News Broadcasting
Desi Sesame Street on the anvil
MUMBAI: Popular kids’ show Sesame Street could soon appear in an Indian avatar, if the producers manage to find a local production partner.
The top rated American children’s infotainment show that has won the maximum Emmys thus far, is looking for an Indian partner who can choose relevant subjects to be tackled on the show, as well as possible broadcasting alliances, local characters and other feasibility details. A delegation of the New York based Sesame Workshop which produces Sesame Street, is currently in India to tap local partnerships.
Sesame Workshop is a non-profit organisation that has conceptualised and produced Sesame Street, on air since 1969 in the US. A Sesame Workshop group had probed the possibility of a similar tie up here seven years ago, but the response has been encouraging only this time round.
According to media reports quoting Sesame Workshop business development manager Sean Love, it could be another 18 months till a model specific to Indian requirements is developed. The team is yet to finalise which channel will telecast the Indian version of the monster muppets, which have imparted education and entertainment to generations of kids. Finer details like the language to be used, number of episodes and duration of episodes too have to be worked out.
Sesame Street currently runs as an afternoon block on Hallmark channel in India, using the TV to teach pre schoolers skills that make for a smooth transition from home to school. Sesame Street has received the most Emmys in TV history. Studies have revealed that teens who watched the show excelled in many ways and expressed less aggressive attitudes than those who did not watch the show, says a report in Mid-day.
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.
