News Broadcasting
Disney to debut two channels on KDG Germany
MUMBAI: The big mouse is all set to speak German. Disney is all geared to launch on KDG Germany this November.
Disney, say media reports, would be debuting in Germany on 10 November with two children’s channels Playhouse Disney Channel and Toon Disney Channel, on a new digital cable platform.
The channels will launch as part of Kabel Digital Home, the new digital pay-TV platform from Kabel Deutschland (KDG). Meanwhile, Playhouse Disney will be Germany’s first preschool channel and will air from 6 am to 10 pm, say the reports.
Apart from the Disney offerings, KDG will also carry E! Entertainment, BBC Prime, Fashion TV, 13th Street, AXN, Sci-Fi, Kinowelt, History Channel, Nat Geo, Planet, Extreme Sports, ESPN Classic Sports, Sailing Channel, NASN, Motors TV, MTV Hits, MTV Dance, VH1 Classic, Trace TV and Playboy TV. The new platform launches today.
Prior to the German launch, the two Disney channels have debut recently in the UK, France and Spain.
According to KDG’s management spokesman Roland Steindorf, “Playhouse Disney and Toon Disney will be two important components of Kabel Digital Home, providing some great entertainment for families. We’re sure our customers will be very enthusiastic.”
Germany’s Federal Cartel Office last week vetoed KDG’s plans to merge with three regional cable operators. Operating cable services in 13 German states, with a reach of more than 10 million households, Munich-based KDG is already Europe’s biggest cable operator, inform the reports.
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.
