News Broadcasting
Chris Rock to host MTV Video Music awards in August
NEW YORK: Chris Rock, the host of the Emmy award winning show “Chris Rock show” will be back as host of the MTV Video Music Awards. The 20th annual awards show will be held on 28 August at Radio City Music Hall.
An Associated Press report states that Rock, the 37-year old comedian, is going on a cross-country club tour to prepare for the eagerly awaited event.
Recently, Rock has been focusing on films the past few years, including Down to Earth – a remake of Heaven Can Wait; Bad Company with Anthony Hopkins; and this year’s Head of State – his directorial debut, in which he starred as a presidential candidate.
But after having hosted the awards show in 1997 and 1999, Rock feels that much of the comedy springs organically from the antics of the invited guests and high profile presenters.
“You watch people host these shows who change outfits eight times in the show. No watch the show. That’s the most important thing,” Rock was quoted as saying in the AP report.
“Half the time the presenters don’t read what’s on the cue cards and you never know when Diana Ross is going to grab Lil’ Kim’s (breast), and you’d hate to miss that because you’re putting on something from Banana Republic.”
Rock was referring to one of the more outrageous moments in Video Music Award history in 1999, when Ross fondled rapper Lil’ Kim’s left breast, which was covered only in a lavender pasty.
Looks as Rock definitely enjoys every moment of the MTV music video awards.
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.
