News Broadcasting
Fireworks Productions set to launch ‘CID’ comic book
MUMBAI: At a time when the germ of an idea of Munnabhai MBBS comics hits the news pages, Fireworks Productions’ CID, after ruling Sony Entertainment Television for nine years, is already set to hit the news stands. CID’s timeless characters will shortly come alive on the comic books as well.
Characters ACP Pradyuman (Shivaji Satam), senior inspector Abhijeet (Aditya Shrivastav), inspector Daya (Dayanand Shetty), inspector Fredricks (Dinesh Phadnis), forensic doctor Dr Niyati (Shweta Kawatra) among others, will now be comic characters as welll, states an official release.
Says BP Singh of Fireworks, “CID Comics will be released in a 44-page all-colour format, with an international standard packaging. “This is a show that glorifies our police force. And this move is another step in the direction of our unsung heroes, who live in stress to let us live in peace.”
“We met everyone from the makers to the market, and everyone was excited with the idea of CID comic books.
That encouraged us a lot as the show is still going strong on-air,” explains Fireworks Productions business head Yash Patnaik.
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.
