News Broadcasting
FremantleMedia appoints Andrew Piller as intl brand manager for ‘Planet Cook’
MUMBAI: FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide (FLW), the licensing division of FremantleMedia has announced the appointment of Andrew Piller as International Brand Manager for the culinary adventure format, Planet Cook.
FremantleMedia is one of the largest international creators and producers of programme brands in the world including American Idol.
Piller will be responsible for managing and driving the Planet Cook brand around the world, both on and off screen, working in partnership with FremantleMedias production and licensing teams. Alice Whiteley.
FLW director acquisitions and development Alice Whiteley said, Planet Cook is a key brand for FremantleMedia, both in terms of production and
licensing. Andrews appointment is a further sign of our commitment to the development of the brand worldwide. We are really excited to have Andrew on board and we are confident that, with his talent and wealth of experience managing kids entertainment brands, he will be a fantastic asset to the company.
Planet Cook is a cookery adventure show for children where mealtime disappointments are a thing of the past. Set on a tropical island, each episode sees Captain Cook guide three young Cook Cadets as they create a meal against the clock. Eache is i recipnspired by the natural world from leaf-eating dinosaurs to volcanoes which gives Captain Cook the inspiration to create delicious dishes like Erupting Volcano Surprise.
All recipes have been analysed by independent, qualified nutritionists to fit within the context of a balanced, healthy diet. Planet Cook already claims to have a first class international broadcast platform in place. The BBC has commissioned 104 episodes of the show. This is the largest commission ever for the corporation outside of pre-school. Platinum Films and M4E have secured a format deal with German public broadcaster, ZDF. In addition, a tape deal has been struck with ABC in Australia for 52 episodes of the UK show.
The first series of Planet Cook recently finished on BBC1 where it regularly ranked as the top-rating childrens show in its timeslot. The show currently airs on CBBC at 12pm on Saturdays and Sundays and on ZDF at 11.45am on Saturdays.
Piller was previously Childrens Global Brand Manager at Chorion. He was responsible for the global strategic management of Enid Blytons portfolio including the Noddy TV brand.
Prior to this, he was Global Brand Manager at Hasbro, where he managed the development of the Action Man and Micro Machines brands worldwide and European Brand Manager, where he managed the direction of the Disney toy properties across Europe.
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.
