News Broadcasting
Channel 7 creates ‘crime band’ for Mon-Fri
MUMBAI: With crime reporting becoming an important ingredient for all the news channels, Hindi news Channel 7 has now created an exclusive band — Crime Band — for its all crime shows, which will air from Monday to Friday at 10:30 pm to 11:30 pm.
From scams or financial frauds to the savagery of a love turned sour, from a look into the world of juvenile crime, an insight into the world of forensics, Channel 7 has it all, stated a statement issued by the channel.
Giraftaar, which will air from Monday and Friday at 10:30 pm, is a daily presentation of crime news in an innovative anchorless, dark and brooding film noir format. The shows like Raaz, Masoom, Deewangi will air from Monday to Firday at 11:30 pm.
The transformation of love to brutality is the central theme of the crime show Deewangi, which shows how some demented souls get obsessed with love and commit heinous crimes that border or cross the limits of sanity.
Raaz, the forensic show emphasises on how forensic science helps in nabbing the criminals and solving complex cases. Based on real life cases, the stories are re-created with the help of Central Forensic Science Laboratories (CBI Delhi) former Director Dr. V. N Sehgal.
Masoom, the juvenile crime program will air every Wednesday at 11 pm. The show charts out the murky world of adolescent crimes and presents some unnerving real life stories to the Indian television audience. Ek Aur Natwar, which will air on Thursday, has derived its name from Natwar Lal, the notorious scamster of yesteryears.
According to Channel 7 director Siddhartha Gupta, “Crime is a niche genre of its own. Crime is not just to just rape, murder, kidnapping and robberies, but a lot more. Apart from doing the regular daily crime news bulletin we also look at different aspects of crime… juvenile crimes, crimes of passion, intellectual frauds, forensic science usage in crime etc. Through this bouquet of five new crime shows, Channel 7 is giving a holistic perspective on every aspect of crime.”
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.
