News Broadcasting
DD, MTV tie up for AIDS concert telecast
MUMBAI: For the first time ever, Doordarshan has agreed to telecast one of music channel MTV’s concerts, in a prime time 90-minute weekend slot on DD National.
The MTV Music Summit for AIDS, to be held to coincide with World AIDS Day on 1 December, will be telecast on the music channel on 13 December and on the public broadcaster on 15 December. DD Sahyadri will also carry the 90-minute telecast, although the date and time are yet be finalised, according to MTV India managing director Alex Kuruvilla.
A star-studded line up of pop music artists, Bollywood gliterrati and MTV veejays will entertain crowds at the MMRDA grounds for five hours on 1 December, interspersing the music items with public service announcements related to AIDS. The Avert Society, a USAID funded organisation that works to reduce the impact and control the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Maharashtra will be presenting the event jointly with MTV for the second year in a row.
A multi-media strategy, including radio (a tie up with Go 92.5 FM), outdoor, print and on air (messages through all MTV programmes) has already been put into place to create awareness for the event and after, says Kuruvilla. Like last year, the Family Health International, will track the response from the event, aimed at creating awareness among youth, through exit polls, as well as by monitoring the number of households reached. With DD agreeing to telecast the event, the awareness should penetrate over 70 million homes this year, says Avert Society project director K Vaidyanathan. MTV’s reach of 23.5 million homes in the country is also expected to add to the awareness level.
The event is a continuation of MTV’s global initiative of spreading awareness about the disease. A similar event was held by MTV in Cape Town over the last weekend, and another is lined up in Seattle on 27 November. Among the artistes who will perform on 1 December in Mumbai are Alisha, Bombay Vikings, KK, Mehnaz, Shaan, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Silk Route, Shweta Shetty, Hema Sardesai and Vasundhara.
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.
