News Broadcasting
Hallmark to air 2-part miniseries ‘Earthsea’
MUMBAI: Fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin’s Nebula and Hugo Award-winning series Earthsea has earned a treasured place in the annals of imaginative literature. Now her masterpiece, comparable to JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, comes to television as a richly imagined miniseries event.
Hallmark will air the two part miniseries Earthsea on Sunday 3 July at 9:45 pm and 11:45 pm.
Protected by the High Priestess Thar at the Tombs of Atuan, the Amulet of Peace has insured harmony between humans and dragons for centuries in Earthsea. Now, the future of this utopia is in jeopardy after suffering a grave attack by the Kargides. Earthsea’s temple was invaded, the amulet broken in two, and one of its pieces disappeared.
Vulnerable to the dreams of conquest cherished by the nefarious King Tygath of Atuan, Earthsea has only one chance for restoring the amulet and protecting its many islands from the occupation of evil forces. The last hope is a boy named Ged, a simple blacksmith’s son and a neophyte wizard eager to hone his magical gift, prove his mettle among his peers-and impress the budding priestess Tenar.
The series stars Isabella Rossellini and Danny Glover. On 23 July at 6:30 pm the channel will air the film The Five People You Meet In Heaven. This journey of redemption and self-discovery proves not all mysteries unfold in life.
Eddie is an 83 year old war veteran who has outlived all the people he loved. He spends his days of routine and regret maintaining the rides at Ruby Pier, a seaside amusement park.
Little does Eddie realize his own life one that has been exhausted of surprise is about to come to an end. On this morning unlike all the others, an accident on one of the rides has imperiled a five-year-old girl. In front of a horrified crowd, Eddie attempts to save her life. The last thing he sees is the little girl’s frightened face contorted in tears and pain. The last thing he feels is the child’s hands in his. Then, a blinding flash of light and silence, and Eddie reawakens in an unfamiliar place called Heaven. But he’s not alone. Five people have been waiting to meet him.
Some are loved ones. Some are distant strangers. Their goal is to introduce Eddie to the meaning of life by showing him how their lives and deaths have been a part of his own in ways he never suspected. Each of these souls is looking for closure, each has a story to relate, a secret to divulge, and a lesson to impart. One by one, they illuminate the mysterious interconnecting human web of an earthly life.
Eddie’s journey is about to begin. What he discovers is a chance at redemption and an opportunity to witness his impact on others, to recognise how loyalty and love truly matter, and to understand the surprising outcome of his final act of sacrifice on that fateful afternoon at Ruby Pier.
The film stars Jon Voight, Ellen Burstyn and Jeff Daniels.
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.
