News Broadcasting
BIG 92.7 FM promo budget Rs 400 mn; Bangalore station launch on 9 October
BANGALORE: Adlabs Films (AF) will launch its Big 92.7 FM in Bangalore on 9 October. The city is the fourth station of the company’s proposed 45 (54 co-branded) FM radio stations; the other three being Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi. Soon to follow are Kolkata and Mumbai.
Big FM has earmarked about Rs 400 million towards its national promotional campaign. The company plans to kick off the Bangalore marketing and promotional initiatives with a city-wide campaign to get citizens to come together and work towards “Making Bangalore A Safer Place”. The campaign will be driven by brand ambassador Upendra.
To create awareness among Bangaloreans, the station is exploring the outdoor space also in a big way. According to Big associate VP & station head Farida K. Print, about 40-45 locations have been covered with outdoor hoardings as per the strategy. Another novel initiative would be 92.7 FM only receivers in auto rickshaws. The plans also include various ground events and television commercials.
Adlabs Films has roped in Kannada film actor Upendra as brand ambassador for Karnataka. The radio station has hired personalities from the Kannada film & television industries as RJ’s. According to Katial, the content would be mainly local with some Hindi and no English at all, which is generally different from the trends set by the other FM stations in Bangalore.
Unveiling the brand, Big 92.7 FM COO Tarun Katial said, “With this launch, we aim to present innovative radio programming. Not only have we developed fresh and unique content but have also roped in personalities who will connect with the listeners and provide the glamour quotient. Our detailed research on the city’s psychographics will ensure that the station sounds refreshing and unique with a major focus on utilities and entertainment.”
Rs 4 billion has been invested on transmission equipments, infrastructure and licensing, as per an official release. The IP protocol technology being utilised for Big 92.7 FM is from Axia, USA.
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.
