News Broadcasting
Disney is US’ most admired entertainment company: Fortune
MUMBAI: Publication Fortune magazine has reported that Walt Disney is America’s most admired entertainment company
The magazine conducted a survey of top entertainment industry executives, directors and securities analysts. The results were reported as part of Fortune’s “America’s Most Admired Companies” issue, which is being distributed this week.
Talking about the result Disney chairman, CEO Michael Eisner said, “In 2003, we emerged from a protracted period of economic difficulty and had a great year. This is primarily because the women and men of Disney remained focussed on what they do best, producing high quality and memorable family entertainment experiences. The fact that other entertainment industry executives recognised this by voting Disney as number one in our industry is a tribute to the hard work of our incredibly creative and dedicated cast members and employees.”
Last year Disney’s earnings per share grew by eight per cent, driven in part by the success offilms like Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Finding Nemo.
To identify America’s most admired companies by industry, Fortune and its survey partner, the Hay Group, take the ten largest companies by revenues in 64 industries. They then ask 10,000 executives, directors, and securities analysts to rate the companies in their own industries. Eight criteria are used. They are innovation, employee talent, use of corporate assets, social responsibility; quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investment value and quality of products/services.
Meanwhile a Reuters report stated that General Electric which owns NBC is not concerned about a potential merger between Walt Disney and Comcast. GE’s chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt however said that Comcast had chosen an opportune time to try and make a deal.
As reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com NBC is combining with Vivendi Universal Entertainment. The new company will be known as NBC Universal. Its assets will include broadcast and cable TV properties, theme parks and Universal Studios.
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.
