News Broadcasting
DD to run Ruskin Bond kids’ series
NEW DELHI: Starting the last Sunday of the year, Doordarshan will start airing the weekly series on India’s most loved kid’s writer Rusking Bond. The series, “Dehra Kids” will be shown on Sundays at 8.30 pm.
The best part is, kids will be able to see their beloved Bond, who will appear for a short time at the beginning of each story, and talk about his life and the inspirations behind these stories.The stories have been adapted for television by Anasuya Vaidya, the executive producer, and directed by Ajay Shetty.
The Dehra Kids are a group of children living in a small hill town, and comprise some of Ruskin Bond’s most enduring fictional characters – the cricket-loving Ranji, the all-knowing Koki, animal-lover Mukesh, Teju always up to mischief – and Chashmu, who observes everything around him.
These stories are recreated in the magnificent Himalayan setting of ManaIi and its surroundings, a press statement from the national broadcaster says.
Humour, adventure and a dash of the supernatural make “Dehra Kids” a complete fun-filled entertainment for children. Some of Ruskin Bond’s best short stories are part of the series, such as “Ranji’s Wonderful Bat”, “The Black Cat”; “The Great Train Journey”, “When the Guavas Are Ripe”, “Mukesh Starts a Zoo” etc.
The talented child actors of Dehra Kids include Govind Marodia, Dhruv Shetty, Bhavya Mahajan, Nishant Gambhir, Mohit Arora and Nisa. Adult characters are played by veterans like Jalabala Vaidya.
The curtain raiser of “Dehra Kids” will be telecast on Sunday, 24 December at 8.30 pm on DD Bharati.
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.
