News Broadcasting
Disney’s Eisner tags No. 2 Iger as the successor
MUMBAI: Disney’s CEO Michael Eisner has finally broken his silence and has anointed company’s second-in-command, the president and COO, Bob Iger as his successor.
In the protracted fight to oust Eisner from control of Disney, a chief complaint about the longtime chairman was that he had refused to name a successor. The news comes months after the ouster movement failed to entirely uproot Eisner.
Eisner, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, said that Iger was his choice to take over the media and entertainment empire at his retirement, which could come in 2006 when his contract expires.
According to media reports, Eisner is quoted as saying about Iger that, “There’s nobody who has a better education and training to do that job.”
While Iger has responded favourably, as has told Times. “I have a right to be taken seriously. I feel I know the company well. I have the knowledge. There comes a time when it’s appropriate to say, ‘Hey, this is a job I’m interested in.’ “
But all depends on how seriously Disney board will take suggestion and how well both Eisner and Iger do over the coming year, the reports indicate.
In March, Eisner was effectively demoted from chairman and CEO to CEO as a defensive measure by the board to prevent his full ouster when a huge no-confidence vote was delivered by major stockholders at the company’s annual meeting.
But there are likely to be some conflicting views as the reports indicate that the former No. 2 at Viacom, Mel Karmazin is also being considered for the post, the reports indicates.
The reports indicate that the biggest barrier to Iger’s claim to the CEO slot will be his performance overseeing ABC, thus far. ABC has finished fourth among households and adults 18-49 last season, dipping 19 percent versus the previous year among 18-49s. A big part of the problem, has been the tendency of both Eisner and Iger to micro-manage, often with disastrous results.
But the network has been widely hailed for its new programming slate for the 2004-’05 season, which may be the strongest of any network based purely on content and a strong cookie point for Iger, indicate 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.
