two Oscars for Special Effects and Cinematography. It chronicles all the events leading upto the D-Day invasion of Normandy which turned the war in the allies' favour. The Germans expected the invasion to occur at Calais, but are taken by surprise by Eisenhower's attack. The film stars John Wayne, Sean Connery and Richard Burton.
On 19 March, another great war film Patton will air. George C. Scott who won an Oscar refused to accept it saying that actors should not compete against each other. General George S Patton and his army General Omar N Radley are examined. While Patton was brave and resourceful, he had a bad temper and was not diplomatic in difficult situations.
On 23 April, rock icon David Bowie tries his hand at the Western in The Man who Fell to Earth. The story centres around Thomas Newton who leaves England to go to America. He starts amassing a fortune to help him accomplish a mission and soon suspicion grows among the people about the source of his riches.
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.
