News Broadcasting
Balaji results reflect company’s healthy growth
MUMBAI: Balaji Telefilms continued its prosperous streak with a net profit of Rs 126.8 million for Q1 2002-3. This marks a 157 per cent increase over profits of Rs 49.4 million announced for the same period last year.
The company’s net sales moved up to Rs 397.7 million from Rs 236.6 million for Q1 2001-2, marking a growth of 21 per cent on the back of increase in programming hours and higher realizations per hour.
Balaji’s fresh programming hours increased from 355.50 in Q4FY02 to 391.50 in Q1FY03, a sequential growth of 10.13 per cent. Balaji’s ratio of Hindi to regional programming has also undergone a slight change over the last quarter. While Hindi programming has gone up to 261.5 hours from 221 hours in Q4FY02, regional programming hours have gone down marginally to 130 hours from 134.5 hours in Q4FY02. The company charged depreciation on sets and studios at a rate higher than that prescribed under Companies Act, resulting in profit for the quarter being lower by Rs. 5.83 million.
The company also announced that it had revised rates for Kkusum and Kutumb Sony Entertainment’s hit shows; a daily soap is scheduled to start soon on Sahara as are a weekend thriller series on Sony and another weekly show on Star.
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.
