News Broadcasting
etc courts viewers with new genres
From music to alternative healing, etc seems determined to innovate in a bid to bring in the viewers.
Claiming supremacy among the current crop of music channels with statistics for the week ended 4 May (17 of the top 25 programmes on music channels during the week are from the etc stable, according to TAM), the channel is now diversifying into untrodden territory. Gagar Mein Sagar to commence telecast this Sunday at 1 pm, deals with various forms and aspects of alternate medicines and remedies.
Writer Kamini Khanna and spiritual healer and vaastu consultant Shankar Bable will anchor the show that deals with and explores popularly practised subjects like Feng Shui, Vaastu Shastra, Crystal Therapy, Medical Astrology, Pyramid Therapy, Acupressure, Tarot Card Reading, Signature analyses and Acupuncture. The programme will also educate the viewers about the significance and reality of Totka (casting spells), says the channel.
A film based show, On Air will tackle films scheduled for release, invite artistes and directors of the film on the show to talk about their experience and expectations from the film. The show takes off next Monday at 8.30 pm with superstar Amitabh Bachchan talking about his film Hum Kissi Se Kam Nahin.
etc’s third new show to begin in June belongs to a genre tried and tested on the channel. Sun n Dance Hour has one hour of non-stop remix songs from old and new films and music albums, to be telecast every Saturday at 8 pm with repeats on every Sunday at 10 am.
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.
