News Broadcasting
Channel [V] claims growth overdrive
Watch out the [V] machine is coming. That is the message that the Star Network’s music channel is sending out to its rivals, principally MTV. Channel [V]’s strategy of focussing on the urban youth market and creating new formats and programming innovations like Coke [V] Popstars talent hunt that gave birth to all-girl band VIVA!, is paying rich dividends, the channel claims.
The success of Coke [V] Popstars as well as the album sales of VIVA!, has seen Channel [V] driving growth in the entire music category in the last few months, claim channel representatives, quoting AC Nielsen’s TAM data.
Says Sameer Nair, COO Star TV: “Popstars was the flagship show on the channel and it performed that role as expected, fuelling growth in shares & increasing the stickiness of the channel.”
Measurement Parameter Channel [V]
Audience Share 127% Up
TVR 100% Up
Cumulative Reach 26% Up
Time Spent 68% Up
(Source: TAM Media research, Base: C&S SEC ABC 15-24 yrs, 9 cities, April to June 2002 versus April to June 2001)
Among the other recent successes the channel has notched up are the 8 Promax BDA awards it picked up in Los Angeles. This has been the one of the largest hauls for any Indian Channel in recent times.
And to keep the momentum going, Channel [V] has completely rejigged its morning band, as research showed that viewers preferred back-to-back music in this slot & not VJ-hosted or link-based shows. With this in mind, the Captain Fastbreak band has been created with the catchline “you are never more than 60 seconds away from great music!” The channel has also launched [V] Video War, an interactive SMS-based show where viewers vote for their preferred music video.
Says Amar Deb, creative director, “We will continue to show the way in the music television category with our racy promos & innovative programming. There is a whole series of new stuff in the pipeline which will ensure that Channel [V] will continue to retain this edge.”
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.
