News Broadcasting
CBS unveils identities of castaways for ‘Survivor: Thailand’
MUMBAI: US television network CBS has unveiled the identities of the 16 castaways participating in Survivor: Thailand. The series premiere’s 19 September.
The castaways include 60-year-old land broker Jill Billingsley, real estate agent Erin Colins and professional firefighter Stephanie Dill.
The show, hosted by Jeff Probst, will strand 16 Americans on Koh Tarutao, a remote island off the southern coast of Thailand, during the region’s dangerous monsoon season. Executive producer Mark Burnett is promising that the show will include brand new challenges, new rules and new twists like nothing ever seen in previous installments. As the castaways are faced with harsh weather and the uncertainty of what’s coming next, each person must attempt to outwit, outplay and outlast the others in order to become the ultimate survivor.
In the US last season both Survivor: Africa and Survivor: Marquesas finished in the top 5 in viewers and placed fifth and sixth in adults 18-49. The latter averaged 20.8 million viewers (#4) while the former averaged 20.7 million viewers (#5). In adults 18-49 the former ranked #5 for the season with an 8.4 rating, followed by the latter at #6 with an 8.3 rating.
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.
