Cable TV
CNN-IBN and Channel 7 line up special shows for Independence day
MUMBAI: CNN-IBN and Channel 7 has lined-up a special package to celebrate Independence Day with slew of programmes. The package includes shows In August Country, State of the Nation, India Rocks, Shahrukh Unplugged, August Kranti and Sorry Sir.
Starting 14 August, CNN-IBN will showcase a half hour special In August Country at 8:30 pm and the same will air on 15 August. The viewers can also participate in an interactive quiz based on every story aired during In August Country.
Channel 7 will feature August Kranti at 7:30 pm on 15 August, where the channels will revisit historic places like Chori Chora, Jalianwala Bagh, Dandi and many more where the Indian freedom struggle reached great heights and won the battle for independence.
State of the Nation is another independence week special on the anvil, which will track the state of the nation, based on an exhaustive pan India poll conducted by CSDS, spanning across 20 states with over 24,000 touch points, according to an official release. The opinion will be presented in a four episode special India’s Best CM, Dietary Habits, Terrorism in India and Youth of the city from 12 to 15 August at 9:30 pm, 10:00 pm, 10:00 pm and 9:30 pm respectively on CNN-IBN.
The two channel brings forth a musical special India Rocks, which present Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma, Rahul Sharma, Shabana Azmi, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shubha Mudgal, Salman Ahmad (Pakistani singer), Raghav Sachar, Mohit Chauhan and many more on 15 August at 1:30 pm on CNN-IBN and at 9:30 pm on Channel7. This show will also feature a song by a terminally ill child with “make a wish” composed and sung by Zubeen Garg.
CNN-IBN will feature a live-on-air Independence day kids quiz on 15 August. This inter-school zonal (north, south, east and east) live quiz contest will hunt the best ‘kid quiz brain’ in the country. Anchored by Vidhya Shankar Aiyar, the morning segments will air the elimination rounds and the finals will be aired at 1:00 pm.
The channel will also air Shahrukh Unplugged where Rajeev Masand catches up with the star to understand what ‘Independence’ means to him on the day at 2:30 pm.
Sorry Sir on Channel 7 will be a satire on hamare neta, by the best poets and performers like Sagar Khayyami Adil Lucknowi, Popular Meeruthi, Rahat Indori, Jemini Haryanwi on 12 August at 9:30 pm and also Apne Apne Laloo, which is a mimicry show put up by the Great Indian Laughter Champions on the railway minister Laloo Prasad Yadav, which will air in short capsules throughout the Independence Day.
Highlighting the special line-up on I-Day, CNN-IBN and Channel7 editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai says, ” CNN-IBN is all set to give the discerning viewers an unforgettable family viewing experience this Independence Day. Our wide-range programming is especially designed for viewers of all age groups and we are in high spirits to celebrate the Independence Day with our viewers.”
Channel 7 managing editor Ashutosh shares,”Channel 7 with its special programming aims to awaken the spirit of patriotism amongst the audience as India enters the 60th year of Independence. Along with the patriotic element we decided to give a fun filled and lighthearted dimension to Independence Day, with a variety of entertaining shows. We feel confident that viewers will appreciate the shows and we will be successful in truly making Independence Day a memorable one.”
MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.
