News Broadcasting
Bangalore non-Kannada theaters apprehensive over state panel report
BANGALORE: The future seems bleak for non-Kannada film screen if the government agrees to the decisions arrived at by the panel headed by the chief secretary KP Pandey on 23 August.
The controversial decisions wherein the panel has given in to the demands of the Karnataka Film Producers Association (KFPA) and the Karnataka Film Directors Association (KFDA) that non-Kannada Films will be released in Karnataka only after seven weeks from the date of release in their own states and that only six prints of each film would be permitted for the state would benefit only a few big Kannada producers and highly paid actors, claimed an industry source.
“The small budget Kannada film makers may have to follow the practice prevalent in the USA – release the films on the small screen only, since most small budget Kannada films don’t even pay back the rentals of the theaters, let alone make any profits for the producers or distributors, and the what of lack of quality Kannada films even some big budget ones, let alone the quantity required for all the theaters across the state. How can a theater survive? We can foresee conversion of many theaters to malls and shopping bazaars if these unconstitutional rules are passed and enforced by the state,” said one Bangalore based theatre owner.
Non-Kannada film theater owners and exhibitors are unhappy about the fact that they don’t even have adequate and proper representation in the committee. Decisions are taken only to benefit a select few and the government, if it caves in to the demands will be doing a grave injustice to the exhibitors, theater owners and distributors, the common man who will have a limited choice of films to view. A majority of the denizens of a cosmopolitan city like Bangalore will be forced to stop going to the movies, they allege.
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.
