News Broadcasting
Balle Balle claims to have scaled up on TRP charts
MUMBAI: For India’s first 24-hour non-stop Punjabi music channel- Balle-Balle, which launched on 14 October 2002, one and half years of existence has been quite rollicking one. Or so they claims.
While the channel isn’t yet taking on the big guns of the music industry like MTV and Channel [V], it seems to be beaming ear to ear touting latest TRP ratings. The channel claims that it has delivered 50 per cent more viewership during prime time across all age group and is the most watched channel amongst the age group of 15-44.
Quoting the Tam data for the week 16 – 20 February ’04 for SEC ABC in various age groups, the music channel claims that it is only channel whose viewership remains the same irrespective of whether Gurubani is aired or not.
| AVG TVR | ETC Punjabi | Alpha Punjabi | Balle Balle | MH 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indv 25+ | ||||
| Across the day | 0.60 | 0.23 | 0.22 | 0.26 |
| Minus Gurbani | 0.30 | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.14 |
| Prime Time | 0.26 | 0.37 | 0.30 | 0.14 |
| Indv 15+ | ||||
| Across the day | 0.52 | 0.21 | 0.22 | 0.26 |
| Minus Gurbani | 0.29 | 0.25 | 0.22 | 0.16 |
| Prime Time | 0.25 | 0.34 | 0.29 | 0.18 |
| Indv 4+ | ||||
| Across the day | 0.44 | 0.19 | 0.20 | 0.24 |
| Minus Gurbani | 0.25 | 0.18 | 0.20 | 0.15 |
| Prime Time | 0.31 | 0.32 | 0.30 | 0.19 |
According to the data disseminated by Balle Balle, the channel delivers 50 per cent more viewership during prime time across all age groups, the channel believes that it has a set of dedicated viewers. And is number one music channel during prime time.
While the sales pitch this time on for the channel will surely be about its ability to maintain and gradually build on its viewership base over the past one year, lets wait and watch what more they have on hand.
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.
