News Broadcasting
‘Election Ooh La La’ on Aaj Tak with Shekhar Suman
MUMBAI: The prime time on one of India’s leading Hindi news channels is set to witness an outburst of giggles starting from April Fool’s day. Aaj Tak brings comic actor Shekhar Suman on its new election show Election Ooh La La from today at 9:30 pm.
The 30 episode series will be aired from Monday to Saturday and will be a humorous take on elections. With quite a few episodes already in the bag, the final ones will be shot closer to the telecast date of those episodes, to ensure topicality of issues.
The show has been outsourced to a production house and a multi camera set up is being used that will have Suman sketching many politicians, party symbols, presenting a unique take on mudslinging as well as connect the day’s big political story with the reality of India. This apart, he will also hold celebrity interviews.
Aaj Tak managing editor Supriya Prasad said, “It is important to keep innovating and what better time to bring political satire than an action packed elections. The space has been vacant and we believe Shekhar Suman will bring an all new energy in the prime time with this show. “
On air promotions for the show have already begun on the TV Today network channels. Apart from this, the channel is also going big on print, online and outdoor campaigns. To promote the new show.
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.
