News Broadcasting
Colgate to help MTV scout for new veejays
Music channel MTV is beginning its third hunt for veejays in five years.
The nation wide search for fresh young faces to reflect the spirit of the brand got underway on 3 April at a media conference in downtown Mumbai. Colgate-Palmolive’s Fresh Energy Gel has tied up with MTV for the VJ hunt, using its strategic lifestyle marketing approach as a backdrop to the talent search.
True to the MTV image, a mysterious yellow cloaked mascot, called the MTV VJ Hunter, prowled the venue, even as celeb VJs including Cyrus Broacha, Mini and others basked in the spotlight.
The exercise will definitely be no quiet talent search, however. Auditions will be held at local hangouts and clubs in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore and aspirants can even send in their applications on the net. Viewers also get to vote on the finalists, and one lucky voter will get an opportunity to VJ on MTV for a day.
Earlier MTV hunts have produced VJs including Maria Goretti, Nikhil Chinappa, Amrita Arora and Mini. The search this time will not be confined to simple advertising – MTV is targeting print, outdoor and the net with a vengeance. While partner indiatimes.com will provide the Internet platform for interactivity, innovative initiatives including ads on BEST bus tickets and Colgate toothpaste packs are on the cards.
The hunt will yield a maximum of four veejays for the channel, says MTV managing director Alex Kuruvilla, all of whom will be absorbed in the existing 25 shows being aired on the channel, as well as the vignette programming that has commenced on MTV.
MTV, says Kuruvilla is undaunted by the efforts of rival Channel V to grab viewer and media attention. “The MTV Star Hunt and the Video Ga Ga contest have been doing the same exercise”, he says, dismissing the Popstars venture as a one off event that will not make a dent in MTV’s popularity. Robust marketing and a strong programming calendar have ensured its leadership, he says.
Indiatimes.com, however, does not seem to have any qualms about first partnering V’s Popstars and then helping arch rival MTV hunt for veejays. Says CEO Mahendra Swaroop, “We are just a media platform for anyone to make use of.”
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.
