News Broadcasting
Dr Phil to appear on ‘Frasier’
CALIFORNIA: Dr Phillip C McGraw, known to millions the world over as Dr Phil, the host of the hugely popular daily, syndicated series of the same name, is making his acting debut on Paramount Network Television’s hit comedy series Frasier in March. Phil’s guest appearance is scheduled to air during May sweeps on NBC-TV.
In India Frasier airs on Star World Monday – Friday at 8:30 pm . Dr. Phil also puts in appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show which airs weekday mornings on the channel. On Frasier Dr. Phil, who plays himself, comes to Seattle for a symposium on life planning and runs into his old friend Dr Frasier Crane (multiple Emmy Award-winner Kelsey Grammer). Envious of Dr Phil’s professional accomplishments, Frasier begins to wonder who is credited for Dr Phil’s success and finds out that his former agent Bebe Glazer (Harriet Harris) is in part responsible. Wanting the success Dr. Phil has attained, Frasier contemplates re-hiring Bebe.
The syndicated series Dr.Phil, created by Harpo Productions, produced by Paramount Domestic Television and distributed by King World Productions, is seen on 185 stations representing 97 per cent of the US and debuted in September 2002 to the strongest numbers for a talk series since The Oprah Winfrey Show launched in 1986. According to a NSS Ranking Report since its debut, the series has rated second only to The Oprah Winfrey Show in the talk show category, and consistently ranks among the Top Ten of all syndicated strips. .
Frasier has received a record-breaking five consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series, and has made history by amassing more Emmys than any other show in television history. Series star Kelsey Grammer has won three Emmy Awards and has received twelve nominations to date for his portrayal of the same character on three different shows (Cheers, Wings and Frasier).
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.
