News Broadcasting
Entries open for Animation Super Pitch 2002
Announcing entries open, Asia Animation Super Pitch 2002 has said that for the first time in the region animation content creators will get a chance to reach a panel of at least 10 commissioning editors and broadcasters at the same time this year.
Organised by Asia Image and Canada’s BANFF Television Festival, the session will be moderated by industry veteran Pat Ferns. Five finalists will be given five minutes to pitch their best ideas to the panel of commissioning editors and broadcasters; each pitch will be followed by a five-minute Q&A session. The winning pitch will receive a cash prize towards the programme’s production.
Asia Animation Super Pitch is open to all animation studios and production houses whose primary base is in any of the following countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, North Korea, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, People’s Republic of China, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Only official Asia Image/BANFF Television Festival entry forms will be accepted. An entry fee of $100 entitles three entries but separate forms must be used for each entry. A single entry costs $50.
The last date for receiving entries is 31 October. A pre-selection process will take place between November 1-5 and finalists will be contacted by 15 November.
Those selected must be prepared to pitch projects in person at Asia Animation 2002 on the morning of 5 December, Thursday at the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa Resort in Singapore. Projects must be pitched in English. All presenters of shortlisted pitches will be offered two complimentary passes, worth $600, to Asia Animation 2002
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.
