News Broadcasting
Culture curry, music & movie for Pongal on Vijay TV
MUMBAI: Time to get ready for festivities on Vijay TV.
Its Pongal and Vijay TV has an action plan to celebrate it. The channel, beside the usual song and dance fare, has some culture based programmes like Pattimandrams, but of course with dollops of silver screen input.
On Pongal day, 15 January, channel will start off with classical music, followed by a religious discourse from Acharya – Samarpanam at 7:30 am, says a company release.
At 8 am, the channel will air Dindigul Leoni’s Pattimandram, complete with debates, comic routines and comments, to lighten up the day. Next in line is Breakfast with Illayathalapathi Vijay at 9 am. The cameras will follow him as he has his breakfast, travels to the shoot, on the set, and watch him with his family, in a special programme Vijay Udan Oru naa .
Dhool, Parthiban Kanavu fame music directors Vidyasagar stage show, presented by Chinna Kalaivan Vivek will follow the show. Split into six half hour segments, the show will have actors, actresses, directors, playback singers and lyricists requesting Vidyasagars songs.
What festivities are complete without shopping! So Vijay TV’s Pongal special has Pithamagan star Laila, shopping on the the streets of Chennai, interacting with fans and cooking Pongal in Ullam Kavarndha Laila at 1 pm. Next up is take on NDTV’s ItoI – Nerkku Neer at 5 pm, where actor Satyaraj will offer glimpses from his life
After celebrity interactions, the Tamil entertainment channel has movie magic arranged. The channel will air a curtain raisers of Dhanushs next film Podukottaiyil Irundhu Saravanan. Mettukal Pudhusu, which follows, will also give a sneak peek of Silambarasans next movie Kovil, Hari’s next with Simbu, Vijayakanth’s Engal Anna, aired from 6 pm to 8 pm.
The Pongal action will continue on the next day, 16 January, with Pattimandran hosted by Solomom Pappiah at 9 am. Following the one hour special is National Award winning poet Vairamuthu’s Vairamuthu vin Kavi Arangam at 10 am.
Next on the channel is Kamalhassans exclusive interview on Vijay Nayagan at 11 am, followed by an interview with Surya, in Sutterikkum Suriyan at 12 am. Surya will talk about his modus operandi and future prospects in the film world. Last interview for the day is that of the Kollywood heartthrob Dhanush, in Vetri Koddi Kattu at 1pm.
Theen Tharikitta a special featuring folk artists like Pushpavanam Kuppuswamy, Malgudi Subha will be aired at 5:30 pm. The programme will showcase folk music like Nayandi Melam, Thapattam and folk dance like Oyilattam, Mayilattam. Last in the line is Unni Krishnan In Ennavale, a musical programme by singer Unni Krishnan at 7 pm.
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.
