News Broadcasting
Balaji Tele Q3 numbers take a hit – net slips 16%
MUMBAI: Balaji Telefilms is in the red. The numbers for the production house have come in and they are not good. The company’s net profits for the third quarter ended 31 December 2003 have slipped 15.97 per cent at Rs 146.8 million vis-a-vis Rs 174.7 million for the corresponding previous fiscal.
Total income has gone down from Rs 527.4 million in the Q3 2002 to Rs 448.4 million in the quarter ended 31 December 2003.
Net Sales or Operational Income for the company stands at Rs 440.79 million. While commissioned programming accounts for Rs 377.01 million of the net operational income, sponsored programming brought in Rs 63.78 million for the production house.
The company has stated an earnings per share (EPS) of Rs 2.80 in its declared results.
Balaji Telefilms president – corporate affairs & company secretary Ajay Patadia has resigned with effect from 23 January 2004 and has been appointed as additional director (non-executive). One of the promoters Tusshar Kapoor has also been appointed as a non-executive additional director of the Company, the company informed the National Stock Exchange.
Other appointments include that of Alpa Shah who has been appointed as the company secretary. The company also informed the NSE that director Raj Bhotra has vacated his office as director with effect from 23 January 2004, in terms of clause (g) of sub-section (1) of Section 283 of the Companies Act, 1956.
The Balaji Telefilms stock gained 2.8 per cent on Friday 23 January to close at Rs 97.45. Over 0.12 million shares were traded on the counter on Friday.
Note: The results declared are unaudited, non-cumulative, non-consolidated third quarter financial results.
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.
