News Broadcasting
CBS orders 8th, 9th installments of ‘The Amazing Race’
MUMBAI: US broadcaster CBS has ordered the eighth and ninth installments of the reality show The Amazing Race.
The Emmy winning adventure reality series pits teams against one another in a race around the world for a $1 million prize. In India the show airs on AXN.
In a format twist the eight edition will be all-family. Teams will be expanded to four members from two, and all teams will be comprised exclusively of family members. Teams could be traditional families (mom, dad and two kids), blended families (newly married with step siblings), four sisters, four brothers, multi-generational (grandparents and grandchildren) or engaged couples with in-laws-to-be etc.
Families who think they have the stamina, wits and teamwork skills to compete in this heart-pounding adventure can find applications on www.cbs.com. All children participating must be 12 years of age or older. No prior travel experience is necessary.
The show’s executive producer Bertram van Munster said, “Everyone can relate to family travel, the camaraderie, the emotion and even the conflict. We are looking for families who want to turn this familiar concept into an adventure that will take them to some amazing places while discovering a lot about their family dynamic and human spirit.”
The ninth edition will return to the series regular format in which teams must have a unique and a prior relationship with their teammate, but need not be related. The seventh edition of the series kicks off on 1 March on CBS.
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.
